Think about Navaratri and Dussehra, you are all reminded of the famous Garba and Dandiya dances that are performed all across the country, thought ‘patented’ by Gujarat, this unique dancing congregation of young and old has caught up with all India. Though this year the entire country will be missing on these dancing celebrations, the festival in Gujarat has got to do more than just Garba and Dandiya!
Navratri in Gujarat is very grand and colorful; everyone enjoys the festival for nine days. The famous Garba dance is performed in every village and city of Gujarat.
Legend
The mythology behind the Navratri festival is that, once the demon Mahishasura caused grave destruction, after getting a boon from the fire god Agni. The boon was that the demon wouldn’t be killed by any weapons bearing masculine names.
All the gods requested Lord Shiva to kill Mahishasura, with the prayers of gods, Adi Shakti goddess is formed from Shiva’s heart. Durga fights with the demon for nine days and kills him on the 10th day. That day is called as ‘Vijaya Dashami’, the victory of good over evil.
Hence, goddess Durga and all her nine forms are worshipped in Navratri. This is the main story of the festival.
Must Read: Kullu Dussehra: International Event with Grand Festivities
Gujarat & Navaratri
Gujarat, however, is the only state that erupts into a nine-night dance festival, perhaps the longest in the world. Each night, all over the state, villages, and cities alike, people gather in open spaces to celebrate feminine divinity, referred to as Shakti.
The dance form known as ras garba (also joined sometimes by dandiya, which uses small wooden sticks), comes from Lord Krishna’s worship rather than Goddess worship, from the Gop culture of Saurashtra and Kutch. Stories of relationships between Krishna and the Gopis, and their emotions, also often make their way into the ras garba music.
Nevertheless, the focal point of every garba circle is the small Goddess shrine erected by each community to mark the beginning of the festival, on the first day of the Hindu month of Ashwin. The shrine includes a garbo, an earthenware pot, in which a betel nut, coconut, and silver coin are placed.
Each night the village or urban neighborhood gathers to perform a puja to one of the nine forms of Goddess. The nine nights are also broken up into sections of three; the first is for Durga, the goddess who destroyed an evil force represented by the demon Mahishasura, and who destroys human impurities; the second is for Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity; the third is for Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and art. It is a time to celebrate fertility and the monsoon harvest, represented by a mound of fresh soil in which grains are sown.
After the puja begins the music; it is unmistakable to those who are familiar with the style and irresistible to many. People begin to dance in a circle, whirling away till late into the night. It is not uncommon to find dancers with swords or lit flames and other spectacles.
The traditional dance steps are simple, though over the years people have been inventing more complex steps. Similarly, the music was traditionally acoustic, principally composed of drums and singing, but most people now use amplified sound systems or a blend in the form of a live band with modern instruments. Vadodara is a good place to find the full range of these styles, traditional to modern, acoustic to amplified, simple to complicated, each one represented in its extreme somewhere in the city.
The tenth day, Dashera, also known as Vijayadashami in South India, is celebrated by doing a puja to bless one’s vehicle and is also the day to buy new vehicles, if necessary. It ‘s also celebrated, probably after getting up far later than usual, by unabashedly eating lots of fafda, a salty fried crunchy snack and jalebi, a sweet fried sticky snack.
Garba
Garba is a Gujarati folk dance performed during Navratri. It is most amazing to watch Gujarat erupt with vibrant colors, music, and dance during the festival.
Sometimes Garba is mixed with Dandiya Ras (performed with small wooden sticks), comes from Gop culture (worship of Lord Krishna and the Gopis).
Religion and tradition aside, a garba circle can take on a surprising spiritual power. Women often give up certain eatables during these nights, which can be quite a purifying experience, if done right. It is a time for even the most traditional and housebound women to be out of the house and whirling, uninhibited, towards the divinity that hides within her own body.
Many of the songs begin slow and gradually speed up, sending the dancers into a trance, especially when the music and dance are in its rawest form. When you come to a Garba, wherever in Gujarat you may find yourself for Navratri, imagine this: A circle, or concentric circles, moving around the central representation of a universal creative force, the source of life; everybody performing the same step; a mandala of energetic potential; the Mother Goddess unleashed.
Garba is danced in a circular structure around a centrally lit lamp, picture, or a statue of Goddess Durga. For many Garba is also a spiritual dance because people tend to feel divinity while dancing. However, dance is a great occasion for bonding and fun.
Garba styles vary from place to place in Gujarat. The dancers wear a traditional costume for the performance; women wear Chaniya Choli (a long skirt with a blouse and dupatta) and men wear Kafni pajamas with short kurta. With all the colorful costumes in place, people just dance to the specially composed tunes for Garba. People of all ages join and enjoy this festival in Gujarat.
Food
During Navratri in Gujarat, many observe a fast for seven or eight days; they don’t eat onions, garlic, wheat, or rice. They follow a special diet during these days and on the last day, they worship young unmarried girls. Fafda, Jalebi, Khandvi, Theplas, Dhoklas, Mandvi Pak, Dudhi no halwo (sweet), etc. are some of the special dishes and sweets are prepared for the Navratri feast.
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