GARBA KEYNOTE BOOK 15th DEC 2015 pdf

garbaworld nish dadubhai patelTuesday, 15 December 2015

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written designed published by nish dadubhai patel London December 2015 4Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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THIS IS A DRAFT PREVIEW OF THE FULL BOOK Text is same as on the web site. Images to be added/replaced. Content pages to be numbered.Day Fifteen of December Two Thousand and Fifteen 7Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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contentsINTRODUCTION DANCE origins garba raas art aarti styles navratri benefits nine natyashastra origins DEVOTION music styles ganesh saraswati EVENTS lakshmi places people durga causes shiva food krsna singers raas leela benefits divine dance WEB wiki FASHION ABOUTadornments NEW WAY modern Conclusion 9Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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introductionGarba and Raas are the most popular folk dancesof Gujarat and are performed as devotionaldances several times a year during the festivals ofNavratriWords do not easily capture the vibrancy, theenergy, the ecstasy and so much more of a Garbaand Raas happening and it’s blissful blend ofmusic and dance, glowing and flowing with graceand radiance.  Every year Gujaratis all over theworld dissolve and dazzle in dances of delight anddevotion in their nine day festivals of Navratri.These happenings are filled with the noise andswaying of people, the tinkling and jingling of thedancers and the delighted faces of the peopleamazed by the rapture.Conceived in ancient times Garba and Raasdances are immersed in abundant heritage andamazing philosophy and  have been borne out ofmuch wonderful and profound thinking. 11Tuesday, 15 December 2015

The dance and music of Garba and Raas isspectacular and immerses the dancers andgathering in delicious devotion. Engaging in thiscircular and cosmic dance provides a wonderfulchance for mixing and mingling with friends,families and wider society and sustains a healthyand enjoyable way of refreshing and rejuvenatingourselves and the people around and about us.Dance and music also have a greater and higherpurpose in life and Garba and Raas are infusedwith meaning and purpose. There is profoundwisdom embraced in Garba and Raas and thesedances have universal appeal. Those of firm faithand those with little or no faith, can all engagepleasantly in these dances.Garba and Raas dances are not restricted toGujarat, they are danced wherever there areGujaratis. They are not the exclusive preserve of Gujaratis either, they are a common enchantmentfor people over all continents and many places inbetween. 12Tuesday, 15 December 2015

Far more than any devotion professed for thedivine, it is how we treat and respect each other,that is the best foundation of any faith and alldevotion. Garba and Raas dances help to fostergood manners and graceful etiquette and as suchare invaluable for our existence in joy andtogetherness.This short book briefly covers the main elementsof these dances and their devotional aspects.Many of the more important areas will be coveredin greater detail in future publications.Those who are passionate about Garba, andeagerly await its exciting and glorious arrivalevery year, know the enchantment that Garbabrings. Those new to Garba, or perhapsdisillusioned with Garba, may find this work to beof interest. 13Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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Dance is a stunning achievementof humanity. Dance is universal, it reaches, rejuvenates andrefreshes...everyone...everywhere 15Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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garba 18Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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garbaGarba is a circular devotional dance in celebration of fertility and the divine feminineThe word garba literally means a womb. Garba canalso refer to a perforated pot with a light in it andthe name Garba is given to the songs which aresung when garba is danced.the potGarba Deep is the name given to a clay pot, which isusually perforated and decorated on the outsidewith a hand made Diva ( wick ) lit and placedinside. Garba means a womb and Deep meanslight. The light inside the pot represents the divineshining through the perforations and the potsymbolises the womb universe. The termGarbaDeep has another symbolic interpretation,that the vessel itself is a symbol of the body, withinwhom Divinity, in the form of the Goddess resides.Garba is danced around this symbol to honor thefact that all humans have the Divine energy withinthem. 21Tuesday, 15 December 2015

the danceThe dances which are performed around the potare called Garba. These dances take place in themain during a period of nine nights during thefestival of Navratri. The dancing takes a circularform around the pot, with each dancer followingthe same sweeping and swirling movements withdiffering vigour and passion and clapping atregular and frequent phases.The central pot isalso joined with or replaced by images orsculptures of various divine mother goddesses.There are many styles and forms of the dance, andit is suitable for all ages and conditions. Men dosometimes join in the garba dance but it is in themain a feminine activity.the songs The songs and tunes to which the Garba dancetakes place, are known as Garba or Garbis. Thesecompositions have been handed down over thegenerations and their words and themes rangefrom the spiritual to the social, but are mainly inpraise and honour of the various mothergoddesses associated with Navratri. 22Tuesday, 15 December 2015

