The Basking Ridge Indian Community (BRIC) came together to celebrate the Hindu festival of Dashera and Dandiya dance on October 11th.
The Basking Ridge Indian Community or BRIC, as it has proudly been coined, came together to celebrate Dushera and play Dandiya Raas on Tuesday, October 11th at Oak Street Elementary School. About 300 Indian-Americans took part in this celebration.
And what an evening it was! Replete with vibrant outfits, enthusiastic faces, and sheer excitement. Children loved the celebrations and enjoyed playing dandiya with their school mates and the families they know and interact with every day.
Dushera celebrates the Hindu god Rama‘s victory over the demon king Ravana and the triumph of good over evil.
The fervor further heightened when the dance reached its full momentum. The mayor Carol Bianchi and deputy mayor Carolyn Gaziano couldn’t resist learning the steps and enjoying the dance thoroughly.
Dandiya is played with colorful sticks and dancers like to match the dance steps to the music.
Dandiya Raas originated as devotional Garba dances, which were performed in Goddess Durga’s honor. This dance form is actually the staging of a mock-fight between Goddess Durga and Mahishasura, the mighty demon-king. This dance is also nicknamed ‘The Sword Dance’. The sticks of the dance represent the sword of Goddess Durga.
BRIC is looking forward to celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights, on October 30th.