Windemere Friends will host the second-annual Indian cultural event, Dandiya for Education, at the gym Saturday from 7 to 11:30 p.m. The event is sold out.
Dandiya for Education was started last year by Windemere Friends, a group of Indo-American volunteers in the Windemere area who are concerned with promoting cultural awareness and raising funds for local schools.
“We definitely wanted to bring this cultural event to the community so we can expose our culture and share it with our neighborhood,” said Jolly Gandhi, lead organizer of the event.
Dandiya for Education is based on the Hindu festival Navratri, celebrating the beginning of autumn. The event gets its name from the Dandiya-Raas dance that is traditionally performed at this festival.
All proceeds of the event will go to schools in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Last year, Dandiya for Education raised $4,200 for local schools with 450 attendees. This year, with a projected attendance of 750 people, they hope to double that number.
Activities at this year’s event will include live music from “Aseem and Madhvi,” a bay-area group that specializes in playing Dandiya music. Traditional Indian dances will be performed and Indian food will be provided by Dosa n Biryani, an Indian restaurant in Dublin.
“It’s about celebration — of life, of living life to its fullest extent and having friends and family around,” said Tapan Mehta, 38, a Windemere resident who attended the event last year. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone. The kids get to learn about the culture, the parents get to socialize, and the schools get the money to use for our kids.”
Although tickets are sold out, those who are interested in contributing money to SRVUSD schools through this event can email NewWindemereFriends@gmail.com for information about sponsoring opportunities.
