Speakers blared with a mix of modern and traditional Indian music and colorful dresses twirled to the rhythm. On Sept. 26 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the South Asian Student Association (SASA) gathered on the Intramural Field with students, staff and faculty to celebrate Navratri. The festival celebrates the goddess Durga Ma and symbolizes her victory over evil.
The event kicked off with a prayer ceremony and performance by SASA’s Bollywood dance team, Top Naach. Afterwards, attendees ate catered Indian food from Madurai Mess. The restaurant provided samosas, pani puri, chana masala and vegetable biryani. Neela Raman, sophomore neuroscience major and SASA logistics chair, said that the club’s goal was to get people out, having a good time and learning more about Navratri.
“It’s early on enough in the year where newer people in the [first-year] class can come in and learn more about SASA, get to make new friends, and if they are willing to learn more about South Asian culture it’s definitely a great place,” Raman said.
After eating, many guests stuck around to learn Garba and Dandiya dances. Madyson Martinez, class of ‘24, attended as an alumna and said she enjoyed the event.
“I came so excited because I have tons of friends that used to be in SASA before they graduated, so I would always go to SASA events, including Navratri. It was honestly one of the best events at Trinity. I think it’s so fun, it brings together people from all over, culturally,” Martinez said.
Martinez added that she found dancing to be the highlight of the event, despite a slight learning curve.
“I loved how at the beginning of our Dandiya line it was a mess and it was crazy and chaotic, but as we kind of got a rhythm together, strangers who had never met before we all got a rhythm and it ended up being a really smooth train,” Martinez said.
Mack Bennett, sophomore political science major, shared that he found it difficult to pick up the dances at first, but with the help of the SASA officers and a bit of practice, he was still able to have a good time.
“The camaraderie of dancing was what was really fun here. I think they did a really good job getting everybody into it,” Bennett said. “Even though there were some awkward parts where everybody was first learning, I think it was really fun to kind of see everybody try and occasionally fail to do this.”
For the fifth year in a row, SASA collaborated with Chapel and Spiritual Life (CSL) to host Navratri, relying on them for logistical support. Trinity Chaplain Alex Serna-Wallender said this collaboration has helped him connect with diverse communities as Trinity.
“It’s a real gift to honor the breadth that is Trinity and the incredible faiths and cultures and backgrounds that our students bring here, and the ways that even if they are far from hearth and home there can be a little bit of that moment to celebrate in this family,” Serna-Wallender said.
SASA holds multiple events throughout the year for the Trinity community to learn more about South Asian culture, according to Raman. The club posts updates on their Instagram page @sasatrinity.
