Navratri is a festival which is celebrated with great fervour by the Gujarati community. In Goa however it is also celebrated by all the other communities who participate with great enthusiasm. The popular traditional dandiya raas is very popular and there are people in Goa who conduct workshops to introduce the interested into the intricacies of the dance form. Hetal Gangani conducts a popular workshop that attracts people across various age groups.People are keen to learn authentic garba and are not interested in trends like Zumba, power or Salsa Garba. The garba in Panjim has been conducted for 62 years. Its appeal can be gauged by the fact that participants order new clothes from Gujarat and don’t like to repeat their costumes.
THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
OF NAVRATRI
• Navaratri is the annual festival observed in honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights and ten days. It is celebrated differently in various parts of the country
• It is celebrated differently in various parts of the country
• Theoretically there are four seasonal Navaratris
• This one is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharada Navaratri
• One of the important aspects of the celebration of the festival is the Garba
• A Gujarati folk dance, modern garba is heavily influenced by Dandiya Raas, a dance traditionally performed by men
• The traditional clothing of the Garba dancer is red, pink, yellow, orange, and brightly colored chanya, choli or ghagra choli , dupatta with bandhani, abhla 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