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Contact us: 01204 532890

WhatsApp: 07940 004449

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Garba Dance Festival 2021!

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 The word ‘Garba’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Garbha’ meaning ‘womb’ or ‘deep’. Garba is a form of Gujarati folk dance, performed during the nine nights of Navratri in honour of the Goddess Durga. The dance worships and celebrates the feminine form of divinity. It celebrates fertility and is performed as a tribute to womanhood.  The dance depicts a fight between the Goddess and Mahishsura, the mighty-demon king.
The first Garba was held in Vadodara, a city that due to its strong religious influence, is now regarded as the cultural capital of Gujarat. Gujarat follows the tradition of performing the Garba dance every night during Navratri, but it has also become a tradition to perform it at special events, for example, weddings, parties, and social events.
It was originally and still is performed in the centre of a village.  Traditionally, women dance in a circle around a clay lantern known as the ‘Garbha Deep’, meaning ‘womb lamp’. The lamp represents the human body carrying the soul within, and the circle represents the Hindu view that time is cyclical, birth to life, death to rebirth. The only thing that is unmoving and thus unchanging is God, in this case, presented in feminine form.
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 Nowadays the dance includes the participation of the whole community, men and women dance late into the night. The dancing is done barefoot, signifying respect for the earth and it is also seen as another way to connect with Durga. The dance follows a snap, clap, twirl cycle. Moving in an anticlockwise direction, dancers move round in groups of concentric circles, with each circle moving in the opposite direction. The dance gradually speeds up and has very easy steps meaning anyone can join in! 
 The music played at the Garba is led by strong percussion, including traditional Indian instruments such as the dholak, dhol and table. More recently, the Octopad (an electric drum set) is used, and it is not uncommon to hear the bongos played.

 

 To celebrate Garba people wear traditional attire that is colourful and vibrant. The women wear Chania Choli, a beautiful three-piece dress consisting of a blouse, skirt, and dupatta. The men wear Kurta pyjamas and Sherwanis, with matching colourful turbans and jackets. Navratri is by far the most vibrant Hindu festival, and this is what makes the Garba dance so mesmerising to watch.
House of Rajas and Sahil Enterprises are holding their very own Garba event on October 23rd.  All proceeds will be donated to Boot Out Breast Cancer and Fortalice charities. As well as the two charities receiving an equal share of the proceeds, we will also be sponsoring a meal for the homeless via Homeless Aid on the night.
We can’t wait to see you all there!
CONTACT US:
Phone: 01204 532890
Whatsapp: 07940 004449
or visit https://memsaab.co.uk/

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