Spirit of Dano spreads good cheer

Though the sun played havoc outside, inside the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) at Lajpat Nagar, young and old seemed untouched by its harshness as they played games and made merry to celebrate Dano festival.

The traditional Korean celebration to mark the end of the sowing season, falls on the fifth month of the Korean lunar calendar. Dano festival was a shamanistic ritual which worshipped the sky deity in the days of yore. In its contemporary version, young children from various schools kept themselves creatively busy in Jangmyunggloo (bracelet-making) activity.

“It is a tradition in Korea to make bracelets to bring long life,” informed a staff member of KCC as young boys rushed to a room with blue mats on floor. They were soon tied with a drape on their knee and waist and asked to practise Ssireum (wrestling match).

“In the rural areas of South Korea, men take part in wrestling to prove their physical strength to the women folk,” said Kim Kum Pyong, director of KCC about the significance of Korean wrestling during Dano celebration.     

In the evening, culture aficionados and youngsters who learn Korean at the centre, visited along with their parents to experience the same thrill. While the boys tried their hand at wrestling, the girls slipped into beautifully woven Hanboks (Korean traditional dress) and got themselves clicked. Among the boys who dressed up in Korean-style was Pavan Saisaran from Hyderabad, who confessed that “These garments are very different from what we wear in India traditionally. I haven’t experienced wearing a long skirt like this for a festive occasion and therefore love it!” 
 
Girls dressed up in Hanboks remind one of the times when Korean women waited for Dano to be able to go out of house, swing and mingle with others freely.   

Those present during the celebration, who didn’t opt for a change in their ensemble, kept themselves busy with throwing bamboo sticks in vessels and winning prizes.    

The festival celebrated the Gangneung region of South Korea, called the Gangneung Dano Festival is designated by UNESCO as a ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’. The same was visible at KCC where young Indians and Koreans made merry and then headed to the cafeteria to relish Bibimbap (mixed rice) – a signature Korean dish and Cherry punch.

May Dano come back soon to give us another reason to celebrate!