Garba Night: October 6, 2019
IIM Nagpur celebrated the much-awaited Garba and Dandiya Night on 6th October. The event was organized by Abhyudaya, the cultural committee of IIM Nagpur. The club began the preparations for the festival two weeks in advance, with Garba and dandiya dance practices which were led by students, faculty members and staff members themselves.
Garba and Dandiya are the two dance forms that worship the power and divinity of Ma Durga and bring about togetherness in people. Ma Durga or Goddess Durga is the symbol of women’s power that brings an end to the evil. Navratri is all about honoring Ma Durga. It is not just about destroying the darkness but also bring about the destruction of evil thoughts and feelings within humans themselves.
The event started with worshiping Ma Durga, seeking her blessings and singing the “Aarti” which set the aura of Navratri all over the campus. Then, it was time to switch to Garba and Dandiya mode. Everyone was excited about this and were dressed in beautiful kurtas and lehengas. The music was on, and everyone was on the groove. People who didn’t even know the dance forms synced themselves to the music.
The fun-filled event left the echoes of “Aae Halo!” still buzzing in the ears of everyone present.
Dhunuchi and Kanya Pujan: October 7, 2019
Dhunuchi Dance is an integral part of Durga Puja as celebrated by Bengalis. Known as “Dhunuchi Naach” among the Bengalis, it signifies the homecoming of Ma Durga and is performed especially on Ashtami, the eighth day of Navaratri.
Students arranged for Dhunuchi which is an earthen vessel, with a stem at the bottom and flared cavity on top in which coconut husk is burnt to produce incensed smoke. For Kanya Pujan, little children were invited for dinner from an NGO called UPAY. The Kanya Pujan was organized by the cultural committee, in collaboration with Ummeed, the community outreach club and the mess committee at IIM Nagpur.
The students of IIM Nagpur got a chance to interact with the little kids and enjoy with them. A photo-op with funny props, followed by gifts given to the children, brought unforgettable smiles to their faces.
For many students, it was their first time witnessing the novel Dhunuchi dance. Needless to say, they were fascinated with the skill and fervour which marks this dance, and it brought Bengal alive at the IIM Nagpur campus.
Dussehra Celebrations: October 8, 2019
IIM Nagpur celebrated Dussehra on October 8 with a novel theme: No Pollution. Spearheaded by Abhuyudaya, the celebration involved games that were organized by the students as a great alternative to the burning of crackers without losing out on the fun. Things got competitive with games such as darts, breaking the tower and try-your-luck, in which exciting prizes were also at stake.
Dussehra marks the triumph of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana, and symbolizes the victory of good over evil. We at IIM Nagpur believe that instead of following the old ritual of burning the firecracker-stuffed idol of Ravana, we should burn the evil inside ourselves and let go of all the negative thoughts.
We as responsible citizens of the world should take care of the environment in whichever way possible, and with a No Pollution Dussehra theme, we also want to spread the message that the upcoming festival Diwali should also be celebrated in the same way.