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Art,
Culture, Heritage
DANCE
Gujarat has a unique distinction of having a legendary origin of her folk dance forms. The most popular and known folk dances of Gujarat are Garba, Garbi, Rasaka, Tippani, Padhar-Nritya, Dangi-Nritya etc. Most of these dances have a circle of Mandala as the basic
choreographic pattern.
Rasa
Rasa which is supposed to belong to Kutch and Suarashtra is performed all over Gujarat.
The Rasa traditions are as old as the Puranic period. In various parts of the country, Rasa are danced in different manners.
The main feature of Rasa is dancing in a circle by men and woman, to the accompaniment of musical
instruments and keeping time either by clapping or beating of two sticks.
The number of dancers go from 8, 16, 32 up to 64 couples, who also sing the song.
There are three varieties of Rasaka described.
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Danda Rasaka-Rasa dance where Danda or sticks are used.
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Mandala or Tala Rasaka-Rasa dance where clapping is used.
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Lata
Rasaka-Rasa dance where dancers cling to each other and dance like a creeper to a tree.
Most of the art traditions of Gujarat trace their origin to the mythological times of Lord Krishna.
He is said to have been an exponent of art of dancing. Raas Nritya is a form of dance performed by
Lord Krishna with Gopikas. The Dandia variety of the Raas Nritya of Gujarat is generally performed by a group of youthful persons, both males and females, who move in circles to measured steps, beating time with small sticks (called dandia) singing to the accompaniment of Dhol, Cymbals, Zanz, flute or Shehnai.
When the time beat is given by the clapping of palms and performed only by males, it is called
Garbi. The Mers of Saurashtra are known for their folk dance called the Mer
Raas. Shepherds perform what is called the Gher Raas. The
Gheria Raas is a dance performed by the agriculturists of south Gujarat.
Hallisaka
Hallisaka a group dance, in the Harivamsa Purana is very significant.
This is a group dance, in a circular formation with the hands joined together forming a chain.
The time (Tala) is kept by clapping and is accompanied by singing.
A young man (Krishna) stands in the middle of the damsels. The feet movements, toes, heels and legs first start their journey to explore rhythmic expression measured steps, long, short, quick, and slow accompanied in single, double and triple timings.
Dangi Nrita
The Gangis are unique tribals, a blend of Gujarati and Maharashrian culture mixed harmoniously with original Dravidians.
The dance performed by Dangis is called Dangi Nritya. Men and women join hands forming a chain or shrinkala making serpentine movements with one of them leading.
The movements is very fast, swift and create various choreographic patterns in a fraction of a second.
Each variety of step is called 'Chala' and there are about 27 varieties of these chalas.
One of the most amazing sights of this dance is the creation of a human pyramid.
Garba Dance
Garba Dance is a popular folk Dance of Gujarat.
It is a circular form of dance performed by ladies on the Navaratri days, Sharad Purnima, Vasant Panchami, Holi and such other festive occasions.
The word Garba is derived from the word Garbha Deep meaning a lamp inside a perforated earthen pot.
The light inside the perforated earthen pot symbolized the embryonic life.
In this folk dance, ladies place the pot with the lamp on their heads and move in circles, singing in time measure by clapping their palms or snapping their fingers, to the accompaniment of folk instruments.
Some times, women carry on their heads 'Mandavali' a small canopy made of bamboo chips covered with a red silk piece of cloth. They dance with it and later put it in the
center. Mandavali symbolizes the temple of the goddess. Women wear sari in the Gujarati style.
Each community wears different clothes. In Saurashtra, women wear embroidered petticoats (Ghaghara), a backless choli (Kapdu) and a head cover (odhani) with lots of silver and head ornaments.
Males wear Kediyum (shirt) Vajani (trouser) and Rumal a printed head piece with silver ornaments on the waist, neck and hands.
The musical instruments used for Garba are mainly the drum or dhol and Nal.
But Rasa has Pavo (a double flute), Vansali (flute), Zanza (Discs),
etc. The drummer ties his drums around the neck and moves inside the circle beating it.
Garba songs are mostly in praise of Mother Goddess Amba describing her form, powers, and invoking her blessings. Also there are Garbas describing seasons and social themes of domestic ands married life.
