Ethnic day rules DU: Make some noise for the desi boyz, girlz!

Saari ka pallu and kurtas worn with pride, are being flaunted by students across Delhi University, courtesy the Ethnic Day celebrations on campus that have gained immense momentum this year. Setting the culture vibe right, with their traditional best attires, many are taking the Insta by storm. But why? “We want to lay emphasis on our culture and traditions, which are somewhat getting forgotten amid the rush to look cool in casuals,” says Yogita Yadav, a first-year student of BA (Hons) Political Science at Shaheed Bhagat Singh (Evening) College (SBSC).

SBSC will be hosting Divyotsav — Ethnic Day next week, to lay emphasis on Indian culture. “We have planned several competitions in dancing, singing, painting, poetry, and photography with the catch that these must be deep-rooted in our Indian traditions and reflect some aspect of it,” adds Yadav, sharing how the Ethnic Day celebrations have become a trend across the varsity.

“It’s also a way to pay homage to the rich diversity of India, which is represented by students who come from all across the country to study here in DU,” says Yash Pandita, a second-year student of BA (Hons) English at Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College. Pandita is the cultural secretary of the team that recently organised an Ethnic Day on Tuesday, and shares, “Our peers were dressed in phulkari dupattas and mekhla chadors, to pay a tribute to their ancestors. DU is indeed a melting pot of cultures and what better way than an ethnic day to make everyone feel a part of the larger community.”

A similar spectacle was witnessed at Hansraj College recently, where students gathered near the Mitti Cafe and the Lover’s Point, to showcase their outfits in a “retro and filmi vibe”, says Soauham Sharma Malhotra, a first-year student of BA (Hons) History, adding, “Ethnic Day is indeed a new concept, which is being used as an excuse to ask the freshers to let their hair down while staying true to their roots! This helped many bond with their classmates as well as seniors… Though it took me a while to bring myself to wearing a kurta to college, but I must say that when I saw everyone at the gala, they looked gorgeous. I even brought a bunch of roses to give them to my friends.”

At Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) for Women, Project Bahubhashi aka Bahubhashi Day was celebrated, on Thursday. “As the name suggests, this is the day when we honour the linguistic diversity of our country. So what better way than to make everyone wear ethnic,” asks Vidhi Kanojia, a second-year student of BA (Hons) Journalism, adding, “Students dressed up in traditional clothes from their respective states and some even wore costumes to represent a state that they don’t belong to but really admire. Teaching each other a little bit about their languages, we also put up stalls to showcase artefacts from different parts of India. It was truly a fun way to indulge in folk music and dance performances.”