Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 10/17/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Chantera Gunn Naveen Sangeneni, a member of the Indian Cultural Celebration, makes and sells a 1,000-year-old traditional mouth freshener called Paan on Saturday evening in the Barrett Ballroom located in the Student Union.

The Hindu celebration of the triumph of good over evil attracted more than 800 people to San Jose State University's Barrett Ballroom on Saturday evening.

Dressed in colorful native costumes and equipped with vibrant dancing sticks and scarves, the crowd of adults and children danced the night away for another cause for the triumph of good: to eradicate illiteracy and starvation for the children of India.

The "2006 Vibha Dandia" (dance) was sponsored by the Vibha organization and supported by the SJSU Indian Student Organization.

Vibha is a nongovernmental organization that has nine chapters in the United States and promotes projects that provide children in India with access to food and an education, said Anand Kumar, the activities director of Vibha's Bay Area chapter.

"We focus on the projects that help children," Kumar said. "They (India's government) don't make it a priority."

Kumar, who is from India, said that Vibha-affiliated groups in that country make sure that the government is doing its job. Kumar said that Vibha sold more than 850 tickets to the night's festivities.

The fundraising event was centered on the Hindu festival of Navaratri/Dusserah, said Suraj Nair, a Vibha volunteer.

Nair said Navaratri represents the nine-day battle over evil, and Dusserah represents the 10th day, in which good prevailed. Dusserah is a day of celebration.

Indians annually celebrate the goddess Parvati's ancient victory of good over the evil buffalo, Mahishasura, based on the Hindu lunar calendar, according to the Indian-culture Web site www.redhotcurry.com.

"It's a traditional festival in India," said Vibha volunteer Anita Dalwani. "(But) this is mostly for the children - for their education and welfare."

Kumar said Vibha is a good cause.

"We get a lot of support from SJSU," Kumar said. "This is something nonreligious for a nonprofit. This is spiritual."

Continued...

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