Hi there,
We Indians are found of festivals. So we used to have many festivals. Few are national and few are state wise. By today Navaratri festival is started. This festival is of 10 days. Yes you have read right words. 10 days long festival it is. And you can say it's festival of night. :) Basically Navartri belongs to Gujarat. Gujarat is state of India. Navaratri is also known as "Norata".
Basically in Navaratri people used to devote their prayers and devotion to 9 forms of ma Durga, namely, Ma Shailputri, Ma Brahmacharini, Ma Chandraghanta, Ma kushmadha, Ma Skandhmata, Ma Katyani, Ma Kalratri, Ma Mahagauri, Ma Sidhdatri. MAny of you might belongs to India but never heard these names. So if you want to confirm or read then you can check a hollybook, namely, "ChandiPath", which has mentioned names of all these Goddesses and the holly stories connected with each Goddess. I don't know is it available or not in English. But Gujarati and Hindi versions are there. As per the belief, it says in these 9 days it is good to read "Chandipath" and few people and few writers also say that if you devote Goddess and read Chandipath in proper way you can get some superstitious powers. [Though there is no proofs on this and i also don't believe in it :) ] People also says that during these 9 days you can win hearty of Goddess and get whatever you want. You can show your devotion by meditation, reading holly books, singing & playing garba of Goddess. :)
Holly Story of Navaratri:
There are many holly stories are related to Navaratri. But I will mention 2 most famous. 1 is of ma Durga. As per belief there was a devil and Ma Durga fought with her for 9 days and and 9 nights and then killed her. These 9 days are known as "Navaratri" so in devotion of ma Durga people play Garba and celebrate victory of Ma Durga.
1 more very famous belief is that these 9 days are those 9 days when God Shri Ram fought with devil Ravan to get his wife Mata Sita back and get this earth out of atrocity of Ravan. And on 10th day he won the battle and killed Ravan. So on 10th day known as "Dashera" people of India burn the statue of Ravana.That is known as "Ravan Dahan". The victory of good over bad :)
Few people have fast in Navaratri. My mom was not drinking water or having food during these 9 days when I was kid. But as I grown up, for her health I force her to have water and also dinner. But she still keep fasts.
In older time people used to get together in evening time. Sing aarti "devotional song" for Goddess and then play garaba which is pure devotion. Those garabas were known as sheri garaba means street garaba. But now people changed :) Now the culture of sheri garaba is almost lost or I would say died. Now people goes to party plots. Means a big ground kind of place where the play garba [form of dance] on rhythm of big orchestra and singers. Singers usually sing silly bollywood movie songs rather than actual cultural garba. and people usually dance in different form of garbas. People actually take coaching for Garba playing before norata. People charge to teach it. [how sad]. Now most of the people play garba just like they want to dance. They play it to win some prices. Almost the essence of devotion is lost :( In older time people used to wear traditional Gujarati clothes which is known as "Chaniyacholi" for female & "Kediyu" for male in regular days also i guess. In navaratri they used to wear more fancy traditional gujarati clothes, But now, tradition put aside and people started enforced fasion in it. they used to wear jeans, tops extra in normal days. And just for sake of fashion they waste so much of money in buying chaniya cholies and kediyas which they are going to wear just for 9 nights. Even in that fashion get in so there are sleeveless and ... kind of chaniyacholies. Well everyone has their own choice of course. It's their call. But still at few corners of Gujarat people are there who still play garaba for mataji "Goddess" it's not for dance or fashion. It is still for devotion. And I am proud that I belongs to that community where we belongs to such way of devotion :) Still there are places where people celebrate Norata in old traditional way without bollywood song and big orchestra. They play garaba on rytham of "Dhol" and believe me it is real fun to play garba on devotional Goddess garba songs and rytham of Dhol. There are few villages where circles of male and female are separate. Not because they are orthodox but because they find it as part of our rich cukture. respecting each othe. It's not restriction but it is modesty :)
What is Garba?
Now for those who don't know what is Garba. Garba is kind of dance. You can say one of the most famous folk dance of Gujarat and each Gujarati knows it. In any celebration of a Gujarati weather it is a groom procession or baby shower or birthday celebration or whatever real Gujarati will play garba. Gujaraties can play garaba on any tune on any song because we used to find beats of Garba in any music :D There are types of Garbas like be tali [2 claps], tran tali [3 claps], dodhiyu, ras, tetudo, hinch, amd so many. I can't write in words what does that mean or how to play :) You have to visit Gujarat to see & experience that. Traditionally people used to make a circle and as per the beat of Dhol [musical instrument] play any 1 form of a Garba.
