Current Events
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun:
Bhainaa(n) da Mela
S.E. SCOTT
Girls just want to have fun … and that's exactly how 900 women from the Sikh-Canadian community spent part of their weekend recently.
Bhainaa(n) da Mela, a festival of sisters, was an open invitation for them to get together to sing, dance, eat and have a good time.
There were performances throughout the day Sunday, July 7, 2013, at the Grand Olympia hall in Stoney Creek (Ontario, Canada) as participants of all ages ventured onstage to sing or to show off traditional, choreographed folk dances.
"The aim is to celebrate the culture and traditions with both the young and old generation and while celebrating the contribution of Sikh and other women in Hamilton," said Jessie Kaur Dosanjh, an organizer.
Jessie says many Sikh women lead busy lives and don't often get a chance to go out and meet in a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Bhainaa(n) da Mela gives them an opportunity to meet other women and hang out with friends. It also gives newcomers from Punjab and other parts of the diaspora a chance to get involved in the community.
The event, in its 11th year, drew visitors from other cities including Brantford, Kitchener, Toronto and Brampton. They browsed tables of merchandise, watched the entertainment, performed and socialized.
When the guests weren't perusing an overwhelming array of necklaces and earrings, bracelets and purses and traditional clothing, they were prancing around the dance floor in brightly hued salwars and kameezes, lehngas and cholis, accented with bangles and other sparkly bits.
Girls ran down the aisles with big smiles on their faces as they chatted with friends in pretty outfits. Rows of chairs were filled with onlookers who took in the entertainment or sat down to dine on rice and samosas.
"In Punjab, we often celebrate this way, women get together and sing and dance in traditional clothing," said Kamaljeet Kaur, who came to Canada two years ago and settled in Hamilton.
Kamaljeet said the celebration reminded her of home. She said events such as these used to be common in smaller villages in Punjab and are becoming popular in metropolitan cities.
Jessie organized the event with three other women, who all agree that Punjabi men often have a dominant role in the family and when they move to Canada, it can take time for that to change. They also said some of the women in their community, when they first arrive in Canada, are shy and find it difficult to go out and meet people.
Harpreet Singh Gill, a director at the gurdwara in Dundas, says the family dynamic in Punjabi culture can sometimes depend on education and where they had lived in India. A family from a smaller community might be more conservative than a family from a larger city, he says.
Harpreet says festivals such as Bhainaa(n) da Mela have been going on for centuries in Punjab but have grown in popularity in Canada over the past 20 years or so.
"Usually, the women who get married in Punjab, when they come back to their parents' house, all of the girls and old friends get together and celebrate," he explained.
The sisters are happy to carry on the tradition.
Jessie said men ask her all the time why they aren't included.
"It's not for you," she tells them.
[Courtesy: The Spec. Edited for sikhchic.com]
July 8, 2013