Indian folk dance
Garba
????
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Garba_%28dance%29.jpg/220px-Garba_%28dance%29.jpg) |
Instrument(s)
| Singing and Sitar as well as Dhol
|
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Origin
| Gujarat
, India
|
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Garba
(
Gujarati
: ????) is a form of Gujarati
dance
which originates from the state of
Gujarat
, India. The name is derived from the
Sanskrit
term
Garbha
.
[1]
Many traditional garbas are performed around a centrally lit lamp or a
picture
or statue of the
Hindu
goddess
Durga
. Traditionally, it is performed during the nine-day Hindu
festival
Navaratri
(
Gujarati
: ????????, where ?? means 9, and ?????? means nights). Either the lamp (the
Garba Deep
) or an image of the Goddess,
Durga
(also called
Amba
) is placed in the middle of concentric rings as an object of veneration.
Etymology
[
edit
]
The word
garba
comes from the
Sanskrit
word for womb and so implies gestation or pregnancy ? life. Traditionally, the dance is performed around a clay lantern with a light inside, called a
Garbha Deep
("womb lamp"). This lantern represents life, and the fetus in the womb in particular. The dancers thus honor
Durga
, the feminine form of divinity.
Garba is performed in a circle as a symbol of the
Hindu
view of time. The rings of dancers revolve in cycles, as time in
Hinduism
is cyclical. As the cycle of time revolves, from birth, to life, to death and again to rebirth, the only thing that is constant is the Goddess, that one unmoving symbol in the midst of all of this unending and infinite movement. The dance symbolizes that God, represented in feminine form in this case, is the only thing that remains unchanging in a constantly changing universe (
jagat
).
The
Garbha Deep
has another symbolic interpretation. The vessel itself is a symbol of the body, within whom Divinity (in the form of the Goddess) resides. Garba is danced around this symbol to honor the fact that all humans have the Divine energy of
Devi
within them.
Dance
[
edit
]
Modern Garba is also heavily influenced by
Dandiya Raas
(
Gujar?t?
: ??????? ???), a dance traditionally performed by men. The merger of these two dances has formed the high-energy dance that is seen today.
[2]
Both men and women usually wear colorful clothes while performing garba and
dandiya
. The girls and the women wear
Chaniya choli
, a three-piece dress with a
choli
, which is an embroidered and colorful blouse, teamed with
chaniya
, which is the flared, skirt-like bottom, with intricate work and
dupatta
, which is usually worn in the traditional Gujarati manner. Chaniya Cholis are decorated with beads, shells, mirrors, stars, embroidery work, mati, etc. Traditionally, women adorn themselves with jhumkas (large earrings), necklaces,
bindi
, bajubandh, chudas and kangans, kamarbandh, payal, and mojiris. Boys and men wear kafni pyjamas with a
Ghagra
- a short round
kurta
- above the knees and pagadi on the head with bandhini dupatta, kada, and mojiris. In Gujarati, these clothes worn by men is called
'
Kediyu
'.
Over the years, the interest in Garba has only increased. There is a huge interest in Garba among the youth of India and in particular, the Gujarati diaspora. Traditionally, this dance is performed in concentric circles and the entire group performs once step in sync, with the beat starting slow and slowly catching on speed.
Garba and Dandiya Raas are also popular in the United States where more than 20 universities have Raas/Garba competitions on a huge scale every year with professional choreography. The Canadian city of
Toronto
now hosts North America's largest annual garba by number of attendees.
[3]
Garba is also very popular in the United Kingdom where there are a number of Gujarati communities who hold their own Garba nights and widely popular among the Gujarati community worldwide.
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/UWoB2011.jpg/800px-UWoB2011.jpg)
Women and men performing Garba as part of Navratri celebrations in
Vadodara
.
Tradition
[
edit
]
Garba is a Gujarati folk dance celebrated in
Navratri
, a celebration lasting nine nights. Garba songs typically revolve around the subjects of the nine goddesses. Garba styles vary from place to place in Gujarat.
The traditional clothing of the Garba dancer is red, pink, yellow, orange, and brightly colored chanya,
choli
or
ghagra choli
;
dupatta
with
bandhani
(
tie-dye
),
abhla
(big mirrors) or with thick Gujarati borders. They also wear heavy jewellery, such as 2-3 necklaces, sparkling bangles, waist belts, and long oxidized earrings. Traditionally men wear an ethnic
kedia
and a pajama or a dhoti with an oxidized bracelet and necklace. Normally, the dandiya sticks are Wooden.
Recognitions
[
edit
]
In December 2023,
UNESCO
recognised
Garba
with the
Intangible cultural heritage
tag.
[4]
[5]
References
[
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]
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Ancient
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Classical
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Divine forms
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Folk
(
list
)
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Contemporary
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Literature
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By state
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Accessories
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