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Garba (dance)

Indian folk dance

Field	Value
name	Garba
image	File: Garba (dance).jpg
caption	People performing garba (dance) in Vadodara during Navratri festival.
instruments	Singing and Sitar as well as Dhol
origin	Gujarat, India

Garba is an Indian folk dance. It is a form of circle and social dance originating from Gujarat, and played across the Indian diaspora on festivals and other events.

Garba is traditionally danced by women as part of the annual Hindu festival of Navaratri (or "Nine Nights"), held in celebration of Amba Mata, or the primordial mother, an incarnation of Durga. Garbas form part of Navaratri celebrations at fairs and feasts. Typically, at the end of each Navaratri night of dance, the community also plays dandiya raas, a sibling circle-dance form, in which players hold a stick in each hand and tap out a rhythm with a partner. Everyone is invited to join garba and raas, and people of all ages dance together. It is played around an earthen pot with holes on the sides, revealing a flame inside (a symbol of the jiva or soul inside the womb). Alternatively, a picture or statue of the Hindu goddess Amba may be placed in the center of the circle. When there are large numbers of participants, they make concentric circles to form rings around the object of veneration.

Etymology

The word garba comes from the Sanskrit word () for "womb" and so implies gestation or pregnancy — life. Folk dances in Gujarat are frequently performed to mark the first menstrual cycle or are performed to mark a marriage.

Dance, music and symbolism

Traditional_Folk_dance_garba_dress.jpg|Garba dressing: traditional dressing male is kediyu while the traditional female dress is chaniya choli. Gagra choli.jpg|Young girl dressed in Gagra choli. Modern garba is also heavily influenced by Dandiya Raas, a dance traditionally performed by men. The merger of these two dances has formed the high-energy dance that is seen today. Traditional garba music accompanying the dance involves the dhol and dholak (Indian drums), cymbals and shehnai (an Indian flute).

The dance is a counterclockwise circle dance, alternatively participants can form concentric circles moving in opposite directions. The dance gathers speed as it progresses. Its main aspect consists of encircling an image or symbolic representation (like a clay pot), representing the shakti of goddess Durga. Garba dances honour the nine forms of Durga during the Navaratri ("Nine Nights") festival and celebrates fertility and womanhood.

Recognition

Garba has spread beyond Gujarat all over India and among the Indian diaspora worldwide. For instance, garba is popular among Gujarati communities in the United Kingdom where there are a number of these communities hold their own garba nights. Garba competitions are now also organised by dance troupes in universities since the turn of the millenium.

In December 2023, UNESCO recognized garba on the list of the world's Intangible cultural heritage.

References

Desai, Parijat, "Dance In The Round: Embodying Inclusivity and Interdependence through ''Garba''" in ''Music and Dance of Everyday South Asia'', [[Oxford University Press]], 2024.
Desai, Anjali. (2007). "India Guide Gujarat". India Guide Publications.
"Garba".
Sinha. (2006). "Let's Know Dances Of India". Star Publications.
(2023-12-06). "Unesco declares Gujarat's Garba as Intangible Cultural Heritage". [[The Times of India]].
"A Joyous Swirl: UNESCO Tags Gujarat's Garba An Intangible Cultural Heritage".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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