A special dinner and an invitation to dance brought the UWC-USA community together Monday evening, October 19, as students shared the traditions of Navratri with classmates, faculty, and others on campus. The celebration was the first major event of the year hosted by Subconti, a group of students from and around the Indian subcontinent, including those with family connections to the region. Through food and Garba, a traditional dance associated with the festival, organizers invited the campus to experience a part of their heritage.
Navratri, which means “nine nights,” is a Hindu festival honoring the goddess Durga, who represents courage, wisdom, and creation. Celebrated across the Indian subcontinent, it brings people together through prayer, fasting, and dance.
At UWC-USA, organizers chose a shared meal as a way to introduce the celebration to the wider community. The menu included chana masala, garlic naan, and kheer, a rice pudding.
“While most Hindus fast during these 9 days of celebration, the Subconti leaders thought celebrating through a collective meal would help showcase our culture and let students and faculty experience it better,” said Shravani ’27, one of the group’s student leaders. The celebration also invited students into a Garba circle around the campus flagpoles. To help newcomers feel comfortable joining in, Subconti members held a workshop in the dance studio the day before so everyone could practice a little. Shravani was encouraged by the turnout of students outside the group, whose enthusiasm reflected the curiosity that makes cultural sharing possible at UWC-USA.
“Celebrating cultural and religious events such as this becomes a lot easier to host knowing there is a huge community willing and excited to participate in cultures different from their own,” she said.
For the organizers, the evening was an opportunity not only to celebrate familiar traditions but also to share them. With the support of UWC-USA’s amazing Sodexo food service staff and the participation of an eager campus community, a celebration rooted in one part of the world became an experience students from dozens of other countries could enjoy together.