by Mythily Govindan
Dhandia is a type of traditional dance followed in the State of Gujarat. Initially
It is a beautiful way of re-creating the battle that took place between Goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasur, thus highlighting the defeat of evil over good. The colourful sticks used during Dandiya represent the swords of Goddess Durga and hence this dance form is also known as ‘The Sword Dance’.
On 2nd October evening, football court at Princeton was lighted elaborately by the RWA and the place turned into an awesome dancing floor for the energetic people in and around DLF Phase 5.
Both ladies and men were attired in colourful traditional dresses of Gujarat holding multicoloured Dandiya sticks, were dancing as fairies, recreating and echoing the strong culture of our beloved country.
The popular songs of Bollywood ,created by renowned music directors of the period were played and it induced spirit and energy among the dancers to perform their tasks effectively. The gentle swaying of hands, the elegant twists and turnings of the individuals and the co-ordinated moves brought a spectacular scene in front of the audience though no formal training was given. The people danced both in small and large groups matching with the beats and rhythm of the recorded songs.
Girls, boys, men, women, kids were in the dancing floor-dancing with their family members, friends and relatives. One common feature displayed on their faces was, HAPPINESS and thus one can assure that the purpose of the program is served and the organisers had attained their objectives..
There were numerous eatable stalls on the periphery of the place. This helped the sweating dancers to refresh themselves by eating in between, thus enabling the people to enjoy the night with family, friends and relatives.
The countless photos and videos would refresh the memories of Dhandia night till the next Dhandia of the following year.
