Indian students strutted their stuff across the stage in the O’Connell Center Saturday night.
Gator Garba, hosted by the Indian Student Association, featured two Indian dances, garba and dandiya raas, that celebrate Navratri, a Hindu festival of worship and dance. The word “navratri” means “nine nights” and represents a war between the Indian goddesses and demons.
“The celebration on the ninth night is the ending of the war where good triumphs over evil,” said Parita Patel, president of the association. “That’s why we dance. That’s why we celebrate – because of the war that we won.”
Speakers reverberated with modern music like “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz while members of the group danced on stage and on the floor in a garba-esque line featuring the Gator chomp.
“Dandiya is more fast-paced. That’s what I like about it,” said Tarish Mehta, a 29-year-old UF graduate.
He said he has attended Navratri celebrations for as long as he can remember.
“It’s very colorful, lively, and it wakes you up. It’s a different feeling,” he said. “You’re in a different world.”
Gator Garba, funded by Student Government, cost more than $7,000 to put on this year. Admission was free for UF and Santa Fe College students and $5 for general public.
About 800 people attended Garba this year, according to Patel.
This year was Patel’s last Gator Garba. An event management senior, she said she has only happy memories of each of her four years planning the event.
“It’s a chance for us to celebrate and to show other people what we do and what we can do, and let them have fun with it,” she said.
