The world’s longest dance festival happens every year in India, especially in Gujarat where 9 days and nights culminating in the 10th day of Vijayadasmi is more of a rejuvenation to the soul, mind and body.
Navratri (9 nights) is not only a festival, it is an emotion, a connection with people and the Goddesses. The coffee table book – The Inner Landscape of Gujarat provides a beautiful pictorial account of dress, colours and festivals of Gujarat among them one being of Garba. We are sharing passages from this book here –
The traditional Garba, the circular folk dance, has a charm that is ageless. Here, the participants join the garba to celebrate any occasion or event including any festival apart from Navratri. The garba continues to inspire the hearts and the minds of the people in both town and village. As is customary, a group of musicians is seated in the centre and, with their drums (tablas) and cymbals (manjiras), beat out a steady and lively rhythm, to which the dancers respond by placing their steps and clapping. But music is not the only feature of the garba. The musicians sing a traditional garba song, calling for divine blessings. All garbas are sacred to the Mother Goddess and her blessings are essential for the success of any enterprise. Garbas today have changed and a certain degree of modern urbanisation has affected the costume and style of music. But its essentially joyous character remains unchanged.
The Bedan Garbo, a colourful, circular folk dance, is extremely popular amongst Garasia women, who don colorful pleated skirts (ghagharas), and bright red veils (odhanis). They balance a series of three brass vessels of decreasing size on their heads. Known as deghado, ghado and loto, these vessels remain on their heads in spite of vigorous movements, as they jump, class and whirl around in the steps of this dance. The sight is a fascinating one and never fails to win extravagant applause. The women sing as they dance and their words are usually in praise of the bounty of Mother Goddess, who is all-powerful and omnipresent.
The celebrated dandia ras of Saurashtra, a circular folk dance with sticks, generates great excitement. Here, young men move rapidly as they whirl in the prescribed steps. Their upper garments (kediyuns), fly out from their bodies adding to the dynamism of the scene. They move in large circle, striking each other’s sticks (dandias) as they move, making loud clicking sounds. Their kediyuns are machine embroidered and their headgear consists of embroidered conical caps, tapering to a point and surmounted by a pompom. The dandia ras is one of the most popular folk dances and is seen in all the cities of Gujarat.
The colours, the twirls, the movements and the devotion all come together in this spectacular festival that celebrates joy, strength and faith in Mother Goddesses. Let’s invoke the blessings of the Mother –
Jay Adhya shakti Maa jay Adhya shakti
Akhand brahmand dipavya, padve pragatya Maa
Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Dritiya be swarup Shivshakti janu
Brahma Ganapati gaau, har gaau har Maa…. Om jayo ….
Tritiya tran swarup tribhuvan ma betha ,
Trayathaki Tarveni , tu Tarveni Maa…. Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Chothe chatura Mahalaxmi Maa sachra char vya pyya ,
Chaar bhuja choudisha , pragatya dakshin Maa…
Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe……..
Panchami panch rushi panchmi gun padma ,
Panch sahastra tya sohiye , Panche tatvo Maa. Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Shashthi tu Narayani Mahisasur maryo ,
Narnari na roope , vyapya saghde Maa…. Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Sapta mi sapta patal sandhya Savitri ,
Gau Ganga Gayatri , Gauri Geeta Maa…. Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Ashthami ashth bhuja aayi ananda ,
Sunivar munivar janamya , Dev daityo Maa…. Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Navmi nav kul naag seve Nav Durga ,
Navratri na poojan Shivratri na archan kidha har Brahma.
Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Dashmi dash avtaar jay Vijyadashmi ,
Rame Ram ramadya , Ravan rodyo Maa…. Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Ekadashi agiyarash katyayanika Maa ,
Kaam Durga Kalika , Shyaama ne Raama…. Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Baarse bara roop Bahuchari Ambe Maa ,
Batuk bhairav sohiye kal bhairav sohiye taara chhe tuj
Maa…. Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Terse tulja roop tame Taruni Maata ,
Brahma Vishnu sada Shiv , gun tara gata…. Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Chaudashe chuda roop Chandi Chamunda ,
Bhhav bhakti kai aapo, chaturai kai aapo Sihwahani Maata….
Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Pooname kumbh bharyo sambhadjo karuna ,
Vashishtha deve wakhanya, Markand deve wakhanya gaaye shubh
kavita….
Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Savant sole satavan solse baavis Maa ,
Savant sole pragatya , reva ne tire Maa Ganga ne tire….
Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Ekme ek swarup, antar nav dharso ,
Bhola Bhavani ne bhajata , Bhavsagar tarso. Om jayo jayo
Maa jagdambe….
Trambavati nagari Maa Roopavati nagari ,
Sol sahastra tya sohiye , Kshma karo Gauri Maa daya karo
Gauri…. Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe….
Maano Mandap Laa, Gulabi, Shobha Ati Saari
Ude Abil, Gulal Jai Bahucharvali
Om Jayo Jayo Maa Jagadambe
Jay Adhya shakti Maa jay Adhya shakti
Akhand brahmand dipavya, padve pragatya Maa
Om jayo jayo Maa jagdambe…
