Navratri

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Navratri or Navratra is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. The word "Navratri" literally means nine nights; Nav-Nine and Ratri-nights. The festival is celebrated for nine nights every year at the beginning of October although as the dates of the festival are according to the Hindu calendar (which is based on the Moon), 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 of three days is spent in worshipping the mother as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine mother; hence, the worship for nine nights.

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, 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.

Garba word comes from sanskrit word "Garbha Deep". the closest meaning of "Garbha" in English language is "inside", as inside of an earthen pot which people still use to store drinking water. The word "Deep" is diya, with a burning cotton wick in oil in an earthen small vessel. People in western India do Ghat Sthapana, which is an earthen pot with holes in it, and decorated with colors, patterns, mirrirs, etc, with a diya inside. Traditionally, Navratri was celebrated only by Hindu women only, in the honor of goddess Amba/Durga. Amba/Durga is a believed to be a Shakti, originating from Lord Shankara.

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

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 Guajarat 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 held this sticks in hand, and start with a circuluar formation. Traditionally, this was a psuedo practice of the swords' fight with foot work, 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 high energetic sort, of an exercise. You will still find this 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 men in society was responsible for their region's and community's safety.

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