the circleGarba is performed in a circle as a symbol of theHindu view of time. The rings of dancers revolvein cycles, as time in Hinduism is regarded ascyclical. As the cycle of time revolves, from birth,to life, to death and again to rebirth, the onlything that is constant is the Goddess, that oneunmoving symbol in the midst of all of thisunending and infinite movement. The dancesymbolizes that the divine is the only thing thatremains unchanging in a constantly changinguniverse. 23Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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raas 25Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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raas The Dandiya Raas is a stick dance played by agroup of evenly numbered dancers, dancing intwo concentric circular lines, with one line movingclockwise and the other moving counterclockwise. The dancers may twist, turn and swayand even change places depending on theirability and inclination. The circular form and themoving lines allow the dancers a few moments tointeract as they click their Dandiyas with eachother. This dance is also referred to as Dandiyaand or as Raas.The sticks with which the dance is played arecalled Dandiyas and dancers may play with eitherone or two Dandiyas. The Dandiyas are usuallyabout 40 cm or so long and about 8 cm wide andare made of plain wood, or metal, with manyDandiyas decorated and embellished withcolourful patterns and designs, with bells andother frills.It is believed that the Raas dance, without stickswas originally performed by the Divine Krsna andthe village girls of Vraj, the Gopis, in the forestsof Vrandavan by the banks of the Yamuna river. 27Tuesday, 15 December 2015

The word Raas is derived from and linked to the word Rasa. Rasa is a complex term with several meanings however it may be taken to mean the nectar or essence of a thing. One rationale behind Rasa is that it allows the exposition and exhibition of various emotions and longings through art, in this instance the art of dance. The significance of Rasa is further explored in our section on the Natyashastra. The Dandiya Raas is played by just men or just women and also by women and men together. As dancers interact with each other when they click their Dandiyas, they have a few moments to acknowledge and greet most everyone who takes their place on the swirling dancing circles. For the boys and girls there is the chance to exchange flirting glances and swooning smiles. When you observe Dandiya Raas danced with energy and passion it becomes obvious that the dance has martial origins and elements, evoking fighting with swords as the player warriors click and hit and swipe with the sticks.. The dance is also performed as a mock fight to emulate the battle of the Goddess Durga against evil in many forms including the slaying of the demon Mahishasura. In some regions of Gujarat the dance is performed by men in a martial style and manner 28Tuesday, 15 December 2015

The songs and tunes played when dancingDandiya Raas have different connotations andmeanings and many of them refer to theescapades and dalliances of the Divine Krsna inhis youth. The dance took its most popular formduring the Raas Leela dance referred to above.The Raas dance and its songs and themes werelater modified and made suitable for the worshipand veneration of Divine Mother Goddessesduring the festivals of Navratri. 29Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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aarti 31Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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aarti At a devotional Garba event, the first two hours or so are devoted to performing Garba dances. There is then a short period of communal worship known as an Aarti, in which the gathering stand in a circle around a image or sculpture of a mother goddess and sing and chant a devotional composition. This is done whilst whilst clapping hands, with some people holding a decorated tray of small lit divas ( wicks ) which they wave in a gentle swaying motion. The dancers for several hours having swirled and whirled in dance, now with all onlookers, gather in a circle several lines deep and surround the central figure of the gloriously decorated and adorned divine goddess. The worshippers then commence singing and chanting in unison and harmony, continuing in this worship and veneration for a short while, usually for about ten minutes. There is radiance flickering and shimmering, bells tinkling and jingling, eyes sparkling and shining, the fragrance of sweet mellow incense flowing and mingling with mesmerising mantras, casting an enchantment, upon these fortunate ones gathered in praise and adoration 33Tuesday, 15 December 2015

It is believed that through this ritual of the aarti,the divas acquire the spirit and power of thedeity, The divas are then circulated amongst theworshippers, who will lightly cup theirdownturned palms over the flame and then raisetheir palms over their forehead so that the divineblessing passes from the flame to the devotees.People also place currency notes or coins in thetray of divas as a token of their appreciation forthe blessings of the divinePrasad is a gracious gift of edible delicacies, suchas fruits, nuts and other, mainly sweet, itemswhich have been lovingly prepared by thedevotees. These goodies are then carefully setupon decorated silver or metal trays and placedas offerings around the figure of the deity in thecentre of the dance circle. The prasad having beenoffered to and then blessed by the deity, isbelieved to have the blessing enshrined in itself.After the aarti has concluded, the prasad is readyto be offered to the devotees as they leave theoccasion It is believed that the offering andpartaking of this sacred prasad to as many peopleas possible allows positive thoughts to befostered. 34Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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navratri 37Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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navratriNIne divine days and nine dancing nights ofpassion and devotionNavratri, which means nine nights, is a devotionaland spiritual event. As the name suggests,Navratri takes place over a period of nine daysand nights, during which various rites and ritualstake place. The festival of Navratri falls four timesa year, in line with the change of the seasons. andcertain cosmic alignments. The majority of peopleusually only celebrate the main Navratri, knownas Sharana Navratri, which occurs in lateSeptember or early October.The primary significance of Navratri is theworship of the energy known as Shakti, whichrepresents the power of the Divine Femininerepresented by the Goddess of power andstrength Durga who is worshipped on the firstthree days. The next three days are dedicated tothe Goddess of spiritual and material wealthLakshmi. The last three days are in honour of theGoddess of wisdom and learning Saraswati 39Tuesday, 15 December 2015

