Australia and India share a holiday — January 26th. It’s Republic Day in India, and Australia Day in Australia. The similarities stop there however. While Australians get together for barbecues and open their first beer by midday, India is under the rule of another ubiquitous “dry day”. Bars and clubs are closed, and alcohol can only be purchased on the black market.
I first encountered the concept of a “dry day” whilst living in Calcutta. My first reaction was confusion and disbelief. However, I’ve now come to accept it as standard, although sometimes inconvenient, procedure for special occasions such as holidays and elections.
Indians and alcohol often don’t mix well. Drinking traditionally isn’t part of the Indian culture. As a result, dry days are seen as a necessary measure to stop people from becoming unruly during the heightened state of any festivities.
The cultural committee of the apartment complex where we live held a Republic Day celebration, as it apparently does every year. It kicked off in the morning with sports events for the children. In the evening, there was a special puja (blessing), followed by a dance competition and dinner. As our apartment overlooks the courtyard where the event was held, I had a great view of it all.
The dancing was so captivating to watch. The females in their colourful, traditional costumes looked like something out of a Bollywood movie, with moves to match. The guys’ dancing was far more amusing, with a soundtrack featuring one song that sounded like an Indian version of Bryan Adams, Summer of 69.
In true Indian style, the judge turned up late, right towards the end of the competition. (How did the competition started without the judge in attendance in the first place anyway?) This necessitated each act having to perform for a second time, so I was fortunate enough to see most of the dance routines twice.
Something that was really obvious to me throughout the day’s festivities was the sense of community and belonging that’s sadly not found in the western world. This is no doubt brought about by the cohesive nature of the Indian culture, as well as the lack of personal space and privacy that people live with in this country.
Related Posts:
- Happy Holi 2008
- Celebrating the Krishna Janmashtami Festival
- Ganesh Visarjan and the Maha Street Party
- Indian Boys Dressed Up As Girls
- Our Indian Wedding Reception
- Cross Cultural Attractions and Challenges
- My New Home in Mumbai
- Elections and Dry Days in Mumbai
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