Hundreds Dance the Night Away at Annual Hungama Celebration

More than 300 people crowded into the Smith Campus Center on Friday night for Hungama, a lively celebration marked by colorful clothing, vibrant lights, and hours of dancing to commemorate the Hindu festival Navratri.

The event, which was hosted by Harvard Dharma, a Hindu undergraduate student organization, featured a photo booth, a free buffet, and Garba — a traditional Gujarati dance performed in a circle. Friday’s celebration attracted attendees from all backgrounds and locations, including Allston and the Greater Boston area.

Dharma co-president Aarna Sitani ’27 said she hoped the event would provide Hindu students with a chance to connect with their traditions even while away from home. But Sitani added that Dharma wanted everyone to feel welcome at the event, regardless of their faith.

“What makes something, like Garba in particular, so special to Hindus is it’s just a very communal experience. So the idea is anyone can come, anyone can dance, and it’s very inclusive in that way,” she said.

Maya M. Davis ’29, who is not Hindu, said she only attended the event after being invited by her teammate on the cross country team.

“Honestly, it’s great to see people learning about other cultures,” Davis said. “It seems super inclusive, and really, really beautiful.”

In addition to Hungama, Dharma also hosts annual celebrations for several Hindu holidays — including Holi, the festival of colors in the spring, and Diwali, the festival of lights in October. But unlike these events, which involved support from the Dean of Students Office, Dharma co-president Adithya V. “Adi” Madduri ’27 said the group planned Friday’s celebration on their own.

Still, Madduri said Dharma had been “graciously supported this year” by the DSO on other projects. Earlier this semester, Dharma secured a new prayer space after outgrowing the smaller room they had occupied.

“I shout out the Dean of Students Office, who have worked with us actually to secure a new prayer space, as well as kind of work with us to fund some of these events — not this event, in particular, but other events down the road as well,” he said.

As students trickled onto the dance floor — most without their shoes, as is custom for the holiday — they watched and participated in a series of traditional dances, including Garba and Dandiya Raas, a paired dance where partners tap sticks together while facing each other.

“We want to give students both the experience of having a really fun Garba night, but also getting to experience some of the more religious and cultural aspects of the festival,” Madduri said.

Halfway through the event, attendees were invited to the third floor of Smith for Aarti, or Hindu worship ceremony. Afterwards, guests ate a variety of South Asian dishes like vegetable biryani, shahi paneer, dal, and naan.

Anita Roy, a graduate student at the Harvard Kennedy School from India, said her favorite part about celebrations like Hungama are “the crowd, the color, and the spirit.”

“It just shows how we are united as a community,” Roy said. “And how we want to celebrate every single festival.”

—Staff writer Alexander W. Anoma can be reached at alexander.anoma@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @AnomaAlexander.

—Staff writer Chantel A. De Jesus can be reached at chantel.dejesus@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @c_a_dejesus.