Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Entertainment | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

In Dandiya we trust

It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from, everyone's invited to do the Dandiya, finds K. SACHIDANAND MENON

DANCE WITH ME Religious differences dissolve on the dance floor PHOTO: K.R. DEEPAK

So the greybeards have given up on us. We rebels without a cause ain't got no sense of culture and tradition blah, blah... no national pride, MTV freaks... There are always bound to be people who see the dark cloud around the silver lining.

Perhaps, critics from the old world should take heart that there's always Dandiya to stand in for all their lost pride and shattered hopes. For one thing, this dance spells culture with a capital C. More importantly, it is a sign of the free-spiritedness of today's youth for whom, unlike many old-timers, religion isn't an issue when it comes to having fun.

This simply means that you don't have to be a Hindu or a gujju to get grooving during Navratri. As a multi-cultural phenomenon, Dandiya today draws people of all faiths to the dance floor.

Says Albert D'Souza, who works in the Excise Department, "Dandiya is such a wonderful dance and it would be really bad if a certain section of youngsters were barred from taking part because of their faith." In the same breath he adds that he has been hitting the dance floor almost every Navratri. "I'm glad there are no such restrictions," he observes.

There was a time when associations gave first preference to community members for the Dandiya dos. Then the club culture caught on and membership holders moved up the priority list irrespective of their faith. M. A. Samad, former president of Nizam Club, reveals, "We have been organising Dandiya for the last two years at our club. Only members are allowed to participate." While pointing out that members from all communities participate in the club's celebration, Samad says he has no idea whether the youngsters at his club realise the significance of Navratri. He feels they "just want to have a gala time".

The big picture

It might not make sense to do something if you really are clueless about what it's being done for. On the other hand, this could also mean the activity is being pursued for the sheer fun of it. Lidia Shanti, a second-year engineering student of Vathsalya Institute of Science and Technology, gives the funda, "How does it matter if I am a Christian? Do I have to perform pujas to pick up Dandiya sticks? I think that's ridiculous. I think the spirit of the dance is more important. It's about bonding and coming together to celebrate." Her friend Payal, a Sikh, shares the same attitude. "Rituals aren't important really. What matters is how much fun everybody has despite religious differences. I might not know what Navratri is all about but I do know that everybody on the dance floor is out to have fun."

Now here's the icing on the cake for all Gen-X bashers. Last week, over half-a-dozen Dandiya enthusiasts actually learned the moves at a city-based studio. What makes this new different is that they came here from all over the globe - America, England, Germany, Holland and even the Caribbean.

Incidentally, the instructors were flown down from Gujarat. "These students were here for different reasons. Some were students while a couple of them are bank executives. All of them said they were hooked to the dance," says R. Prithviraj, art director of Steps, his dance school. Life sure is one big party for the young crowd and if that means swinging to dholak beats without actually knowing what a dholak is - so be it.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail