Divine sense of rhythm

It’s a gorgeous season of colour, fun and festivity. Reflecting the rich traditions of India, Navratri leaves a smile on everyone’s face. But the festival is not just about puja and aarti as fun-loving people can have a gala time with the dandiya and garba nights.

The City has a number of places which bustle with life and vigour every year during the season of Navratri. These are the places where people of all age groups go to enjoy traditional Gujarati dance forms.

Manoj Agarwal, a businessman, goes for the dandiya and garba nights at Palace Grounds every year. “We pray to Goddess Durga as she is the goddess of power,” he says. “The evening begins with garba, an aarti of Goddess Durga and then the dandiya starts. It’s a fantastic season as there is an air of spirituality and fun at the same time.” He adds,

“Celebrated as Navratri in the North and Dasara in South, it’s a festival during which the whole country gets together.”  It’s not just the older generation that follows traditions when it comes to dandiya and garba, even the youngsters look forward to this time of the year.

Vrinda Kalia, a third year B Pharm student at M S Ramaiah College of Pharmacy, totally loves Navratri. “Last year, I had gone to a place near ISKCON Temple for dandiya. But I prefer garba as I love its rhythm and steps. It looks simple but when you watch the traditional dancers do it, you can make out how tough it would be.” A ghagra with a lot of flare is an ideal outfit for the evening, feels Vrinda. “This year, I will be going to the Palace Grounds and I am really looking forward to it.”

Many associations in the City like the different Bengali associations or the Bangalore Vaishnav Samaj also organise the dandiya nights. Says Rita Ajmera from the Sindhi Council of India, “Every year, for eight days, we have Durga Puja. Though dandiya is not a part of Sindhi culture, we have adapted it as it’s an expression to showcase our devotion towards the Goddess. So we have dandiya during the evenings. Besides, Sindh and Gujarat are neighbouring states so the influence is bound to be there.”

The dandiya and garba night generally starts at 9 pm and goes on till 3 am. With today and tomorrow being the last two days of Navratri, it would be an ideal time for you to wear your ethnic best, pick up those dandiyas and head for one of these events.