Read about how AIS and the USC community celebrated Garba this year.
Story by: Mithuna Loganathan
Showcasing their finest outfits and best dance moves, members of the USC community came out on September 20 to celebrate Garba and Dandiya Night with the Association of Indian Students (AIS).
Garba, which took place in the Tutor Campus Center Ballroom, brought approximately 500 students, faculty, and alumni together to celebrate Navratri, a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga.
This cultural dance festival was AIS’s first major event of the semester and one of its most anticipated events of the year. Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, AIS made sure this year’s Garba was especially memorable.
The event included spirited dancing and allowed students of diverse backgrounds to learn about Indian culture. Garba “took advantage of the power of dance to bring different people together,” said Joanie Evans, vice president of Graduate Student Government (GSG). “It was a great opportunity to learn about Indian culture and to meet international graduate students,” she noted.
Herman Tsang, president of the Viterbi Graduate Student Association (VGSA), echoed Evans’s sentiments. “Garba wonderfully exemplifies the rich diversity at USC,” he said. “More than a celebratory festival, Garba is an affirmation of the unifying spirit at USC,” he added.
The event also featured a best dressed competition, delicious Indian food, and performances from Mansukh Ghelani & Group, whose fusion of the popular song “Macarena” with Indian music brought everyone out to the dance floor.
Garba gave AIS the opportunity to raise money for disaster relief in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which was hit with heavy floods in September 2014. “Many of our members, despite being students, donated generously,” said AIS president Mithuna Loganathan. AIS sent the donations to India Development and Relief Fund, a US-based public charity organization.
Mithuna Loganathan is pursuing a Master of Science in Product Development Engineering and is from India.