Zoe Reiss and Sara Hollyman
An Indian celebration aims to connect locals with the culture of Gujarati during a celebration of female power this weekend. Navaratri is traditionally a nine-day and night festival celebrating the triumph of goddess Durga over the demon on the tenth day. Durga, a goddess in Hinduism, represents female power.
Nelsonians are invited to attend the celebration over two nights in the Nelson College for Girls hall, where they will experience music, prayer, dancing and traditional food.
“We’re celebrating the feminine power, the feminine side of the world,” says organiser Dilip Jikadara.
It is a free festival for everyone, not only the Indian community, where you can dance, eat, pray and explore Indian culture.
He says, traditionally over the nine-day celebration, Gujurati will fast, not just from food, but every day activities.
“It’s controlling your senses, not just with the food, but all five senses of your eyes, your ears, your nose.
“They do lot of other abstinence, like they can give up wearing footwear, give up shaving and a lot of stuff that that you normally do in day-to-day life, just to gain more control over your senses, over your body, and focusing on energy within you,” he says.
Dilip encourages people to come along and share in their culture with the traditional Garba Dance or with the Puja, a prayer with light lamps during the time of celebration.
“You can just stand there, watch everyone and feel the atmosphere, feel the power, feel the energy.”
Traditional food will be on offer from northern India, both from food carts, and free offerings from the Gujurati community – of which around 200 are based in Nelson.
He says Southern India will also showcase their traditional foods – usually not seen anywhere else in Nelson, he says.
All of the food will be vegetarian, because Hindus believe in Ahimsa, which translates to nonviolence.
With 29 Indian states and 40 different language, all celebrating their own culture, Dilip says it’s a time for the whole country to come together and celebrate; while sharing their culture in the place they now call home.
“Because in the earlier years, we had Navratri, but it was a small gathering, and not a lot of people knew about it. So, this time, we want to make it big.”
Explore Indian culture and female power at Navratri at Nelson College for Girls on Friday, 26 and Saturday, 27 September from 7-9.45pm. Entry is free.