  Garba and Raas dances are the most significantdevotional element of Navratri for Gujarat andGujaratis and they are danced by most womenand a substantial number of men. Navratri is amainly feminine occasion as this was the oneoccasion during which women could partake inacts of worship, as for many years religious ritualsand worship were mainly male preserves The devotion during Navratri has several aspects.During the day there are recitations and chantingof scriptures in praise of the mother goddesses,with garba and raas dances taking place in thenight.. Over the course of the festival there arealso ceremonies which involve the feeding ofyoung girls and the worship of tools of trade andof books of learning. Many people fast before andduring Navratri. There are various festivals ofNavratri in different regions of India, each withtheir own particular elements, rituals andceremonies.Vijayadashmi, the day of victory, falls on the tenthday of Navratri and is celebrated in honour of thefinal victory of the Goddess Durga in her battlewith the demon Mahishasur. 40Tuesday, 15 December 2015

  Vijayadashmi is also used to commemorate thetriumph of Lord Ram over the demon Ravana andon this day many Indian Army regiments venerateand worship their weapons This day is also anauspicious day for students to start the process oflearning and books and instruments of learningare worshipped. Vijayadashami is also consideredto be an auspicious day for new businesses startups and other venturesThis Navratri gathering and devotion in dance forthe Divine is one of the most magnificent sights inexistence A ravishingly radiant wonder of ourworld 41Tuesday, 15 December 2015

durga lakshmifirst three nights second three nights 42Tuesday, 15 December 2015

saraswati last three nightsTuesday, 15 December 2015

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origins 45Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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originsIn ancient times people were in awe and wonderat the world and sought to appeal to higherpowers which they sought to appease andworship in numerous ways including dance. Theorigins of dance in general come from theseprimitive rituals.In India these dances were nurtured, refined andmade intricate and classical to portray variousemotions and longings. As time passed it becamedifficult for those not accomplished in classicalforms of dance to take part. In due course folkdances such as garba came into being to allow themass of people to enjoy the benediction of dance,and allow them to express and realise differingmoods and passions. These dances arose by aninterplay of philosophy, theology, socialconditions and the needs of the people, andaccordingly they slowly evolved to reflect thevalues and concerns of the age, whilst restingtheir faith and belief on solid devotionalfoundations. 47Tuesday, 15 December 2015

The Garba dance was evolved out of the Raasdance and associated with the worship of thedivine feminine. Since Garba was stronglyattached to the worship of divine mothergoddesses, it’s form and structure is differentfrom Raas. Garba is believed to have been evolvedand nurtured into its now current traditionalform, between the fifth and fifteenth centuries ofthe western era.The Raas dance is of older origin than Garba andwas first believed to have been performed by thedivine deity known as Shri Krsna, also spelt asKrishna. The Divine Krsna played and performeda dance, known as the Raas Leela with villagegirls, known as Gopis, on the banks of the RiverYamuna in the forests of Vrandavan. The antiquityof this dance is as old as Krsna and he is believedto have played and performed the Raas Leelafrom about three thousand to five thousand yearsago. The Raas dance was later adapted andevolved by the worshippers of the Goddess Durgato be performed with sticks to evoke the stagingof a mock fight between the Goddess Durga andthe demon Mahishasur 48Tuesday, 15 December 2015

The word Raas is derived from the the term Rasa,which as stated earlier, is a unique and significantconception and has several involved meanings;briefly it signifies the essence, or nectar of athing. In dance it is used as a means ofexperiencing and expressing emotions which thedancer is seeking to realise and release in a waywhich is fulfilling and meaningful to the dancerand the onlookers.There are various different styles and form ofgarba and raas and many variations on commonsteps, with styles developed over time andchanged and adapted. The origins of any vast andsignificant belief are not always easy to explore,especially in the case of devotion through dance,given its temporary and transient nature. Theabove is just a brief note and the subject will becovered in greater detail in future publications. 49Tuesday, 15 December 2015

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