 "Photo: Larissa Mueller")
Friday night's rain shower did not inhibit dancers from carrying on at the student-run Indian celebration, but the performers had to brave a slippery stage.
The Jashan 2008 stage, which was on the south lawn and facing the Tower, hosted singing, dancing and comedy acts. Eight white tents with booths for information about Indian culture lined the east and west edges of the lawn. A pair of tents serving authentic Indian cuisine dotted the northern side.
Niraj Badhiwala, president of the Indian Cultural Association, thanked the crowd for its support as he took the stage at the beginning of the event, in the midst of a light drizzle.
"Our shows are the biggest shows on campus," Badhiwala said. "A lot of hard work, dedication and sleepless nights went into Jashan 2008, but it's all worth it."
He said Jashan translates as "celebration" and is not associated with any Indian calendar holiday.
The first dancers of the evening wore black and red with white sequin cloths wrapped around their waists as belts. After a few songs, six women joined six men, dressed in all black, and they continued the choreographed dance to modern Indian music.
Biology senior Apurva Sarathy said this was her fourth time dancing at an association event. She and her fellow dancers prepared all semester for their performance on Friday.
"It was slippery up there, but it's a great stage," Sarathy said. "It's always a pleasure to dance for [the association]."
Dushyant Ailani, co-chair for the association, said its events usually draw about 2,000 people. She said friends and families of the performers all try to attend.
Ailani, who is an economics and finance junior, said the association hosts two cultural shows each year: Jhalak in the fall, which is more formal, and Jashan in the spring, which is more interactive.
He began working for Friday night's festival in December. An e-mail was sent to the association's members and they volunteered for the different jobs involved in coordinating the event. They held dance tryouts two months in advance.
Following the modern dance group, a group of classical dancers clad in traditional Indian dress took the stage. Acting as a foil to the women dancers, a men's group in hooded sweatshirts took the stage next, followed by an a capella singing group.
While these performers shared the stage, the tents around the lawn's perimeter provided entertainment of their own. From "Bollywood film Jeopardy" to "Dress like an Indian," the goal of these booths was also to provide information about Indian culture.
Volunteers, dressed in the event's bright orange theme color, served authentic Indian food at one of the tents. Menu items like naan, chicken tikka masala and pilau rice sustained customer lines of 10 to 15 people throughout the evening.
The event's organizers viewed Jashan 2008 as a success.
"I feel so lucky to be the president of an association with some of the hardest-working people on campus," Badhiwala said. "This is one of the greatest nights of my life."
Be the first to comment on this article!