Types of Garba.

         Garba is a traditional dance for that originated in Gujarat . Traditionally, Garba was played mostly by women but today men and women together play garba during various festivals . With time there has been an evolution in the Garba steps , new forms and styles have come up . Both men and women usually wear colorful costumes while performing garba and dandiya. The girls and the women wear Chaniya choli, a three-piece dress with a choli, which is an embroidered and colorful blouse, teamed with chaniya, which is the flared, skirt-like bottom, and dupatta, which is usually worn in the traditional Gujarati manner. Chaniya Cholis are decorated with beads, shells, mirrors, stars, and embroidery work, mati, etc. Traditionally, women adorn themselves with jhumkas (large earrings), necklaces, bindi, bajubandh, chudas and kangans, kamarbandh, payal, and mojiris. Boys and men wear kafni pyjamas with a Ghagra - a short round kurta - above the knees and pagadi on the head with bandhini dupatta, kada, and mojiris. There is a huge interest in garba among the youth of India and in particular, in Gujarati . But with time the there has been an add on to the garba styles , some of the garba styles are :

• Dodhiyu 

          This is one of the most popular forms of dancing styles seen during Navratri .The dodhiyu can be done in several different styles and new variations can be added in it. Dodhiyu garba includes dancing 4-steps forward and two-backward.At times  it includes dancing 6-steps forward and 4-steps backward dancing and then moving around once. Generally pairs and  groups of 6-12, perform the dodhiyu. It involves a lot of technique and grace.

• Teen Taali Garba         

            The Teen Taali Garba is the most famous style of Garba and it is easier to play than the rest , these are mostly popular among the middle aged .In this particular style people play in pairs or in a group of 3-6 where they clap thrice to the beats and dance with the beats.

• Garba Hinch

           This is more like a competitive dance form here women get together in a circle , bend forward and clap while moving in a circular motion , with the beat moving faster the dance also becomes fast .Here the challenge is to dance till the end ,whoever takes a break doesnot play in the circle and the one playing till the end wins the prize .

• Matla Garba   

             In this dance form a pot that is beautifully designed is placed on the head of the women who perform garba , a deep (lamp) is placed inside the pot .Village girls carrying  these pots, go from door to door and dance infront of  the respective house. The leader of the group sings the first line of the 

song while the rest repeat it in chorus. Here the beat is produced by clapping hands or striking dandiya sticks .At every step women gracefully bend sideways, the arms coming together in beautiful sweeping gestures, with each movement ending in a clap .

• Do Taali Garba 

            This dancing style involves clapping twice, as one moves in a circular motion swirling to the beats of the drums. This is one of the more common styles of garba, which almost anyone can learn easily and dance with their partners on the ground.

Dandiya rass being
performed by women.

• Disco Garba              

            This is a fusion of the traditional Garba dance style and the new Bollywood song together they are known as the Disco Garba style . There is a mixture of of various garba styles here , this is mostly famou among the youngsters . Many artists have started incorporating the disco garba style.  

• Dandiya-Rass

          Raas is one of the most traditional dance forms along with garba. Performed in five simple steps, the dandia dance is enjoyed after people are done dancing to garba beats. Raas originated from the ancient cities of Gokul and Vrindavan, where it is believed that Lord Krishna used to dance in the same manner with the gopis. Within dandia and raas, people have found many other forms of variations.