Navratri is finally here! And the celebration is incomplete without a
splendid night of Dandiya and music in the form of some upbeat and festive
tunes!
Usually
the 9 days celebration of Navratri includes 9 days of music and dance in
various forms, the major being Garba and Dandiya. These are
performed to worship the divinity and power of Goddess Shakti or Durga as
well as to pay respect to the divine shakti – Goddess Durga. It is performed in
a circle around the statue of Goddess Durga or the lamp offered to Goddess
Durga.
Garba and
Dandiya are believed to be the indication of dramatisation of the fight
between Goddess Durga – Power of Shakti and Mahishasur – the Demon King. The colourful sticks used to perform Dandiya
represents the sword of Goddess Durga.
Garba is a form of dance which originates from
the state of Gujarat. It is popularly played during the festival of Navratri
(Dussehra). Both men and women wear colorful costumes and jewellery while
performing the dance.
The Garba dance is a ritual performance from
Gujarat, the traditions of which date back at least to the 15th century and
forms the celebrative part of the worship of the goddess Devi. Garba is
performed, making a circular movement with hands and legs in a circle.
Garba originated from the Sanskrit word Garbha
meaning the womb. Customarily, this dance is performed during the nine-day
Navratri festival which is held annually during the month of Ashwin (September
or October)
Garba is played by hands and involves various
hand and foot movements with occasional clapping. A garba event consists of several segments and
Gujarati folk dance forms, including be taali garba (2-clap garba), tran
taali garba (3-clap garba), raas, hinch, and more. The two primary forms are
garba (both be taali and tran taali) as well as raas.
An interesting fact about Garba: United way of
Baroda Garba is a Mohotsav organized at a grand level and it is a big name
not only in Gujarat but whomsoever comes to Gujarat will ask about this place
to visit once in Navratri festival. United Way is mentioned in Limca book of
Records as the largest garba ground in the world.
Dandiya is played with colourful dandiya sticks.
Several Dandiya steps are performed with an even number of people. click here for famous dandiya songs.
Dandiya Raas is the folk dance of Gujarat.
With its origins in Gujarat, this popular socio-religious dance is performed
during the time of Navaratri festival. It is believed to be performed in memory
of Goddess Durga's victory over Mahishasura.
Dandiya is one of the popular dance forms
performed during Navratri as it is used to educate people about the
festival and mythological importance behind it.
During this nine-day celebration, devotees
observe fast and enjoy the festival with music, shopping, and dance. This year,
the festival of Navratri started on October 15, 2023. The festival is
celebrated with fervent joy and enthusiasm throughout the country as this marks
the arrival of Goddess Durga.
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