Navratri 2023: Garba to Dandiya Ras; how the nine days of Navratri are celebrated in Gujarat

Navratri 2023: From garba to aarti, here's all that you need to know about Navratri celebrations in Gujarat.

Navratri 2023: One of the largest festivals of the country is here. Every year, Navratri is celebrated with a whole lot of pomp and grandeur all across the country. Navratri is dedicated to the nine avatars of Goddess Shakti. This festival celebrates feminine divinity and Goddess Shakti is worshipped by the devotees with a lot of dedication and devotion. Navratri, which literally translates to nine nights, celebrates the nine avatars - Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmacharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Maa Skandamata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kalaratri, Maa Mahagauri and Maa Siddhidatri. During this time of the year, the homes and the streets deck up in lights, people buy new clothes for themselves and their loved ones and spend the days with a lot of happiness and togetherness.

While North India celebrates Navratri by keeping fast, offering puja to the goddess and observing rituals, East India celebrates the homecoming of Goddess Durga with her four children – Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartik. Durga Puja is observed in West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and Assam.

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Navratri holds special significance in Gujarat. It is observed as one of the biggest festivals in the state. Each day of Navratri holds the significance of a specific colour – devotees abide by the colour of the day and deck up in clothes matching the same. An earthen pot known as garbi is kept and is used for aarti. The Aarti of Goddess Shakti is done every day of the festival. One of the main attractions of Navratri is the traditional Navratri-special dance called Garba. Men and women deck up in traditional garba outfits and perform a dance – it also involves the use of dandiyas (sticks). Mythological stories are also depicted in the form of dance and dramas. They also indicate a dramatised version of the fight that happened between Goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura.