The Hindu holiday of Navaratri involves some complicated dance moves, passed down from parents to children. But as one mother discovered, the line between passing on cultural traditions and mortifying your teenager daughters can be perilously thin.
As many parents know, the line between passing along cultural traditions and mortifying your children in public can be perilously thin. For one mother, that dilemma arose this year ahead of Navaratri, a Hindu festival celebrating female strength that culminates today. One of the festival's key components is garba, an intricate folk dance from the Indian state of Gujarat.“Let's just start with the clothes,” Ladva said. “They have mirrors and tassels and bells.
Afterward, Naik gave her assessment. “I think we all stumbled a little… but I think we got it…for now.”Ladva is not alone among American Hindus, in her wish to embrace community during this festival. But Nimisha Ladva worried that her family’s upcoming dance performance might actually drive her daughters away from these traditions.in Chalfont, PA on the first Friday evening of Navaratri. A line of cars stretched up the county road toward the domed Temple, lit up in green and blue above the dark fields around it. Inside, the Temple's auditorium was packed, as the announcer introduced participants in a garba contest that would take place before the general dancing.
Entering a Garba circle is a bit like jumping onto a whirling carousel. Ladva and her daughters eased up to the circle, then made their move. And soon, they were doing it! They shuffled, pivoted, and revolved in sync with the people around them.“Sometimes I'm a little critical of my mom's cultural immersion schemes,” she said. “But, like, a few of the steps out there I felt like I in the mix of it. So…not bad.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Learning Garba: A Mother's Tradition and Daughters' ReservationsA mother's attempt to share the Hindu festival of Navaratri, particularly the garba dance, with her daughters highlights the delicate balance between cultural transmission and teenage resistance.
Read more »
Hindu festival in Bangladesh under tight security following attacksMinority Hindus in the Muslim-majority Bangladesh are celebrating their largest religious festival of Durga Puja, but fear grips them following reports of violence.
Read more »
AP PHOTOS: Performers bring Hindu gods to life in the RamleelaNEW DELHI (AP) — 23-year old Ashutosh Agnihotri has been playing god this week. Ahead of the Dussehra festival, which celebrates the defeat of mythological demon Ravana, at the hands of Lord Rama, artists dressed in ornate crowns and costumes perform the Ramleela, a dramatic re-enactment of Lord Rama’s life as told in the religious epic Ramayana.
Read more »
Barbie debuts its first ‘Diwali doll’ ahead of the Hindu festival of lightsKimmy Yam is a reporter for NBC Asian America.
Read more »
Dozens of people drown during Hindu festival in India: officialThe drownings occurred from Tuesday across 15 districts of Bihar state as devotees marked the Jitiya Parv Hindu festival, observed by mothers for the wellbeing of their children.
Read more »
Dozens of children drown during Hindu festival in IndiaA stampede broke out during a Hindu gathering in India leaving at least 116 people dead. The stampede occurred towards the end of the event after a sudden commotion due to overcrowding and excessive heat.
Read more »