DJ, dhol and dancing marks SPC Baisakhi

Swinburne Punjabi Club (SPC) celebrated the beginning of the harvest season in Punjab with a blast in Swinburne University of Technology Atrium (Hawthorn Campus).

Baisakhi is a Sikh religious festival celebrated every year at the start of a new solar year in the Punjab region of India. It is an important occasion for the Sikh community as it marks the day of the establishment of the Khalsa (Pure Ones) which was conducted in April 1699 by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The festival is celebrated by Sikhs all around the world. The SPC has been celebrating Baisakhi since the past three years, and it is the biggest Indian event that Swinburne hosts.

The event was funded and organised by the SPC which was formed in 2007 to promote diversity and cultural understanding among different student communities. Swinburne Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young officially welcomed all with the traditional greetings of ‘Sat Sri Akal’ in Punjabi and ‘Namaste’ in Hindi. Spirits soared right from the start as Mavin from Melbourne Dhol Federation played the traditional Punjabi drums. The national anthems of both, India and Australia, were also played.

The first dance to start off the proceedings was a traditional Bengali number by the Bangladesh Society, Swinburne. It was followed by a peppy bhangra fusion, with students from different nationalities like Australia, Bangladesh, China, India and

Thailand participating. Their practice sessions lasted for many weeks and their efforts received tremendous applause from the audience.

Elizabeth Walsh, a student and one of the dancers in the bhangra fusion said, “At first my mind went blank but I remembered the moves just in time. It was so much fun.” Other dances included garbha, sinhala, bharatnatyam, giddha, bhangra and some Bollywood numbers. Another show stealer was the dance on Bollywood song All is well from Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots. Approximately 41 students from different backgrounds participated in various performances on the day.

Janak S Gorana, a student said that such events give Swinburne students an opportunity to enjoy the rich and beautiful culture of an amazing country. Cultural events at Universities are small efforts towards diminishing homesickness experienced by international students particularly during festive seasons. It also makes students aware of festivals that are significant to their friends and peers.

Dianne Ruddell, Associate Director (Business Services), Swinburne International said that all staff were very fortunate to experience this Baisakhi celebration and admired the level of multiculturalism promoted by the Punjabi Club. She praised their efforts to involve everyone from different backgrounds to be part of the celebration. She then distributed Certificates of Appreciation to the participants.

Representatives from the Victorian Multicultural Commission also attended the event. They were honoured through a token of appreciation by SPC’s Founder Harpreet Singh Maan and Devinder Singh.

After the entertainment segment, Harpreet Maan and Preet Sagar Singh Sanghera SPC President 2010 invited all to enjoy the food, henna tattoos (mehndi) and yoga classes which were arranged by the club for free. The food was generously supplied by Gujju’s Cafe and Chaat House located on Burwood Road, Hawthorn. The event concluded with students grooving to the beats of Oorja DJs. Attar, a business student in Swinburne said, “It was an awesome festival. I loved every bit of it.” The event was a big success and keeps improving with each year. Swinburne students are now looking forward with anticipation to celebrating many SPC organised cultural events in the future.

Priya Rajan