Garba (dance)
Navratri festival. | |
Instrument(s) | Singing and Sitar as well as Dhol |
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Origin | Gujarat, India |
Garba of Gujarat | |
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Country | India |
Reference | 01962 |
Region | Asia and the Pacific |
Inscription history | |
Inscription | 2023 (18th session) |
List | Representative |
Garba (
Etymology
The word garba comes from the Sanskrit word for womb and so implies gestation or pregnancy — life. Traditionally, the dance is performed around a clay lantern with a light inside, called a Garbha Deep ("womb lamp"). This lantern represents life, and the fetus in the womb in particular. The dancers thus honor Durga, the feminine form of divinity.
Garba is performed in a circle as a symbol of the
The Garbha Deep has another symbolic interpretation. The vessel itself is a symbol of the body, within whom Divinity (in the form of the Goddess) resides. Garba is danced around this symbol to honor the fact that all humans have the Divine energy of Devi within them.
Dance
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Garba dressing: traditional dressing male is kediyu while the traditional female dress is chaniya choli.
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Little girl dressed inGagra choli.
Modern Garba is also heavily influenced by Dandiya Raas (Gujarātī: ડાંડીયા રાસ), a dance traditionally performed by men. The merger of these two dances has formed the high-energy dance that is seen today.[2]
Both men and women usually wear colorful clothes while performing garba and
Garba and Dandiya Raas are also popular in the United States where more than 20 universities have Raas/Garba competitions on a huge scale every year with professional choreography. The Canadian city of Toronto now hosts North America's largest annual garba by number of attendees.[3] Garba is also very popular in the United Kingdom where there are a number of Gujarati communities who hold their own Garba nights and widely popular among the Gujarati community worldwide.
Tradition
Garba is a Gujarati folk dance celebrated in
The traditional clothing of the Garba dancer is red, pink, yellow, orange, and brightly colored chanya,
(big mirrors) or with thick Gujarati borders. They also wear heavy jewellery, such as 2-3 necklaces, sparkling bangles, waist belts, and long oxidized earrings. Traditionally men wear an ethnic kedia and a pajama or a dhoti with an oxidized bracelet and necklace. Normally, the dandiya sticks are Wooden.Recognitions
In December 2023, UNESCO recognised Garba with the Intangible cultural heritage tag. [4][5]
References
- ISBN 9780978951702.
- ISBN 9788176500975. Archivedfrom the original on 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
- ^ "North America's Largest Raas-Garba". Toronto Garba. Archived from the original on 2022-08-03. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
- ^ [1]
- ^ https://www.forbesindia.com/article/lifes/a-joyous-swirl-unesco-tags-gujarats-garba-an-intangible-cultural-heritage/90223/1