Dhol Baje: Dancing the Night Away

Dhol Baje is one of India's premier cultural events of the year. It is an evening to dress up in your finest outfits, grab a pair of dandiyas (two sticks representing swords), and dance dandiya! Originally a devotional form of dance, dandiya simulates a mock fight between the Goddess and Mahishasura, the mighty demon-king. While I didn't exactly know how to gracefully participate in the dances, I still had one of my favorite nights in India. My roommate Kundan, and our friends Asmi and Arveen, helped pick out my outfit from the costume rental shop, jewellery, and teach me some basic steps.

Photo credit: Priyanka Pant

Now, I'm certainly one who does not srtive to be in the limelight. Tonight was one exception and it was avoidable simply because of my elaborate outfit. Before I even made it to the event people asked me to stop for a photo or complimented me on my overall appearance. I initially shied away from the attention, but eventually came to terms with it. This was probably one of the only nights I would have to wear a shiny outfit and dance for hours on end! Photographer after photographer came to our group to snap photos. Even a television camera took a clip that was aired on the news! Several photos were posted on websites, too. A few days later, my friend was looking through the Mangalore branch of the Times of India. Sure enough, I was one of the selected photos in the paper. I was so surprised!

Photo credit: Priyanka Pant

Upon entering the covered greens for the dance, I was unpleasantly surprised by two things. First, groundskeepers had continually watered the lawns right up until the event. This left the bottom six inches of my dress and feet entirely soaked and muddy. Second, it was HOT. In a matter of minutes I started to sweat and it wasn't just from dancing. By the end of the evening, I was more or less drenched. Yuck. Thankfully, everyone was in the same position as me so it wasn't something to worry about!

Kundan, Rachel, and I

Photo credit: Danielle Pelaez

Photo credit: Danielle Pelaez

All in all, it was one of the most fun and memorable nights I have had in Manipal. I especially had fun because I was carefree and deemed the "Indian Barbie" for the evening. While the costume was extremely heavy, I was soaked in sweat, and my wristlet broke, I don't have one regret or bad memory from the night in its entirety. This was a night I will never forget!