Dubai takes to the dance floor as Navratri begins

The nine-day Hindu festival marks the victory of good over evil.

The Dubai Indian community celebrates the beginning of Navatri at the Indian Club in Dubai yesterday.

DUBAI // As she does every year, Neha Mehta plans to celebrate Navratri in style.

She is going out dancing with family and friends for nine nights in a row to celebrate the Indian festival, which begins today. She is likely to have plenty of company.

Clubs, hotels, schools and auditoriums across the Emirates will be full of people twirling wooden sticks embellished with gold tassels to the beat of traditional music as part of the dandiya [stick] dance.

"I have never missed one night of Navratri since childhood," says Ms Mehta, whose family has lived in Dubai since the 1970s. "This is one festival where kids don't mind coming out with their parents. They bring their friends along and enjoy it with us." During the day, Hindus pray to the goddess Durga, known as the mother who eliminates suffering, and the evening dances are a celebration. It all ends with the observance of Dussera, which marks the triumph of good over evil.

But the festival is not devoid of modern touches. At most locations, including the popular India Club, the traditional music will probably be quickly drowned out by Hindi remix numbers. "It's a fusion of dandiya and disco," says Bharat Chachara, the club's general manager. "It becomes more important to celebrate since people are out of India." The venue's sports courts and banquet areas usually host about 6,000 people twirling to the tempo, he says.

The festival also attracts participants from different religions and nationalities, so it's not just Hindus on the dance floor, Mr Chachara says. Pansy Lobo, a Catholic, is a regular at Navratri and is serious about showing her sense of style. She makes certain her dandiya sticks match the flowing Indian skirt and blouse she wears for the dances.

"I even went for dandiya dance classes five years ago to learn the steps. Now I'm hooked," says Ms Lobo, who has lived in Dubai for 22 years. "Dance doesn't care what religion you are. There are Catholics, Muslims, all religions dancing. You get really pepped up."

Darshana Bhavsar has proof that the festival appeals to all ages. Mrs Bhavsar, a bank manager, says her five-year-old daughter has been practising her dancing, using glittering pink dandiya sticks decorated with lace and silver bells.

"Last year she enjoyed it more than we did," Ms Bhavsar recalls. "It's rare for the whole family to go out like this, so it is wonderful to celebrate this festival here."