Garba : Traditional Folk Dance

  Navratri is a festival celebrated all across India, most prominently in Gujarat and West bengal. The colourful costumes, graceful dancing and the devotion to goddess Durga combine to create an unforgettable experience. Indian communities around the world have been  celebrating this nine-day-long festival in an attempt to keep in touch with their roots. This is  how Navratri is celebrated all over the world. Canada   Indians, are the largest visible minority in Canada, celebrating the festival of Navratri with great enthusiasm. It becomes an opportunity for the entire Indian community to reconnect with their culture, strengthening bonds within the community as well.  United States of America From Arizona and California to Georgia and New York, Indian communities across the United States have been celebrating Navratri for many years now. The festival ushers in a wave of excitement as everyone gets ready to be a part of the traditional revelry. The exuberance of these ent

                 Navratri is one of those festival which people are most enthusiastic about . Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival celebrated with great zeal. With these festivities, people celebrate the great cultural heritage of India. Navratri is celebrated in the honor of divine Goddess Durga. During Navratri, vibrant colors along with rhythmic dance brightens up the mood. Colorful dresses, dandiya sticks and garba dance are specially bonded with the celebration of auspicious Navratri. Earlier Garba was danced only to songs which described goddess Durga ,about her fight with Mahishasura, or about her victory over the evil .Men and women dance at an energetic pace to the rhythmic song .With time Garba songs has also undergone radical changes and has become popular all over the globe. Also the traditional songs are now laced with remix and pop versions. Moreover from quite a long time Garba dance has been seen in the Bollywood movies ,ofcourse not the traditional dance style but

        Navratri is a festival which comes with a promise of fun, dance and festivities all around. It is one of those festival where people enthusiastically wait to celebrate. Navratri not only symbolises the victory of good over evil (Goddess Durga's victory over Mahishasur) but also celebrates the spirit of Indian culture in its togetherness.          Garba or Dandiya, are dance forms which were earlier only performed in Gujarat, but have now become very popular across the country. There was a time when these two dance forms were used to educate people about the festival and its mythological importance but today things have changed. With time, everything has become commercial, Garba events have also changed. The once social event has now become more of a commercial affair. With large business organisations and event management companies investing a handsome amount in the so-called Garba nights, it has become a grand affair around the country. Poster of Garba night Earl

Garba is a dance form which originated in the state of  Gujarat, performed during Navratri – a nine day festival to worship Goddess Durga. The dance is just not done for merriment but it has a significance . Everything that evolves around the dance has a meaning and symbolises something.    Garba is traditionally performed around a clay lantern with a light earthen lamp, called the Garbha Deep. The word garba comes from the Sanskrit word for womb and so implies gestation or pregnancy. This lantern represents life, and the fetus in the womb in particular. A betel nut and a silver coin are placed within the pot, termed as Kumbh, on top of which a coconut is placed, the kumbh represents the womb here. participants dancing around the garbhadeep       The Garbha Deep has another symbolic interpretation. The lighted lantern represents the body and the divinity that resides within it. Garba is danced to honor the fact that all humans have the divine energy of Devi within

A women performing Garba Rass                       In honor of the Goddess Durga or Ambe, Garba Rass traditionally started in Gujarat with women performing this dance on the nine nights or Navaratri mostly in the rural areas, that later spread to the cities as well. During the festive seasons, the atmosphere brightens & lightens up under the impact of the bright colorful costumes, burnished shiny shades & lavish jewelries and accessories sported by the people. A royal sense of style, artistry and gracefulness are perfectly showcased through the various costumes & jewelries.  Some of the features of Gujarati Costumes The richness of culture and tradition finds the most beautiful way of  expression through the costumes of Garba. Here are the key features of Garba costumes- the beautiful costume exhibiting  stone and mirror work Brightly colored costumes Richly adorned costumes exhibiting  stone work, mirror work, bead work Beautifully embroidered co

        Navratri is a festival which  comes with the promise of nine days of non-stop fun, dance and festivities. Garba is just not about colourful attires and dance forms , people use various props to make the dance more fun. Here are few of the props that are used while playing garba . DIYAS Garba props often involve a lot of fire because it is the festival essentially about garbha deep, which means a lamp representing life. People use LED diyas, thus painting a pretty picture on the garba grounds and yet being absolutely safe at the same time.   DANDIYA Dandiyas are the most popular props that are used. The term Dandiya Rass is  what has got garba on global map ,thus these ornamental sticks made of metal, wood, plastic or even silver,are used to play dandiya. Then there are the Raja Rani dandiyas - which have beautiful doll figures carved onto them, which add a whole new level of charm to the dance. Played in twos, dandiya involves people moving in circles opp