Estonia's First Garba Night: When Colors, Culture, and Community Came Alive

For months, we'd been hearing the same story from Tallinn's Indian community: every year during Navratri, they'd board the ferry to Helsinki to dance Garba.

And every time we heard it, we thought the same thing….why aren't we doing this here?

But Garba isn't just about dancing in circles.

At its heart, it's a celebration of women's strength and the divine feminine. The word "garbha" itself means womb, symbolizing life, creation, and the power that women hold. It felt like the perfect celebration for IEWS to bring to Estonia.

What followed was months of meticulous planning, marketing, and community engagement. We knew this wasn't just about organizing an event – it was about creating something that had never existed in Estonia before. Two days before the big night, we rented a studio for practice sessions, teaching the traditional steps and building excitement.

Then came a milestone that took our breath away: the City of Tallinn came forward to support the event. Just eight months into our journey, to have official recognition and backing from the city felt like validation that our mission of cultural integration truly mattered.

The night itself was pure magic.

Mihhail Jakovlev, Head of Integration from Tallinna Migration Centre, graced us as our special guest.

By the end of the evening, he told us something we'll never forget: his cheeks hurt from all the smiling. The colors, the energy, everyone's jubilee vibes – he was amazed by it all and couldn't wait for next year.

To see an Estonian official so genuinely moved by an Indian celebration reminded us exactly why we do this work.

The room filled with a beautiful mix of people. The Indian community came dressed in their vibrant traditional attire, but what touched us most was seeing Tallinn's younger population joining in – some just wanting to dance to the infectious beats, others feeling a little homesick during this festive time and finding comfort in community.

Dance Troupe Zahira performed beautifully throughout the night, keeping the crowd engaged and the energy high. Between Garba rounds, we played musical chairs, and the laughter that filled the room proved that joy needs no translation.

We also made sure to support another woman entrepreneur who provided delicious samosas and pakoras – because what's a celebration without amazing food?

For the best dressed and best outfit awards, we did something very Estonian: real-time digital voting. In a nation known for being digitally forward, it felt right to blend this tradition with technology, keeping everything fair and engaging.

His Excellency, Ashish Kumar Sinha, the Ambassador of India to Estonia himself attended and presented gifts to our winners, adding an official blessing to Estonia's very first Garba Night.

As the night wound down and we watched people – Indian, Estonian, young, old, longtime residents and newcomers – all dancing together in those traditional circles, we realized we'd created something special.

We'd brought a piece of Indian festival culture to Estonia, made it accessible, made it inclusive, and most importantly, made it a celebration that honored both the tradition's roots and its new home.

Next year, no one will need to take the ferry to Helsinki. Because Garba now has a home in Tallinn.