August 27th marked Ganesh Chaturthi, the beginning of a festival season that would soon bring something extraordinary into my journey at Sukma. A few days before the celebrations began, Shree, Sudhesh, and Darab had arrived, and slowly we grew closer. By the time my birthday on August 29th had passed, I found myself surrounded by friends who spoke Telugu, my own language, giving me the comfort of familiarity in a new place.
After work, our little group often gathered behind the Shiksharth building, where the tea stall became our evening sanctuary. There, we also met three more Telugu speakers: Sai, Kanak, and Muskan. On September 3rd, they invited us to join their Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
In many parts of India, Ganesh Chaturthi stretches across 11, 17, or even 21 days. Every day pulses with prayers, rituals, and community gatherings. That night, we set out to discover how people in Sukma celebrated.
The Dance That Changed Everything
We reached Devi Chowk around 10 PM after wandering through the streets for nearly half an hour. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I saw them: people dancing hand-in-hand in a circle, moving in perfect rhythm to tribal songs. The music was unlike anything I had ever heard before… raw, rhythmic, and deeply rooted in the soul of this land.
After receiving prasadam, Kanak suddenly pulled my hand and drew me into the dance circle. An unknown girl took my other hand, smiling as if we had shared countless festivals together. With that simple gesture of acceptance, we began dancing as one. The steps flowed continuously, almost meditative in their repetition. By the third song, something
profound struck me: my childhood wish had finally come true.
Growing up in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, I had watched boys dance wildly in front of Ganesh idols while women and girls stood on the sidelines, watching from a distance. Every year, the same thought would cross my mind: “If I were a boy, I would dance in the street in front of Ganesha too.”
That night in Sukma, I found myself doing exactly that… dancing freely, joyously, in front of my beloved Ganesha, surrounded by my own people, without a trace of judgment. The dance, the songs, the togetherness felt like pure therapy for the soul.
Magic in the Midnight
We danced until 1 AM, our bodies exhausted but our spirits soaring. On the way back, we stopped the car in the heart of the Sukma night, surrounded by ancient trees, dancing fireflies, and profound silence. For the first time, I truly felt the magic of exploring Sukma under the stars.
Shree shared his experience with us: how he stood there barefoot in the earth, watching the dancers move like a single living organism, synchronized without rehearsal, bound together by rhythm and shared joy. As he reflected on that moment, festivals transcend mere ritual… they are powerful instruments for building bonds, preserving stories, and keeping culture vibrantly alive.
Conversations That Matter
Later, as we sat together under the night sky, the four of us (me, Shree, Sudhesh, and Darab) found ourselves in deep conversation, even gentle arguments, trying to capture in words what we had just experienced. From those midnight discussions emerged some simple yet profound realizations:
- Rhythm is the universal language that brings souls together
- Songs, beats, and dances aren’t mere entertainment; they are sacred tools for building community, trust, and belonging
- Real education doesn’t happen only within classroom walls or textbook pages… it flourishes in community spaces, through cultural celebrations, festivals, and shared human experiences
I also discovered something beautiful about the people around me. Here were companions who spoke naturally of God, nature, values, growth, and purposeful living, never gossip or negativity. These were souls who radiated positive energy, temporary travelers who became lifelong teachers. Though they would leave in just ten days, I understood a deeper truth: it’s
never about how long people stay in our lives… it’s about the energy, wisdom, and transformation they bring during their time with us.
The Deeper Truth
That night taught me something fundamental about human connection and learning. Habits, values, and meaningful relationships aren’t built in sterile classrooms or through abstract theories. They are forged in moments exactly like these: in shared dances under starlight, in spontaneous laughter, in festival celebrations, in the gentle glow of fireflies, in the warmth of unexpected togetherness.
They are built in community
With this profound happiness filling my heart, and the pure joy of finally dancing freely in front of my Ganesha, I ended that unforgettable night knowing I had witnessed something sacred.
Sometimes the most powerful lessons come not from books, but from barefoot dances under the stars with strangers who become family for a night.
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