Grand garba and dandiya celebrations for the hearing impaired give them a chance to find partners.
While Navratri is fondly known for its music and dance, a small community in the city around this time often feels deprived of it. However, the Navratri Navyuvak Mandal for the Deaf (NNMD) planned a grand garba celebration for the hearing impaired community, thus marking its 25th anniversary. The event which was held at Sanskriti Bhavan, Kandivli was indeed the biggest gathering of community members from across the country.
This year, 500 people had enrolled for the event which was held on Tuesday. The event was not only a leisure program but, community members also participate in a dandiya-garba competition which was also judged by the local MLA Gopal Shetty and actress Khushboo Thakkar.
The event has a lot to offer to the community, especially an opportunity to be themselves. “I love garba but I often feel awkward dancing in normal events because at times I do not know that the music has stopped. This is a platform where I know I am not being judged,” said Falguni Vani, who has been attending this event for the past several years. Interpreter for the community, Bhumika Akolkar said, “It is not about the lyrics or the music of the songs for them.
They sense the vibration of the beats that are being played. Besides, a lot of them also wear hearing aids.” Apart from the excitement and enthusiasm, the community members also look forward to the event to find a partner. Adding to it, Bhumika said, “A lot of parents bring their daughters or sons to find a suitable match.
It is a good platform for them to meet and interact with a lot of new people as well.” Tushar Wani, General Secretary, NNMD says, “This garba event has a completely different vibe to it as compared to others in the city. We feel free in this function because everyone knows sign language and we can communicate with all our deaf friends freely.” The concept of starting NNMD in 1992 was to bring together the deaf from all over India and provide a platform for interaction between people from various states of the community.
“I've had the best experience so far and the concept of garba and dandiya for the hearing impaired is thoughtful and brilliant,”said Alka Akolkar, President, NNMD.
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