Binghamton University’s Bangali Student Association, an organization that celebrates the history and traditions of Bangladesh, hosted its annual Mock Gaye Holud in collaboration with the Albany State Indian Alliance on Saturday. With an emphasis on Bangali wedding traditions through music, dance and food, the night brought together multiple on- and off-campus cultural organizations.

Gaye Holud, which translates to “turmeric on the body,” refers to a pre-wedding ceremony in Bangali culture where a turmeric paste, which is believed to bring good fortune, is applied to the bride and groom. Bright colors, like the yellow hue of turmeric, adorned Old Union Hall. Each table featured an orange table runner with a floral candle and a mini CNG, a common vehicle in Bangladesh, as centerpieces.

“A typical Gaye Holud is filled with music, dancing, food, and color and it’s a time when family and friends come together to honor the couple in a way that reflects love, laughter, and community,” Jeba Karim, vice president of BSA and a senior majoring in political science, wrote in an email. “Many students at Binghamton have never experienced a Bangladeshi wedding before, so we wanted to bring that energy to campus and give everyone a chance to see how we celebrate. It’s a beautiful way to honor our heritage while creating space for others to experience and appreciate it too.”

The Mock Gaye Holud commenced with introductions and acknowledgments of guest organizations and BSA’s interns and E-Board, who each made a grand entrance one by one. The night was emceed by Tasnim Hossain, cultural chair of BSA and a sophomore majoring in biochemistry, and Mahabub Nabil Islam, a senior advisor for BSA and a senior majoring in biochemistry.

Sadat Chawdhury, president of BSA and a senior majoring in economics, emphasized the importance of the pre-wedding event being hosted.

“Often in Bangali culture there are a lot of pre-wedding ceremonies that don’t get highlighted as much as the actual wedding event,” Chawdhury wrote in an email. “However, it’s tied very deeply to our culture and just as important as the actual wedding ceremony.”

Because the event was the third major collaboration with the University at Albany’s Indian community, this year’s groom was from ASIA, while Karim was the bride.

Shon Anthony, the night’s groom and a co-programming chair for ASIA, was announced first. Dressed in a white kurta, he made a grand entrance to the song “Pistah” by Rajesh Murugesan and Shabareesh Varma as his wedding party carried him in.

Following this, Karim entered with her bridal party, who excitedly made their way to the front of the room. Karim was carried in on a chair to “Bom Diggy Diggy” by Zack Knight and Jasmin Walia, and dressed in a red lehenga that shimmered each time the light hit it.

“The collaboration with ASIA began during my sophomore year when they reached out to us about working together,” Karim wrote. “After a lot of discussion, we realized this would be the perfect opportunity to finally host our own Mock Gaye Holud alongside their ‘Mock Shaddi’ (mock wedding). It made sense to connect both events since a Gaye Holud is a pre-wedding ceremony, thus the events complement each other, and working together has allowed us to highlight the shared and unique aspects of South Asian traditions in a really meaningful way.”

Several on-campus cultural organizations were in attendance, including the Indian International Student Union, the Arab Cultural Student Association and the Sikh and Punjabi Student Association, who were the first to perform. Afterward, ASIA performed a celebratory dance.

While the night primarily consisted of performances, BSA encouraged guest participation through a scavenger hunt with nine volunteers. This was the most interactive portion of the night, with audience members cheering on their friends throughout the game.

Following this, BSA performed the last group dances, choreographed by Hossain, to music that ranged from upbeat tunes to slower, romantic songs.

“We don’t just dance to popular Desi songs, we also dedicate a portion of our performances to a Bangla song to remind the audience that this is a Bangali event, not just any South Asian event,” Karim wrote. “That distinction is really important to us because it honors our cultural roots and highlights the unique elements of Bangali music and dance.”

To cap off the performance portion of the night, Anthony and Karim took to the floor for their first dance together. Dinner was served shortly after and included dishes like butter chicken, paneer tikka masala and mixed vegetables with rice.

To bring Gaye Holud to a close, attendees were invited to take advantage of the open dance floor to celebrate the night.

“The Gaye Holud is not just a pre-wedding event — it represents community, love, and celebration,” Karim wrote. “I want people to see how colorful, heartfelt, and meaningful these moments are in our culture. More than anything, I hope they leave feeling connected to something new and inspired to continue learning about other cultures as well.”