Garba folk Dance
Why it Matters?
Garba dance was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023.
What you should know?
The word “Garba” is derived from the Sanskrit word garbha, meaning “womb,” and traditionally, the dance revolves around a centrally placed earthen pot (garbi) with a lit diya, representing life and the goddess’s energy.
Garba is a ritualistic and devotional dance that is performed on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Navaratri, which is dedicated to the worship of feminine energy or ‘Shakti’.
The dance is performed in a counter-clockwise circle around a lit earthenware pot or an image of the mother goddess Amba.
It is mandatory to have at least two members for Garba Dance. ‘Dandiya’ is use in this dance.
The practice fosters social equality and strengthens community bonds by including diverse participants regardless of socio-economic status, gender or religion.
The circle formation of the dance represents the Hindu concept of time as cyclical, encompassing birth, life, death, and rebirth.