Hindu Yuva, a student organization, celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi with songs, dances, food and crafts Saturday in the Memorial Union. Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of the Hindu god, Ganesh, also known as the “elephant god.”
“He is believed to remove all of the obstacles in life,” said Pranava Maganti, a junior in computer science. “[Tonight,] you’ll see a performance that shows his life story, how he was born and all the things that happened with it.”
The event began at 5 p.m. in the Great Hall inside of the Memorial Union and started with a social mixer, as well as a “decorate your own Ganesh” craft for the younger attendees. During the social mixer, Hindu Yuva provided traditional music for guests to enjoy.
“My parents told me about the event because my mom follows the ISSO Instagram account,” said Aashika Raja Janmanchi, a first-year student majoring in computer science. “I was like, ‘You know what, this would be an interesting opportunity.’ I also saw that the dress code was Indian wear, so I thought it would be nice to wear Indian clothes voluntarily instead of having my parents tell me to.”
Janmanchi attended the event with her friend Arshia Sengupta, a first-year in architecture.
“I’m excited for the food and dancing,” Sengupta said. “Well, we’re not really here for the food. We came for the dancing.”
Following the social mixer, the event kick-started with a prayer to the god Ganesh and then dance performances by various groups, including Hindu Yuva.
Maganti performed in the Hindu Yuva group at the end of the night, which told the life story of Ganesh.
“I am actually excited to perform today,” Maganti said. “I am having my performance with the Hindu Yuva performance… I am especially [excited] for the Indian food that they have at the end of the celebration. It’s [going to be] a feast.”
After all of the performances, the dance floor opened up to allow guests to celebrate the life of Ganesh through the art of dance.
“It’s one of the festivals that we usually celebrate every year in India,” said Arun Balasubramanian Chandrasekaran, a graduate student in cybersecurity. “You don’t get the chance to celebrate it outside of India a lot. I didn’t want to miss this chance.”
Following the event, Hindu Yuva provided traditional Indian food in Howe Hall at $7 a student and $12 for non-students.
Attendees found the Great Hall filled with guests dressed in their nicest clothes, creating a sea of colors and jewels that added to the already atmospheric decor.
“Everything about this festival is a blast,” Balasubramanian Chandrasekaran said.
Hindu Yuva’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebration provided an enjoyable space for all guests, Hindu or not, to celebrate the life of Ganesh while learning about the Hindu culture.
For more information regarding Hindu Yuva, visit the organization’s Instagram or website.
