MANAHIL FATIMA/THE CREIGHTONIAN

Creighton University’s South Asian Student Association (SASA) and the Gujarati Samaj of Heartland (GSH) partnered to host a celebration for Navratri, a Hindu festival celebrated over nine days.

Creighton University, in partnership with Gujarati Samaj of Heartland (GSH), celebrated the Indian tradition, Garba, in the Skutt Ballroom. Creighton University’s South Asian Student Association (SASA) helped organize the event on Friday, Sept. 26, and Saturday, Sept. 27. 

Garba is the name of the traditional Indian dance performed as a part of Navratri, an annual festival celebrates the victory of good over evil over nine nights. Navratri reminds people to give back to their communities and celebrate connection. Garba is organized dancing in a circle surrounding the altar with blessed food.  

SASA — which provides the space, food, and students for the event — works directly with Gujarati Samaj of Heartland. In return, GSH helps with SASA’s Diwali event.  

“Since it’s a religious event, we help make sure it is presented in the proper way,” Anjali Gujrathi, College of Arts and Sciences junior and the president of the South Asian Student Association, said.  

Both nights, Creighton University hosted around 300 people for this event, with some people flying to Omaha from India to celebrate. Since the religious event is celebrated over nine nights, it will be hosted in another location off campus next weekend.  

“I think, annually, it’s well over a thousand people that come out,” Gujrathi said.  

At Garba, the South Asian Student Association sold snacks including Mango Lassi. The money SASA raised often gets reallocated to non-profit organizations in the area, including their Diwali event, which takes place later in the year.  

“We’re planning on donating most of our ticket profits from Diwali to a non-profit called Room to Read, which is basically a non-profit that encourages education in under-privileged areas,” Yajat Gupta, College of Arts and Sciences sophomore and the treasurer of SASA said. 

The association’s next initiative is partnering with Letters of Love and working with other organizations in the Omaha community as well.  

“There’s a rehab facility owned by a Pakistani couple … so we’re going to try and start getting some service hours there working with recovering addicts,” College of Arts and Sciences junior and the social and service chair for SASA Rayaan Sattar, said.  

SASA also plans to work with the Sienna Francis House.  

“I’m not from India, I’m from Pakistan. So, Garba is a very foreign concept to us; it’s not something we celebrate. It’s been really eye-opening to be able to experience this with my own eyes. Especially with South Asia in general, there’s just such a big populace, and every region is so different … seeing that we’re similar but also have our own unique traditions is really nice,” Sattar said.  

Later this semester, SASA will host its annual Diwali celebration. In the spring semester, SASA will host other events.  

“[Next semester] we are thinking of doing either Holi, which is the festival of colors, or we’re going to do a mock Shaadi, which is the Hindu word for wedding,” Sattar said. “In our culture our weddings are very extravagant and very fun, so we’re hoping to bring that sort of environment to campus as well.”