Garba and Dandiya Raas explained: Gujarati origins, the garbo lamp, basic steps for beginners, what to wear (chaniya choli, kediyu) and etiquette at Navratri.
Garba on a Navratri night. Photo: Saurabh sirohiya, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Garba grew out of the worship of the Goddess, especially Amba (Ambaji), in Gujarat, where women traditionally danced around the lamp in the evenings of Navratri, singing songs in praise of the Goddess.
Clay diyas lit for Diwali. Photo: Alokjain19883105, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
The word garba comes from Sanskrit garbha, "womb". The garbo is an earthen pot pierced with many holes, with a lamp (garbha deep) burning inside.
Garba on a Navratri night. Photo: Saurabh sirohiya, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
The evening usually begins with an aarti to the Goddess. Then the music starts, slowly at first.
Clay diyas lit for Diwali. Photo: Alokjain19883105, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Every community has its own variations, and there are dozens of named steps.
Garba on a Navratri night. Photo: Saurabh sirohiya, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Some people follow day-specific colours during Navratri. These lists change each year with the calendar, so check a current source if you want to join in.
Sabudana khichdi, a common Navratri fasting food. Photo: Mrudit161187, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Bengal's Durga Puja has its own traditions of dhunuchi naach (dancing with incense burners) and dhak drumming rather than garba.
Dhunuchi dance: clay burners of smoking coconut husk and incense, held aloft to the dhak. Photo: Bhuppigraphy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Garba and Dandiya Raas explained: Gujarati origins, the garbo lamp, basic steps for beginners, what to wear (chaniya choli, kediyu) and etiquette at Navratri.
Garba and Dandiya Raas → Next story: Ghatasthapana: how to do kalash sthapana for Navratri All photo storiesMusic: Garba dance during Navaratri festival in Mehsana Gujarat India, Nizil Shah, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.