Photo Credits: DANDIYA
According to the Hindu calendar, Navratri begins on the first day of the Ashwin month. ‘Nav’ means nine and ‘ratri’ means nights. Gujaratis celebrate Navratri with great zeal as it holds a special significance to them. It is celebrated by playing raas and garba around the statue of Goddess Durga. Dandiya and garba raas are the highlights of the festival in Gujarat, while farmers thank the Goddess for her blessings, sow seeds and pray for a profitable yield.
In Goa, Navratri celebrations began some 20-30 years ago by Shamji Moorji Kataria from Mapusa. It started as a religious ritual but as the years passed it became a festival. Hardly 30 people gathered for the first Navratri in Mapusa. “When I started the samaj in Mapusa, we celebrated Navratri as a religious ritual. Today it is celebrated in all cities in Goa as a festival of nine nights. "I feel happy when people from different sections of society irrespective of caste and culture come together to worship Maa Durga and play dandiya," says the founder of Kutch Kadva Patidar Samaj, Mapusa.
Gujaratis in Goa celebrate Navratri with the same reverence and faith. Each night, people gather in open spaces and celebrate Goddess Durga’s victory over the demons. Traditionally, garba was played by calling professional singers and musicians but thanks to commercialisation, Navratri is now celebrated by hiring DJs or by playing audio CDs. Neeta Patel, a resident of Vasco says, “Nowadays people prefer going to Navratri concerts rather than gathering in an open space and celebrating it."
The dance form of garba comes from Lord Krishna's worship rather than goddess worship. Stories of relationships between Krishna and the Gopis, and their emotions, also often make their way into ras garba music. The songs of the garba are melodious and have been handed down through generations.
After the puja is performed, the music begins. People just wait for the music to begin and dance in a circle, whirling away late into the night. Traditionally the music was acoustic, which included drums. In Goa it is hard to find a Gujarati singer and with modernisation, amplified sound systems are used and live bands are called in from Gujarat and Mumbai.The religious significance of the festival is the same in Goa. As Jagdish Bhanushali, vice-president of Shri Vasco Gujarati Samaj says, “With commercialization, the festival has moved on to be a social festival rather than merely a religious one. However, nothing dampens the spirit of the devout followers of Goddess Durga as they indulge in the celebrations of Navratri with true devotion and purity, year after year."
