Navratri, Navaratri or Navaratra is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights; Nava - Nine and Ratri - nights. The festival is celebrated for nine nights twice a every year at the mid-March and beginning of October although as the dates of the festival are according to the Hindu calendar, the festival may be held for a day more or a day less depending on the calendar.

Navaratri is divided into sets of three days to adore different aspects of the supreme goddess. On the first three days, the Mother is invoked as powerful force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects. The next three days, the Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth. The final set

During Navaratri, some devotees of Durga observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and property. A period of introspection and purification, Navaratri is traditionally an auspicious time for starting new ventures.

On the tenth day of October Navratri, the holiday of Dussehra an effigy of Ravana is burnt to celebrate the victory of good (Rama) over evil.

In Gujarat, it is celebrated quite uniquely.

Garba during Navaratri

A Hindu religious, traditional festival of goddess of power — Amba or Durga for first nine nights of the month Ashwin of the Vikram year.

The word Garba comes from the sanskrit word Garbha deep. The closest meaning of Garbha in the English language is "inside" or "womb", as inside of an earthen pot which people still use to store drinking water. The word Deep means lamp (diya), a

Women would put this Garbha deep in the center, as a symbol of shakti/goddess. And at the rhythm of prayers/bhajanas they will be dancing with clapping in concentric circles around the Garbha Deep or Garbo.

Though dandiya raas is also somewhat associated with garba, it is originating from a totally different root. Dandiya raas was traditionally performed by men only. This dance/art originated in western part of Gujarat state in India. The dandiya is actually a pair of bamboo or any wooden sticks of the length 1.5 to 2 feet. Men would hold these sticks in hand, and start with a circular formation. Traditionally, this was a pseudo practice of the sword fight with footwork, you can call it as in poomse in Tae Kwon Do or Kata in Karate. And that is the reason it was performed by men only. It is a highly energetic sort of exercise. You will still find these traditional movements and forms of Dandiya raas in in Saurashtra (Western Gujarat). This was an excellent social tradition of incorporating goddess with an art of swords and also with entertainment, when there were many invasions happening on small kingdoms and almost every man in society was responsible for his region's and community's safety.

See Also

• Garba (dance)