{"id":1677,"date":"2020-10-16T07:58:24","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T02:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chinmayaupahar.in\/blog\/?p=1677"},"modified":"2020-10-16T08:01:37","modified_gmt":"2020-10-16T02:31:37","slug":"dandiya-garba-and-navratri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/2020\/10\/16\/dandiya-garba-and-navratri\/","title":{"rendered":"Dandiya, Garba, and Navratri"},"content":{"rendered":"

For those of us who are still clumsy at the grooving to the rhythm of Dandiya and Garba, the sheer amount of colours and gorgeous ensembles can tempt us into trying every year. Because, Navratri is that time of year when we have the chance to spend time with our friends, family, and, most importantly, our own fun self! \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But, Why Garba and Dandiya?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The two dance forms –<\/span> Dandiya and Garba<\/span><\/i>, both originated in Gujarat. They are both performed during the 9 days of Navratri . But, why during <\/span>Navratri<\/span><\/i>, you ask?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The reason is that these dances are a dramatisation of the nine-day battle between the Goddess <\/span>Durga<\/span><\/i> and the demon king <\/span>Mahishasura<\/span><\/i>, where the Goddess emerged triumphantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"goddess<\/span><\/p>\n

The festival of <\/span>Navratri<\/span><\/i> symbolises this triumph of good over evil. The celebrations are meant to signify the victory over the evil that stem from our own cluttered minds. These nine days are an opportunity for us to purify our minds. And get rid of all the negative thoughts and start fresh.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Garba<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n

Traditionally performed around a <\/span>garbo\u2014 <\/span><\/i>an earthen pot with a <\/span>lamp<\/span><\/a> inside. This flame of the lamp represents life, a fetus in the womb. The <\/span>garbo,<\/span><\/i> itself, signifies the body, within which divinity dwells.<\/span><\/p>\n

The dancers move around it in circles, while making circular movements using their hands and feet. In keeping with the theme, the gestures too symbolise ‘the circle of life’. From life to death to rebirth, with only the divine Mother stable, unchanging and invincible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Embroidery and mirror work are a staple on the colourful <\/span>traditional clothes<\/span><\/a> of Garba, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"garba\"<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Dandiya<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n

In the Dandiya dance, men and women dance energetically with decorated, colourful wooden sticks (known as <\/span>Dandiya<\/span><\/i>), striking them against each other’s Dandiya to the beat of instruments like the <\/span>dholak<\/span><\/i> and the <\/span>tabla<\/span><\/i>. The dance is a glorious way of recreating the confrontation between the <\/span>Devi<\/span><\/i> and the demon.<\/span><\/p>\n

The colourful sticks of <\/span>Dandiya <\/span><\/i>embody the sword of Goddess <\/span>Durga<\/span><\/i>, which is why this dance style is also sometimes known as ‘The Sword Dance.’ The beats of the instruments are reminiscent of the loud metallic clangs that one might hear on the battlefield.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to the outfits, mirror work is, again, a signature feature\u2014 the costumes for both <\/span>Dandiya<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Garba <\/span><\/i>emphasise the vibrant colours of Navratri.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"dandiya\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Garba vs Dandiya<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n

Garba<\/span><\/i> has a more devotional charm, as it is performed to the sounds of <\/span>bhajans<\/span><\/i> and chants, worshipping the numerous divine forms of the Goddess. A lively aarti follows the dance. On the other hand, <\/span>Dandiya<\/span><\/i> is usually played in the late evening after the aarti, as part of the celebration and merriment. The <\/span>aartis<\/span><\/i> are performed with all the traditional <\/span>puja items<\/span><\/a> in front of <\/span>images and statues of the Goddess.<\/p>\n

The essence of both the dance styles is the warmth and togetherness we feel with our family and friends around; for a time charged with joy, love, and devotion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The worship, directed to the Goddess, is a manifestation of the gratitude we feel for being bestowed with nature’s abundance. <\/span>Navratri<\/span><\/i> celebrations would be incomplete without these dazzling dances and art forms!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For those of us who are still clumsy at the grooving to the rhythm of Dandiya and Garba, the sheer amount of colours and gorgeous ensembles can tempt us into trying every year. Because, Navratri is that time of year when we have the chance to spend time with our friends, family, and, most importantly,… <\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1677"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1684,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1677\/revisions\/1684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.chinmayaupahar.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}