The nine-day festival that worships nine different forms of Durga.
Navarathri Festivals are in full swing in India and the nine-day festival that honors Hindu goddess Durga is also being celebrated by US Consulate in Mumbai with friendly dance competition held between Indian and American staff of the consulate.
The nine-day festival that worships nine different forms of Durga on each day is also a time when Hindus fast by abstaining from taking rice, wheat and other forms of pulses.
In the north, Navratri is celebrated with vibrant Garba and Dandiya nights which feature folk dances from the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
The US Consulate in Mumbai held a friendly Dandiya dance-off between its Indian and American staff and it became viral on the Internet.
The social media handle of US Consulate received huge traction after they uploaded the video of its staff rehearsing ahead of the competition and their outing hunting for the perfect Chaniya Cholis (embroidered blouses, colorful lehengas and mirror-work dupattas) as well as Kafni Pyjamas, Ghagras and Pagadis.
https://www.facebook.com/Mumbai.usconsulate/videos/10155505206396413/
The consulate also requested its social media followers to vote for their favorite team. The dance played by Team India and Team USA impressed many on social media.
“Your votes are in and the winner of the #DandiyaDanceOff is Team USA! Thank you for your appreciation & encouragement, both Team India, and Team USA are happy to have won your hearts. Have a fun #Navratri,†wrote US Consulate under one video.
“I heartily appreciate US consulate to promote extremely friendly relation by organizing such a good programme in US consulate in Bombay, keep it up, all the best for bright future,†wrote Lakhnori Bhikhalal M, a Facebook follower.
https://www.facebook.com/Mumbai.usconsulate/videos/10155507974736413/
Team USA won the DandiaDanceOff competition after they received the highest number of the audience vote.
https://www.facebook.com/Mumbai.usconsulate/videos/10155513451941413/
“Congratulations Team USA..for winning the DandiaDanceOff.. coming with no history or background and having not played it before, your hard work paid off. You are deservedly are the winners. Bravo. (y) Team India congratulations on putting up a fierce fight. Proud of you,†one user wrote.