After two years since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, devotees performed the Garba dance in Gujarat’s Vadodara on the second day of the nine-day Navratri festival. During Sharad Navratri celebrations, which began on Thursday, a series of activities like Garba, which is most prevalent in Gujarat, were planned.
the members of the Garba organizing committee Raju Bhai Shah said Garba is a pride of Vadodara and Yugshakti has been organizing the Graba dance for years now and that too free of cost.
“This is our message to those commercial organisers that they can also organize a programme like this. There is no necessity to have only commercial Gabra and earn money from it all the time,” he said.
“We have been following all the guidelines for the COVID-19. The Public is very happy, everybody is enjoying Garba here. There is a new energy in people as they are celebrating after two years, Sha said.
Rajendra Panchal, a member of the organizing team said, “People are enjoying the same enthusiasm as they enjoy in Garba on a big ground. We have tried to give them the same feel. The crowd is very happy. we want them to enjoy and continue playing Garba.”
Bansuri Bohra, a Garba dancer, expressed her happiness celebrating Navratri and wished for the COVID-19 pandemic to end soon.
“We have been permitted to play Garba, which itself is a big thing. I hope we will continue celebrating Garba and this covid will end soon,” she said.
The Garba devotees dressed in colorful traditional ‘chaniya cholis’ danced to folk tunes as an offering to Goddess Durga. It is performed generally during the evenings of the nine-day-long festival, which finally culminates into Dussehra. Devotees danced in circles and celebrated the auspicious nine (nav) nights (ratri).
Some of such events see live orchestras performing while folk singers serve as the essence in others.
Also known as Sharad Navratri, the occasion is believed to mark Goddess Durga’s victory over demon Mahishasura, signifying the victory of good over evil.