While in India, a traveller gets to know the various traditions and understand the forms of culture here. India is a land of myriad folklores and innumerable customs. This plethora of cultural diversity is what makes India such a kaleidoscope of values, habits, arts and crafts.
An Indian festival is rarely without a song and dance routine. Various states in India celebrate each function in different ways but the Indian dance forms have a running bond of unity amongst them - of culture and tradition. The concept in all the dance forms is the same, only the expressions and the representations are different.
Garba is one such dance form which is found in the Western part of India. Originating in the region of Gujarat the name Garba comes from the word “Garbha” which in Sanskrit means womb. Traditional garbas are performed in the state of Gujarat around a lamp that is lit and kept in the centre. The movements of the Garba dance are circular and in a spiral form. This dance is thus very similar to the other forms of spiritual dances that are found in the other parts of India. This is very typical of a culture of the Sufi kind and imbibes God in its own way. Performed during the Navratri festival in Gujarat, the Garba dance is an artistic invocation to the Goddess Durga.
Today of course, with the advent of modern age, the Garba dance has also undergone a metamorphosis and has been adapted to the requirements of today’s generations. The merging of the traditional and the modern form of Garba has led to the development of the high energy Garba that we see today across India during the festival of Navratri.
Maharashtra and Gujarat especially excel in showcasing their Garba talents and represent the majority of Garba dancers in India.
Usually the attire for this dance is very vibrant and colourful. So during the Navratri celebrations, you can find all men and women in bright coloured costumes. The females wear a long skirt called the Chaniya Choli. This is sometimes knee length attire too. The bottom is the Chaniya and the top blouse is the Choli. Embedded with sitaras, mirrors, shells, beads and other embroidery work, these attires look resplendent in their shiny designs and beautifully woven work. The females also wear long silver earrings and bracelets, armbands and many other accessories and look like beautiful angels. The men wear a pant called the pyjama or the kafni pyjama and a bright coloured sleeveless jacket. They also wear a colourful headgear.