The festival of Garba originates from the Indian state of Gujarat. It consists of a sequence of dances that take place in October leading up to the Hindu holiday of Navaratri. Marriotts Ridge High School’s South Asian club also planned its own version of Garba at school, sharing its culture while welcoming students to participate in Garba festivities.
Garba is not just a dance, but a celebration of community, culture and making memories. The night starts off with a prayer followed by various Garba dances and then Aarti, a type of finishing prayer. The night concludes with performing Dandiya, which is a traditional dance using two sticks.
“I go every year to Garba, which is a really fun way to meet all of your friends, dress up and celebrate Navratri, which is a festival leading up to Diwali,” said sophomore Soha Mahapatra.
Garba is an opportunity for everyone to learn about Indian culture and celebrate with their friends and family. There are many opportunities to attend local Garbas which are hosted each weekend in October at various locations.
“I’m going to the Garbas at Meadowbrook and maybe the one at UMD, ” Mahapatra said.
These Garbas are open to anyone who is excited to celebrate traditions and dance through the night. Students from diverse backgrounds are all able to participate, promoting a sense of inclusivity and respect for different traditions.
“I’ve been to Garba twice before, and I think it’s really fun and a cool way to learn about a different culture. Dancing [at Garba] and getting ready with your friends is a fun experience,” junior Allie Bonier shared.
Since so many students participate in Garba, the South Asian Club at MRHS wanted to host their own to celebrate the festival and embrace Indian culture as well as spend time with their friends.
“During the Multicultural Fest, many of the performances were Indian, and during this time everyone always does Garba, so we wanted to do a community-type one here. Even if it’s just after school, I think it’ll still be fun,” said senior and South Asian Club president Amulya Mandalika.
However, hosting an event like this requires a lot of planning to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone. In light of this, The South Asian Club has been working through the details to make a school-wide Garba happen in early November.
“We’ve had a meeting with Dr.Dipaula to talk out logistics. I created a detailed plan with the five W’s and how to formulate an idea of how we can run the event. I also talked with Ms. Reier about the availability of spaces on certain dates, which we have to now get Ms.Roberts to reserve those areas for the dance with Mr. Ingrem,” junior and South Asian club vice president Rithvik Maturi said.
An event like this is an excellent opportunity for students to experience and learn about Indian culture while having fun with all their friends and the school community.
“As Garba is performed with many individuals, we consider it to be a bonding moment. We want to make this a yearly event at Marriotts Ridge and, in future years, open it up to other schools similar to the Multicultural festival,” Maturi added.
Garba is an exciting event for all involved, and the South Asian Club’s version was a great opportunity for the MRHS community to enjoy themselves, experience Indian culture, celebrate with friends and dance the night away.