By Khalida Sarwari
West Valley College will be the site of the Saratoga Dandia on Oct. 11 to raise money for the construction of the planned Saratoga Spiritual and Community Center.
The event, now in its fifth year, will be held at the West Valley College gymnasium for the second year in a row. Dandia was previously held at Redwood Middle School, but as the event attracted more and more attendees over the years, organizers moved it to West Valley College.
Last year, about 1,000 people attended and about $20,000 was raised at the event. Half of the funds were allocated to the Saratoga High School Foundation and the other half donated to the Saratoga Cares Foundation.
This year the proceeds will go toward construction of the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center, said Seema Kumar, the lead on the Saratoga Dandia organizing committee. The temple, which currently uses the St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church to host its bigger events, is expected to move into a home of its own within the next five to 10 years.
According to Kumar, the facility, previously called the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center, will serve as a spiritual and cultural center that will be available for all Saratogans, offering free yoga and meditation classes.
“This shift aligns with our continued focus to unify the community, create an opportunity for spiritual growth, discovering the self, and also celebrate our festivals,” she said.
The Oct. 11 program offers an evening of cultural music and food. A live band will perform traditional music, switching between tunes for dandia, a dance that involves sticks, and garba, a type of dance that employs various hand and foot movements.
Food and refreshments, catered by Chaat Bhavan, will be available for purchase. The menu consists of Indian vegetarian fare and non-alcoholic drinks. Attendees are encouraged to bring cash as credit cards will not be accepted.
In years past, many people have chosen to dress up in Indian outfits–women in long Indian skirts, a blouse and long scarf and men in kurtas, consisting of a long, loose shirt paired with loose-fitting pants.
“We will also have a few booths, selling some colorful festival handicrafts, jewelry and traditional Indian costumes,” Kumar said.
The event is open to everyone and all attendees are encouraged to participate in the festivities, Kumar said.
Dandia will be held from 7 p.m. to midnight at West Valley College in Saratoga. Tickets–$15 for anyone over age 5 and free for those 4 and under–can be purchased online at saratogadandia.org. A limited number of tickets will also be sold at the door if the event isn’t sold out beforehand.
Saratoga Dandia a fundraiser for spiritual, community center