Tippani Folk Dance
There are certain folk dances which typically represent the community activities and their functional aspect.
The Tippani folk dance is a dance of such a variety in which women
laborers engaged in construction work, strike the floor with long sticks called Tippani.
They have a rhythmic musical process to escape the tedium of the toil involved in their arduous task.
The tribes in Gujarat have their own virile forms of the folk dances.
The costumes and the instruments used during these folkdances are also typical folk costumes which mostly consist of a short coat called Kedia with tight sleeves with embroidered borders and shoulders, tight trousers like the Churidars and
colorfully embroidered caps or colored turbans and a colored waist band.
Damru, Tabla, Nagara, and pot drum are among the instruments; percussion, Ektaro, Ravan hattho, and Jantar are among the string instruments and Pavo, shehani, murli, turi, and taturi are wind instruments used as accompaniments in the folk dances.
FESTIVAL
International Kite Festival
The International Kite Festival is always held in Ahmedabad on January 14, to coincide with the festival of Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti.
It is a joyous day, with a bright sun, clear skies and breezes strong enough to to lift innumerable kites aloft.
It is
in fact a celebration to mark the end of winter, when the heat of summer is still to come.
Kites are flown all over Gujarat; Ahmedabad and Baroda become cities of
Kite-flyers.
Kite-flying starts at dawn and continues without a pause
through the day. Friends, neighbors and total strangers battle one another for supremacy and cries of triumph rend the air when someone cuts the line of a rival.
A
tremendous variety of kites is seen and the connoisseur can choose precisely what he wants. Even the lines with which the kites are flown are specially prepared by the experts before the great day.
Modhera Dance Festival
The ruins of 11th
century Sun Temple at Modhera in North Gujarat, is an impressive sight.
It stands on a knoll in the village of Modhera, eighteen miles south of Anhilvad, the former Hindu capital of Gujarat.
Modhera was evidently a site of great importance at one time. The style in which the temple was built bears a strong resemblance to that of the Jain temples at Mount Abu.
The outer walls of temple are covered with sculptures in which figures of Lord Surya are
naturally prominent. The idea that inspired the festival is to present classical
dance forms in an atmosphere similar to that in which these were originally presented.
So successful was the presentation, that a decision was taken to make it an annual event. The dance festival is scheduled to be held during the third week of January every year, after the festival of
Uttrayan.
Janmashtami at Dwarka
Dwarka, the city of gold.
Dwarka, the abode of Shri Krishna. This is how devotees think of the city where Lord Krishna settled over 5000 years ago after leaving Mathura for ever, and where he reigned for 100 years.
For pilgrims Dwarka's presiding deity remains Shri Krishna, and they flock there in their thousands from all parts of India and
abroad.
Janmashtami, the birthday of Shri Krishna, is celebrated with great
splendor. Rows of lights are lit everywhere, kirtans and bhajans are sung, sermons are delivered and Krishna is worshipped in his infant
form.
Thousands of people go to Dwarka to visit the temple and participate in the fair.
After visiting the main temple, the devotees go to Shankhoddhar Beyt.
There are also some other important temples which can be visited, both old and new.
Navratri
Navratri, meaning 'nine nights', is an ancient and
colorful festival. It
honors the one Divine Shakti or Force which supports the entire universe, and is personified as the Mother Goddess.
She protects her worshippers, destroys evil and grants boons to her children.
The Mother Goddess has seven well-known forms, depending upon the special powers she manifests.
Throughout Gujarat, Navratri is celebrated with joy and religious
favors.
Another interesting feature of
Navratri is the garba, a circular dance performed by women around an earthenware pot called a
Garba, filled with water. As the dancers whirl around the pot, a singer and a drummer provide the musical
accompaniment. The participants clap in a steady rhythm.
Another dance which is also a feature of Navratri is the dandia-ras or 'stick' dance, in which men and women join the dance circle, holding small polished sticks or dandis.
As they whirl to the intoxicating rhythm of the dance, men and women strike the dandias together, adding to the joyous atmosphere.
References:
http://www.webindia123.com/
http://www.gujaratindia.com
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