Megha Says

Navratri

A festival lover will like any festival you name, and I am one festival lover

I love to celebrate festivals and i do enjoy all of them.

So lets talk about Navratri one of my favorite festival.

What is the meaning or Navratri? Why do people celebrate it ? The answer is…

Navratri is – Nav = 9 , Ratri = Nights

The Nine Nights are dedicated to the Three Goddesses -
Durga – Goddess of valour
Lakshmi – Goddess of wealth
Saraswati – Goddess of knowledge

Navratri is celebrated by the performance of Garba and Dandia-Ras. This is Gujarat’s popular folkdance, with people participating in traditional dancing late into the nights during the nine days. Women wear Chania choli and the Men wear Dhoti-Kurta. The participants move around in a circle around a mandvi (a structure to hold earthen lamps filled with water and to house the image or idol of mother goddess) singing ‘Garba’s’ or traditional songs. ‘Dandia-Ras’ is played with wooden sticks or ‘dandiyas’. Dancing to the rhythm of traditional and religious music, men and women strike the dandiyas together in an uniformed manor, adding to the joyous and festive atmosphere.

Here is something i had heard many years ago about GARBA i would like to share with all you people, it is -

Question-
What is the meaning of GARBA?

Answer-
GA – Gaavu [Singing]
RA  – Ramvu [ Play ]
BA – Maa  [Mother]

Meaning – BA ni agad GAaine Ramvu [Sing and Play for Mother (Goddess)] enu naam GARBA [is called GARBA]

Isn’t it a beautiful meaning

Megha Patel.