‘Garba Rass’, an event hosted by the Indian Student Club on October 4, 2009 was a celebration of the Indian festival ‘Navaratri’. It was fun filled evening with dance, music, food, exciting prizes and much more. The event was amazing to watch and more exhilarating to be a part of!
The event started at 7 pm at 4918 N 9th street, Parkwood Recreation centre. The hall was decorated with dupattas (scarfs) and beautiful paintings all around the wall. The Organizers tried to combine our ancient culture with modern Navratri. The Emcee first introduced the new committee members to the audience and then everybody introduced themselves. Then special Indian food from the most renowned Indian restaurant was served. The special gulab-jamun (sweet item) added the flavor to food and crowd enjoyed it.
Finally the emcee announced “Let’s do it” and thus it began, the garba practice. To the uninitiated, garba is a Guajarati folk dance performed during the festival of Navratri. Men and women dance in a circle around a lamp or statue of goddess Amba. It was precisely this art form which our crowd was trying to master.
The group then began. The DJ was rocking with excellent typical garba songs. At first, the group was unsynchronized and there was much hilarity. But soon, under emcee’s guidance, the dancing became more graceful. The ease with which the participants picked up difficult steps was astonishing. They performed a lot of different steps while dancing. At the end, the kind of coordination and mastery which was on display was simply unbelievable. Men and women in traditional colorful dresses danced to their fullest enjoying every moment of the festival on Sunday. Not only Indians but many Americans as well as guests danced and enjoyed to their fullest!
At the end, the emcee announced a future event such as Diwali Night and everyone was excited about it. To sum it up, Garba Raas was a mesmerizing event to watch as well as to participate in.
The Henry Madden Library is a safe haven for history. It houses an array of books that tell of years past, of fallen civilization and celebrated victories. It’s very design, that of a basket to represent the rich native history of the land, praises the details of past years. With the library’s latest exhibit, The Pursuit of Beauty: California Indian Baskets & The Art of Ansel Adams, however, it can now boast of being one of the most culturally aware building on campus.
What is most striking, however, isn’t the gorgeous wilderness, but the very honest angles that Ansel used to frame his photos. An onlooker can almost feel the mist on their face as they stare at the photos of the river. This sensation is undoubtedly highlighted by the fact that this same onlooker can see their own reflection when they stare at the photo. They literally look as if they are there in the snow covered valley or watching the sunrise. One of the most interesting aspects of the displayed photographs involves the dates on which they were taken. Photos range from 1919 to 1946 to 1964, across so many periods of turmoil and change in American history. It is almost as if Adam’s photographs are comforting reminders that, even if American’s are fighting foreign enemies abroad or racism at home, the natural, calm beauty of its landscapes is unwavering and infinite.
When the producers of the event gave it a name, The Pursuit of Beauty, they must have known that they had, indeed, found it.
Multicultural Program 