Community Corner
Indians Dance to Celebrate Navraatri
The Navraatri festival honors the mother goddess, Durga, and is celebrated by Hindus all over the world. The Hindu Temple and Heritage Foundation of Pasadena hosted the Narvaatri Raas-Garba & Dandiya Night at the Arcadia Community Center.
San Gabriel Valley Indian community gathered to dance in a joyful display of celebration as part of the Navraatri Raas-Garba and Dandiya Night at the Arcadia Community Center Saturday night.
The entire Navraati festival lasts nine nights. During that time, worshipers pray to the goddess Durda. She represents a feminine side of the Supreme Being and is a symbol of power, happiness, and long life.
Men, women and children dressed in bright colors to attend Saturday’s event that was hosted by the Hindu Temple and Heritage Foundation of Pasadena. They prayed by participating in two lively dances: Dandiya where dancers hit decorated sticks in a special rotation and Garba, a circle dance.
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During the nine nights, many women fast for the holiday and eat only one meal a day. The women also spend a lot of time praying
“It’s more for a woman to get strength and power and be strong,” Jyoti Gadodia, a volunteer with the temple said.