Dancing to the rhythm divine
Women in glitteringly colourful chaniya cholis and men in turbans and dhotis... the intoxicating traditional rhythms of Gujarati folk music and clicks of dandiyas accompanying the mellifluous voices of singers from the live orchestra...Navratri is undoubtedly the most vibrant form of worship of the Goddess of ‘Shakti’ -- Durga.
The ten-day festival brings Gujarat alive during this time of the year with fasting, feasting and lots of dancing -- Garba and Dandiya Raas. Keeping up with that festive spirit, the Auckland Indian Association (AIA) has been recreating the magic of Navratri in Auckland, year after year for more than a decade.
AIA’s packed Mahatma Gandhi Centre last week was testimony to the Navratri fever the Association has been spreading among huge crowds, which gathered day after day to perform Aarti to the goddess and dance away till the wee hours of the morning.
Bringing together people from different communities, the 13-day celebration (October 16 to 29) had its quintessential highlight this year too -- musicians from Gujarat. The four-member group ‘Sargam’ from the Navsari district in Gujarat, kept the crowds on their toes with their music.
“We have been coming to Auckland from the past three years and we really enjoy performing here because the people appreciate our music. Also, traditional songs find more prominence here. Back home, the overpowering influence of Bollywood numbers has turned Navratri into disco dandiya, like most other countries abroad. For instance, in UK, it’s moreover the club style Navratri,” smiles Hemant Tailor, Sargam’s keyboard player.
In comparison to the examples, the traditional flavour at AIA was certainly overwhelming, what with everything from costumes to music being completely in-sync. It was also heartwarming to see youngsters, who are born and brought up on a foreign land, so deeply rooted in their culture as they immaculately matched Garba steps.
“It is amazing how certain rituals like ‘Mathli’ (performing puja with an earthern pot) during Navratri are still performed at AIA too as opposed to India, where people don’t follow it anymore,” Tailor reveals further. The musical group, which consists of rhythmist Prakash Patel and singers Manish Pochawala and Chaitali Desai apart from Tailor, are now set to perform at the ‘Musical Evening’, organised by AIA on November 3, followed by concerts in Hamilton and UK.
Kiddies’ day out with Rangoli
As a precursor to the Diwali celebrations, AIA’s Mahila Samaj organised a Rangoli Competition on Sunday, October 28, mainly for the children of the Gandhi Gruh Gujarati School, a Gujarati school run by the Association.
Even though the competition -- which took place at the Mahatma Gandhi centre -- was open to all ages, there were maximum children participants, who were engrossed in drawing everything from sceneries and animals to the Indian flag.
The best rangoli won a little prize too.
Upcoming events at AIA
Musical Evening
Date & Time: Nov 3, 8pm onwards
Tickets: $ 25. Contact Mahendra Patel on 021 631 123 or Parshotam Govind on 950 3322/ 0274380711. You could also mail Govind on pgovind@xnet.co.nz
Diwali concert
Date & Time: Nov 17, 8pm
All proceeds will go to the Starship Children’s Hospital
Women in glitteringly colourful chaniya cholis and men in turbans and dhotis... the intoxicating traditional rhythms of Gujarati folk music and clicks of dandiyas accompanying the mellifluous voices of singers from the live orchestra...Navratri is undoubtedly the most vibrant form of worship of...
Women in glitteringly colourful chaniya cholis and men in turbans and dhotis... the intoxicating traditional rhythms of Gujarati folk music and clicks of dandiyas accompanying the mellifluous voices of singers from the live orchestra...Navratri is undoubtedly the most vibrant form of worship of the Goddess of ‘Shakti’ -- Durga.
The ten-day festival brings Gujarat alive during this time of the year with fasting, feasting and lots of dancing -- Garba and Dandiya Raas. Keeping up with that festive spirit, the Auckland Indian Association (AIA) has been recreating the magic of Navratri in Auckland, year after year for more than a decade.
AIA’s packed Mahatma Gandhi Centre last week was testimony to the Navratri fever the Association has been spreading among huge crowds, which gathered day after day to perform Aarti to the goddess and dance away till the wee hours of the morning.
Bringing together people from different communities, the 13-day celebration (October 16 to 29) had its quintessential highlight this year too -- musicians from Gujarat. The four-member group ‘Sargam’ from the Navsari district in Gujarat, kept the crowds on their toes with their music.
“We have been coming to Auckland from the past three years and we really enjoy performing here because the people appreciate our music. Also, traditional songs find more prominence here. Back home, the overpowering influence of Bollywood numbers has turned Navratri into disco dandiya, like most other countries abroad. For instance, in UK, it’s moreover the club style Navratri,” smiles Hemant Tailor, Sargam’s keyboard player.
In comparison to the examples, the traditional flavour at AIA was certainly overwhelming, what with everything from costumes to music being completely in-sync. It was also heartwarming to see youngsters, who are born and brought up on a foreign land, so deeply rooted in their culture as they immaculately matched Garba steps.
“It is amazing how certain rituals like ‘Mathli’ (performing puja with an earthern pot) during Navratri are still performed at AIA too as opposed to India, where people don’t follow it anymore,” Tailor reveals further. The musical group, which consists of rhythmist Prakash Patel and singers Manish Pochawala and Chaitali Desai apart from Tailor, are now set to perform at the ‘Musical Evening’, organised by AIA on November 3, followed by concerts in Hamilton and UK.
Kiddies’ day out with Rangoli
As a precursor to the Diwali celebrations, AIA’s Mahila Samaj organised a Rangoli Competition on Sunday, October 28, mainly for the children of the Gandhi Gruh Gujarati School, a Gujarati school run by the Association.
Even though the competition -- which took place at the Mahatma Gandhi centre -- was open to all ages, there were maximum children participants, who were engrossed in drawing everything from sceneries and animals to the Indian flag.
The best rangoli won a little prize too.
Upcoming events at AIA
Musical Evening
Date & Time: Nov 3, 8pm onwards
Tickets: $ 25. Contact Mahendra Patel on 021 631 123 or Parshotam Govind on 950 3322/ 0274380711. You could also mail Govind on pgovind@xnet.co.nz
Diwali concert
Date & Time: Nov 17, 8pm
All proceeds will go to the Starship Children’s Hospital
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