Playing Garba on Dhol has much more real fun than playing it on noisy orchestra. May be many people wont agree on me but that's ok :) When I was younger, studyinh in school and college I used to play garba for whole night. We have played garba since 10- 11 PM to 4 - 5 am everyday. Then next day also go for class. I never bunked any :) Sometimes skin of my feet just get peeled. Even gravels just hurt badly and sometimes it start bleeding but the passion of Garba was so much I just play in & on. I have sung Garbas & I have danced on Garbas :) But now as life became bit busy and also don't have any company for laying garba so not going to play since few years in Navaratri. But the passion is still there as being Gujarati & will be there always :) I used to satisfy my passion in wedding & other celebrations by playing garba there :) And now Garba is so very famous it used to get played not only in other states of India but also in abroad countries. :) :)
Well I think I have just written too much and get almost all information on Navaratri & Garba is out. So Play garba for devotion this time & Happy Navaratri to all of you. Jay Mata di..
This is R J Aashaka signing off for today will come back soon with more talks at same place till then c u sabba kher, chau :) ;)
We Indians are found of festivals. So we used to have many festivals. Few are national and few are state wise. By today Navaratri festival is started. This festival is of 10 days. Yes you have read right words. 10 days long festival it is. And you can say it's festival of night. :) Basically Navartri belongs to Gujarat. Gujarat is state of India. Navaratri is also known as "Norata".
 |
| Nav Durga |
Holly Story of Navaratri:
There are many holly stories are related to Navaratri. But I will mention 2 most famous. 1 is of ma Durga. As per belief there was a devil and Ma Durga fought with her for 9 days and and 9 nights and then killed her. These 9 days are known as "Navaratri" so in devotion of ma Durga people play Garba and celebrate victory of Ma Durga.
 |
| Ravan Dahan |
Few people have fast in Navaratri. My mom was not drinking water or having food during these 9 days when I was kid. But as I grown up, for her health I force her to have water and also dinner. But she still keep fasts.
In older time people used to get together in evening time. Sing aarti "devotional song" for Goddess and then play garaba which is pure devotion. Those garabas were known as sheri garaba means street garaba. But now people changed :) Now the culture of sheri garaba is almost lost or I would say died. Now people goes to party plots. Means a big ground kind of place where the play garba [form of dance] on rhythm of big orchestra and singers. Singers usually sing silly bollywood movie songs rather than actual cultural garba. and people usually dance in different form of garbas. People actually take coaching for Garba playing before norata. People charge to teach it. [how sad]. Now most of the people play garba just like they want to dance. They play it to win some prices. Almost the essence of devotion is lost :( In older time people used to wear traditional Gujarati clothes which is known as "Chaniyacholi" for female & "Kediyu" for male in regular days also i guess. In navaratri they used to wear more fancy traditional gujarati clothes, But now, tradition put aside and people started enforced fasion in it. they used to wear jeans, tops extra in normal days. And just for sake of fashion they waste so much of money in buying chaniya cholies and kediyas which they are going to wear just for 9 nights. Even in that fashion get in so there are sleeveless and ... kind of chaniyacholies. Well everyone has their own choice of course. It's their call. But still at few corners of Gujarat people are there who still play garaba for mataji "Goddess" it's not for dance or fashion. It is still for devotion. And I am proud that I belongs to that community where we belongs to such way of devotion :) Still there are places where people celebrate Norata in old traditional way without bollywood song and big orchestra. They play garaba on rytham of "Dhol" and believe me it is real fun to play garba on devotional Goddess garba songs and rytham of Dhol. There are few villages where circles of male and female are separate. Not because they are orthodox but because they find it as part of our rich cukture. respecting each othe. It's not restriction but it is modesty :)
What is Garba?
Now for those who don't know what is Garba. Garba is kind of dance. You can say one of the most famous folk dance of Gujarat and each Gujarati knows it. In any celebration of a Gujarati weather it is a groom procession or baby shower or birthday celebration or whatever real Gujarati will play garba. Gujaraties can play garaba on any tune on any song because we used to find beats of Garba in any music :D There are types of Garbas like be tali [2 claps], tran tali [3 claps], dodhiyu, ras, tetudo, hinch, amd so many. I can't write in words what does that mean or how to play :) You have to visit Gujarat to see & experience that. Traditionally people used to make a circle and as per the beat of Dhol [musical instrument] play any 1 form of a Garba.
Playing Garba on Dhol has much more real fun than playing it on noisy orchestra. May be many people wont agree on me but that's ok :) When I was younger, studyinh in school and college I used to play garba for whole night. We have played garba since 10- 11 PM to 4 - 5 am everyday. Then next day also go for class. I never bunked any :) Sometimes skin of my feet just get peeled. Even gravels just hurt badly and sometimes it start bleeding but the passion of Garba was so much I just play in & on. I have sung Garbas & I have danced on Garbas :) But now as life became bit busy and also don't have any company for laying garba so not going to play since few years in Navaratri. But the passion is still there as being Gujarati & will be there always :) I used to satisfy my passion in wedding & other celebrations by playing garba there :) And now Garba is so very famous it used to get played not only in other states of India but also in abroad countries. :) :)
Well I think I have just written too much and get almost all information on Navaratri & Garba is out. So Play garba for devotion this time & Happy Navaratri to all of you. Jay Mata di..
This is R J Aashaka signing off for today will come back soon with more talks at same place till then c u sabba kher, chau :) ;)
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