Festivals of Gujarat > Navratri
Navratri,
meaning 'nine nights', is an ancient and colourful festival. It honours the one Divine
Shakti or Force which supports the entire universe, and is personified as the Mother
Goddess. She protects her worshippers, destroys evil and grants boons to her children. The
Mother Goddess has seven well - known forms, depending upon the special powers she
manifests. Throughout Gujarat, Navratri is celebrated with joy and religious fevour.
This
festival is essentially religious in nature. It is celebrated with true devotion in the
various temples dedicated to the Mother, or Mataji, as she is familiarly called. In some
homes, images of the Mother are worshipped in accordance with accepted practice. This is
also true of the temples which usually have a constant stream of visitors from morning to
night.
Another interesting
feature of Navratri is the garba. a circular dance performed by women around an
earthenware pot called a garbo , filled with water. A betel nut and a silver coin are
placed within the pot, called a kumbh, on top of which a coconut has also been placed. As
the dancers whirl around the pot, a singer and a drummer provide the musical
accompaniment. The participants clap in a steady rhythm. Nowadays, loudspeakers are used
to enhance the sound which grows to a crescendo. The dance usually starts slowly. It gets
faster and faster as the music too gets more rapid, until the dance abruptly comes to a
halt. There is a pause for a while and the dance commences once again, the singer leading
with a new song.
Another dance which is
also a feature of Navaratri is the dandia-ras or 'stick' dance, in which men and women
join the dance circle, holding small polished sticks or dandias. As they whirl to the
intoxicating rhythm of the dance, men and women strike the dandias together, adding to the
joyous atmosphere. So popular are the garba and the dandia-ras that competitions are held
to assess the quality of the dancing. Prizes are given to those judged to be the best. The
costumes worn for the dances are traditional and alive with colour. The dances usually
commence late in the night and continue until early morning, testifying to their great
popularity.
Navratri
at Ahmedabad
While
the basic celebrations are alive and joyous, as they are elsewhere, at Ahmedabad the garba
parties are enormous. In large public squares, group of musicians sing the traditional
garba songs. A bhajan singer with a harmonium sings into a microphone. In crowded
localities, where open space is not available, the garba ceases to be a circular dance but
instead becomes a long line of people, comprising both men and women moving in accordance
with the turns and bends of the street. The scene is truly fantastic.
Navratri
in Baroda
Baroda
is a well-known centre of music and culture, and many streets have their own garba
mandals, or garba groups A bhavai performance is held at Baroda's Ambaji temple,
during Navratri. Many other places within Gujarat have their own local customs and
celebrate Navratri in their own special way.
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