UF students celebrate life, community in traditional Indian dance

Hundreds of students twirled in colorful skirts Friday night, celebrating another year of experiences.

About 300 students attended the annual Garba celebration at the UF Florida Gym. The UF Indian Student Association co-sponsored the event with the UF Indian Graduate Student Association, said Praveen Varanasi, the president of ISA. Men and women who participated in the dance wore colorful garments and performed around a non-religious statue in the center of the room.

Even though Garba is Hindu by nature, the event was non-religious and everyone was welcome, Varanasi said. The dance celebration represents the new coming of seasons and experiences.

“It’s beautiful,” the 21-year-old UF economics, political science and sustainability studies senior said. “The entire thing is just one giant display of unity.”

Sanjana Bhargava and Mughil Sriram, both 18-year-old UF microbiology freshmen, attended a dance lesson to prepare for the event. The pair agreed that learning the dances can be intimidating because some people have been doing this dance all their lives, but the community is accepting and the dance was easy to pick up.

Bhargava said her favorite part was being able to dress up.

“It’s great to just get out there and dance,” she said.

This was Sriram’s first Garba, and she said the dancing was her favorite part.

“This is a new experience for me, and it’s really fun,” she said. “There’s lots of fun people and nice dresses.”