The second event was the Dandia (stick dance) party organized by Indians in Barcelona on the occasion of Navaraatri. Navaraatri is a 9 day Hindu festival culminating in a big fiesta on the 10th day called Dashain (Dashera in Hindi). As an analogy, you can compare it to Christmas where everyone of your family comes home to celebrate time together. We also get blessings from the elders on the 10th day. I am missing not being with my parents, sister and other relatives at this time. In India, however, Diwali is considered a bigger festival than Dashera.

There was a "Puja" ceremony in the beginning and then the Dandia dance began. It was good that they actually taught us how to do the Dandia dance. It was very fun. We had two circles, one of guys and one of ladies. Guys would move anti-clockwise and the ladies clockwise, and hence you get a chance to do the Dandia with everyone else in the other circle. I had a lot of fun. It was the first time ever I had done a Dandia dance. I wish I had taken some pictures. I couldn't use my camera as my batteries were dead and I couldn't buy replacements in the last minute. Pobre me!