Durga Puja celebration is at its peak in the Twin City. Revellers are out on the streets sporting colourful clothes, making merry with their family and friends, eating out and hopping pandals. The celebrations have just begun and everyone is planning to make the most of the festival in their own way. Durga Puja brings with it a host of rituals — the Ashtami pushpanjali, the Nabami bhog, Ravan Podi on Dusshera and a lot more.
Interestingly, one event that has caught the fancy of the youth in the last few years is Dandiya Raas. An integral part of Gujarat’s cultural tradition, Dandiya is fast gaining popularity in this part of the country. And needless to say, Odisha is not an exception.
Although Dandiya is played through Navratri, the grand party is mostly held on the last day. Given the growing craze of Dandiya in the state, a number of hotels, organisations and even a few puja committees are organising Dandiya nights. So, come Nabami, youngsters from different parts of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack will throng these places and hit the dance floor to shake a leg to some pulsating music belted out by DJs. Sunday POST tries to explore the growing craze of Dandiya among youngsters in the Twin City that has seen an increasing number of event managers coming up with glitzy Dandiya nights.
Dandiya nights, in the last few years, have become major crowd-pulling events, with hundreds donning colourful attires and hitting the dance floor. Interestingly, entry to these venues isn’t always free. However, revellers don’t mind shelling out thousands to make the most of Dandiya nights. This definitely has become big money churners for event management companies, hotels and even puja organisers, who arrange Dandiya events during the Navaratri festival.
That said, a lot goes into organising a Dandiya event. From laying large dance floors to decking up the venue to roping in DJs and live bands, it is no mean task jazzing up the evenings and ensuring a perfect ambience for a Dandiya night.
Party hoppers too make sure they look their best at such Dandiya events. Girls make sure to sport vibrant lehenga-cholis or designer sarees, while young boys deck up in shimmering sherwanis or kurtas before whipping up a storm on the dance floor. Also, Dandiya enthusiasts make sure to practice and master dance steps way ahead of the festival, so that they don’t falter on the floor.
Given the growing craze of Dandiya events in the city, organisers too make sure to make the parties look a grand affair. This has also given rise to competition among organisers, who leave no stone unturned to attract maximum footfall. To make the events a glamorous affair many also try and rope in Hindi film celebrities, who make special appearances.
Event organiser Ritesh Jain and Archita Anvie conduct Dandiya and Garba workshops ahead of Navaratri. Recently, the duo completed a two-day workshop. “Garba and Dandiya are not part of Odia culture but the craze for Dandiya nights is on the rise. However, most people don’t know how to match Dandiya steps on the dance floor. So there is huge demand for these workshops ahead of Navaratri, as people want to learn the right Dandiya dance steps,” says Ritesh, who organises workshops for both adults and children.
He further informs that Dandiya is a big hit with homemakers, since they rarely get a chance to attend social dos. Hence, a large chunk of the workshop attendees comprise housewives. “This is the perfect time for housewives given that their children’s schools remain closed. So they take this opportunity to learn dance steps. Moreover, Dandiya events give them the perfect opportunity to flaunt their dazzling outfit and jewellery,” adds Ritesh.
Archita and Ritesh, who have been organising Dandiya workshops for the last four years now, inform that the number of participants is on the rise every year. However, given that seats are limited, admission is on first-come-first-serve basis. “This proves the craze for Dandiya in the city. This year’s workshop has already seen participation of more than 100 adults and 50 kids,” says Archita.
Bhubaneswar-based Lisa Mohanty, attended a Dandiya event for the first time in 2018. Since then she has been eagerly waiting for this year’s Navaratri. A businesswoman, Lisa plans to attend this year’s Dandiya event with her family, especially her seven-year-old son. “In 2018, I attended a Dandiya party with my family. At that time I didn’t have much idea about the particular dance steps. But this year I have been watching videos of professional dancers and have been trying to pick up the Dandiya dance steps. I am all geared up for this year’s show in Bhubaneswar. Moreover, these events are not only about dancing. You get a chance to flaunt your best dress and at the same time mingle with people from other communities and get acquainted with their culture. I picked up an ethnic attire that I will be sporting at this year’s event,” says Lisa.
Much like Lisa, Barsharani Sahoo too has elaborate plans for this year’s Dandiya bash. She plans to attend a Dandiya event in Bhubaneswar with her group of friends and has already done the necessary shopping. “We will be attending the event in colourful lehengas. The first time I attended a Dandiya night, I was a bit nervous and felt out of place. However, after sometime I realised that dancing wasn’t a competition in such events but a way of celebrating Navaratri. We danced till the wee hours to the tunes set by the in-house DJ, who belted out peppy tracks like Chhogada tara, Nagada sang dhol baje, Radha kaise na jale and more,” says Barsharani.
With an increasing number of people participating in Dandiya events, more event managers are jumping on the bandwagon. “Almost every hotel and club is organising Dandiya events these days. And the number is likely to increase in the coming years,” says Ritesh.
Ritika Raiguru, a Class V student from Xavier International School, loves attending Dandiya events. “Every year I attend a Dandiya event with my family. It’s a must attend thing in our Durga Puja itinerary. Last year, we went to the exhibition ground and danced for hours. My uncle even won the best dancer award,” says Ritika adding, “Last year, we had a tough time procuring entry tickets, so this year my father has already made arrangements in advance for 15 family members.”
Odisha International Centre also organises a Dandiya event every year. “We are a 14-year-old organisation and have been organising Dandiya events every year. Moreover, entry is free at our event. People seem to enjoy Dandiya a lot so we are going for a bigger dance floor this year. This is why we have decided to change the venue this year from Janata Maidan to Kalinga Stadium Chowk. The Dandiya festival is a time for family, friends and relatives to enjoy. We have made special arrangements like live DJ,” says Paresh Nayak, chairman Odisha International Centre.
Besides the dance and music gala, we will also burn the effigy of a demon named Nisha Rakshasa, which will have packets of cigarettes and gutkha attached on its body. Our aim is to create awareness on the perils of smoking. We will also have a quiz event,” adds Paresh.
Not only do these Dandiya events generate good business for hotels, clubs and event management companies, DJs and anchors too get a chance to make some quick money from this parties.
Bhubaneswar-based anchor Subham, has been flooded with offers to host Dandiya events. “Dandiya is not a part of Odia culture but in India festivals mean celebrations and uninterrupted fun. It isn’t any different in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. From the time Navaratri became a part of Odia culture, Dandiya too started gaining prominence. A large number of people enjoy attending Dandiya events with family and friends. Moreover, people from all age group can go to such events. DJs too have to make a list of songs that get along with the Dandiya mood. I am already busy finalising my song list. The final event is the most important and at times it really becomes difficult for us because there are so many requests pouring in from guests and we really struggle at times,” says Subham.
Satyabrat Behera, a city-based DJ, says, “I am ready with my list of songs that I will play this year. From last year’s hit Chhogada tara to classics like Dholi taro dhol baje, I have prepared an interesting mix of Dandiya special tracks. The first few hours aren’t that difficult but we struggle in the second half because it is very difficult to understand the mood of the guests. The biggest challenge is that you can’t stop the performance and have to constantly belt out foot-tapping numbers to keep the tempo intact.”
BRATATI BARAL, OP