BHUBANESWAR: ‘Dandiya’ or ‘Dandiya Raas’ is a dance rendered during Navratri, and has its origins in Gujarat.
The dancers carry bamboo sticks painted in bright colours. Women are dressed in a three-piece dress called ‘chaniya choli’ with ‘bandhni dupattas’, while men wear sherwani. The dancers strike the wooden sticks rhythmically, and a drummer standing in the centre of the circle controls the rhythm of the dance.
Many leading hotels and restaurants in the city have already started hosting Dandiya nights as they usually do during Navratri. Cultural organisations that organise ‘Dandiya Raas’ have already announced their schedules for the same. The nine days of Navratri is celebration time for the city. No matter to which community you may belong, it’s time to dance to the tunes of Dandiya.
Revellers have been gathering at the city’s Exhibition Ground where Prayas is organising Dandiya nights from October 15 to 19.
The programmes begin at 8:30 pm and continue till 10:30 pm. Dance groups from Kolkata and DJs from Vizag will perform on all the five days at the site. Arrangements have been made for a rain dance as well.
Prayas President Bana Mohanty said, “The Dandiya is a time for the family, friends and relatives. We are getting the ground ready for dancers. We have arranged a DJ from Vizag and dancers from Kolkata. RJ Chandan will control the Dandiya nights. We have also made arrangements to provide first aid. The whole ground is under CCTV surveillance.”
Prizes will be given to the Dandiya Queen, best dancer, best couple, best costume and best child dancer and youth, Mohanty added.
Rashmi, a Dandiya enthusiast, said, “The cultural scene of Bhubaneswar has changed. Earlier, only a few places used to organise Dandiya nights. But now the number has jumped to a dozen as the people of Bhubaneswar love Dandiya.”
The best thing about Dandiya is the fact that it is inclusive. People of all age groups come together to enjoy. Even though Dandiya is not an Odia custom, it has become a part of it with people from all communities staying in Bhubaneswar, she added.
