Swing away to the beats of 'garba'

Ask any Gujarati and he will tell you that life is a celebration for them. With around 12,365 fairs and festivals  celebrated every year in the State, every day is a day to rejoice. Apart from festivals, Gujarat also has a lot more to offer tourists, says the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL).

“Not many tourists are aware that Gujarat is one place that has everything, from a beach to a hill station to a desert,” said Kamlesh Patel, chairman of TCGL. The State’s four main festivals include the International Kite Festival; Rann Utsav, a desert festival; Tarnetar Fair and Navaratri. With Navratri coming up soon, the TCGL has brought out innovative packages to bring tourists to Gujarat, show them various destinations there during the day and make them part of the festival in the night.

Adorned in colourful chaniya cholis and kurtas, an enthusiastic group of dancers from Ahmedabad, showcased different types of garbas that is performed during the nine nights of the festival.

“Even before the festival begins, we practice for long hours but it is a lot of fun since we dance with friends. It is also a great opportunity to meet new people, make new friends and even catch up with old friends,” said one of the dancers.

“It is a carnival of nine days and nights involving the garba folk dance, which is a performance to show one’s devotion to Goddess Amba. The entire State of Gujarat becomes a huge stage where millions of people dance in colourful costumes. This is one festival that has a unique universal appeal. It has retained its ethnicity all through the ages making it the longest dance festival of the world,” said Ranjan Bhatt, Senior Tourist Officer, TCGL.

TCGL has worked out eight hubs or centres, wherein a tourist can come and stay and visit the nearby destinations. These eight hubs are strategically worked out keeping in mind the important tourist destinations and the centres with proper suitable infrastructure to ensure that all in-bound tourists are given proper facilities of transport, accommodations, leisure activities, food and beverages.

For details, visit www.gujarattourism.com