Mahalaya:A Once-a-Year Popular Radio Prog - Page 12

In Bengal, Navaratri is celebrated in a grand and lavish manner as Durga Puja as huge idols of the goddess Durga posed as killing the demon Mahishasura are worshipped in almost every street. Huge 'pandals' (tents) are set up. Skilled artists prepare idols painstakingly for community and family worship. Bengal, Bihar and Orissa is full of a frenzy as people offer a number of 'saris', flowers, fruits and 'jewelry' to the Goddess. There are music and dance performances everywhere as people buy new clothes, jewellery and sweets. There are grand processions on the tenth day as idols are taken with pomp and show for immersion in rivers, lakes or seas.

In Gujarat, painted earthen pots are used to represent the Mother Goodess called 'ghata', which is revered as the abode of the goddess. Devotional Garba dances are performed by the Gujarati women around 'ghata' in circles clapping their hands or decorated sticks to the rhythm of the music of energetic traditional songs. After worshipping and 'Aarti', 'Dandiya raas' is performed in colordul traditional attire of Gujarat as a community dance all through the night. Navratris are considered auspicious for buying jewellery and gold.

In Maharashtra, nine days of Navratri are dedicated to Goddess Durga while the tenth day or Vijayadashami is dedicated to Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and learning. On this day, school-going children worship the tantrik symbol of the goddess for her blessing in their studies and it is considered auspicious day to begin education and learn dance and music, buy new homes, performing housewarmings and weddings and start new ventures.

In Mysore, Chamundi, the royal deity of the Mysore royalty is worshipped durng Navratri with pomp and pageantry. There is a magnificent procession of elephants, horses, chariots and costumed attendants on the tenth day, when Maharaja goes to worship the hilltop temple of the goddess.

In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, women arrange 'Bommai Kolu', a special placing of dolls in various costumes decorated with flowers and ornaments on specially prepared steps. Nine young 'kanyas' or virgins are offered new clothes and sweets as the goddesses and married women share flowers, kumkum and snacks among themselves.

Navratri in Gujarat

The historical background
Navratri or the Festival of Nine Nights from Ashvin Sud 1 to 9 is devoted to the propitiation of Shakti or Divine Mother. She represents prakriti, counterpart of purusha jointly making possible the creation of the world according to the religious ideology of Goddess worship. Such worships were prevalent in India even before the advent of the Aryans, who adopted it as a religious practice. References in vedas and puranas confirm this opinion. The main temples of mother goddess that are visited by multitude of devotees during Navratri are the shaktipithas, of which there are three in Gujarat. It is believed that Lord Vishnu had to cut the body of Sati into pieces to stop the destruction by Shiva who was perturbed by her death. At fifty-two places these pieces fell, the three in Gujarat being; Ambaji in Banaskantha, Bahucharaji in Chunaval and Kalika on Pavagadh hill in Panchmahals.

This festival is essentially religious in nature. It is celebrated with true devotion in the various temples dedicated to the Mother, or Mataji, as she is familiarly called. In some homes, images of the Mother are worshipped in accordance with accepted practice. This is also true of the temples, which usually have a constant stream of visitors from morning to night.

Celebration Galore
The most common form of public celebration is the performance of garba or dandia-ras, Gujarat's popular folk-dance, late throughout the nights of these nine days in public squares, open grounds and streets. Females wear ethnic Chania Choli and Males wear Dhoti-Kurta and enjoy garba and dandiya ras (dance) the whole Night. The participants move round in a circle around a mandvi (garbo), a structure to hold earthen lamps filled with water and to house the image or idol of mother goddess. A betel nut and a silver coin are placed within the pot, called a kumbh, on top of which a coconut has also been placed. Pandals are erected over these madvis and decorated with asopalav, date palm leaves, flowers and electric light. As the dancers whirl around the pot, a singer and a drummer provide the musical accompaniment. The participants clap in a steady rhythm. The dance usually starts slowly. It gets faster and faster as the music too gets more rapid until the dance abruptly comes to a halt. There is a pause for a while and the dance commences once again, the singer leading with a new song.

Another dance which is also a feature of Navaratri is the dandia-ras or 'stick' dance, in which men and women join the dance circle, holding small polished sticks or dandias. As they whirl to the intoxicating rhythm of the dance, men and women strike the dandias together, adding to the joyous atmosphere. So popular are the garba and the dandia-ras that competitions are held to assess the quality of the dancing. Prizes are given to those judged to be the best. The costumes worn for the dances are traditional and alive with colour. The dances usually commence late in the night and continue until early morning, testifying to their great popularity.

Navratri in Gujarat
In different parts of the state the celebration of Navratri has different emphasis. In Saurashtra, bhavai, a dance drama is played. At Vadnagar in Mehsana Vada Garbani Sheri is focus of the attention as large number of men and women participate in garba. In Ahmedabad the fusion of modern music is at its peak and youngsters have gala time. The overnight extravaganza is worth witnessing for pomp, splendour and exhilaration that permeates everywhere. Isanpur near Ahmedabad is famous for its mandvi, which is erected on the thirteenth day with arti being performed the next day early in the morning. Account of Navratri would be incomplete without reference to Vadodara, the city of art and culture. Here, number of groups performs garba in quite professional manner. A bhavai performance is also held at Baroda's Ambaji temple, during Navratri. The grace and dignity of the performances of Baroda leaves nothing to chance for its perfection.

Navratri is thus the festival that combines religious, devotional, cultural and recreational activities for almost a fortnight. To be in Gujarat during Navratri is to witness Gujarat at her best

Here are some links for you to see and listen to dandiya raas:

1. Dholi taro dhol baaje from Hum dil de chuke sanam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaZPexT_ffo

2. Parthiv Gohil on SRGMP Round 3 Semi-Finalist: Gujarati Raas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCzCOt0nPFw

3. Maane Paanche te Garba Ram Gamta:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdgNmUsKThg

4. SMU Raas: The Stix:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP8y-Hl6Tsc

5. Raas Tempa Fest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLsYqhQKeDQ&mode=related& amp; amp; amp; amp; amp;search=

6. Navratri Garba Baroda:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqTp9S2U4Ac