Desis of Doylestown welcomed more than 200 people for its Garba Fundraiser event held on September 20 at Unami Middle School in Chalfont, writes Emily Neil for WHYY.

The Bucks County nonprofit, which counts among its members people of Bangladeshi, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan descent, organized the fundraiser to raise money for its fourth annual free Diwali celebration. The upcoming event will be held at Pearl S. Buck House on October 27.

Garba is an Indian circle community dance that celebrates the divine feminine supreme Durga — a Hindu goddess — and marks the passage of time. On Friday, participants dressed up in their best sarees and ghagras and danced in concentric circles as they provided a glimpse into what the nine-day festival looks like in India.

Desis of Doylestown’s youth group planned the event with the aim of educating and sharing more from both within and beyond the local South Asian community to make sure that the children do not feel like they are outsiders.

“Desis are Pennsylvanians, part of this community,” said Desis of Doylestown co-founder Sheela Rai. “We are integral to the community.”

Read more about the Garba fundraiser and how Bucks County’s South Asian community is celebrating their culture in WHYY.

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