Navratri, meaning ‘nine nights’, is one of the most popular and widely celebrated Hindu festivals in many parts of India. Gujarat, however, is the only state that erupts into a nine-night dance festival, perhaps the longest in the world. Each night, in villages and cities across the state, people gather in open spaces to celebrate feminine divinity, known as Shakti.
The dance form known as ras garba (also joined sometimes by dandiya, which uses small wooden sticks) comes from Lord Krishna’s worship rather than Goddess worship, from the Gop culture of Saurashtra and Kutch. Stories of the relationships between Krishna and the Gopis, and of their emotions, also often make their way into ras garba music.
Nevertheless, the focal point of every garba circle is the small Goddess shrine erected by each community to mark the beginning of the festival, on the first day of the Hindu month of Ashwin. The shrine includes a garbo, an earthenware pot, in which a betel nut, a coconut, and a silver coin are placed.
Each night, the village or urban neighbourhood gathers to perform a puja to one of the Goddess’s nine forms. The nine nights are also broken up into sections of three; the first is for Durga, the goddess who destroyed an evil force represented by the demon Mahishasura, and who destroys human impurities; the second is for Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity; the third is for Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and art. It is a time to celebrate fertility and the monsoon harvest, represented by a mound of fresh soil in which grains are sown.
After the puja begins, the music is unmistakable to those familiar with the style and irresistible to many. People begin to dance in a circle, whirling away till late into the night.
The traditional dance steps are simple, though over the years people have been inventing more complex steps. Similarly, the music was traditionally acoustic, principally composed of drums and singing. Still, most people now use amplified sound systems or a blend in the form of a live band with modern instruments.
Religion and tradition aside, a garba circle can take on a surprising spiritual power. Women often give up certain foods during these nights, which can be quite a purifying experience, if done right. It is a time for even the most traditional and housebound women to be out of the house and whirling, uninhibited, towards the divinity that hides within her own body. Many of the songs begin slowly and gradually speed up, sending the dancers into a trance, especially when the music and dance are in their rawest form. When you come to a garba, wherever in Gujarat you may find yourself for Navratri, imagine this: A circle, or concentric circles, moving around the central representation of a universal creative force, the source of life; everybody performing the same step; a mandala of energetic potential; the Mother Goddess unleashed.
To participate, one has to purchase passes to private venues, and if one wants to do Garba, then traditional attire is compulsory. Celebrated by the local people of Ahmedabad and Tourists.
Dada Mekan Fair is an annual celebration in memory of the famous Saint Menkan Dada and his disciples, who served the community with great love and commitment, earning their devotion. This fair is celebrated for two days in the month of Magh (Maha) of the Hindu calendar (February-March) on the auspicious day of Mahashivratri in Dhrang village, Kutch, Gujarat.
The Saint Mekan Dada attained Samadhi (the Highest state of consciousness one can achieve through meditation) along with his five followers in Dhrang village. The Samadhis are among the most revered sites in Kutch, and people of all communities come here to pay their respects and offer prayers. It is also believed that all the wishes of visitors to this Samadhi are fulfilled.
Mekan Dada is believed to be the Ninth avatar (incarnation) of Laxman (Brother of Lord Ram) and Baldev (Brother of Lord Krishna). He preached against untouchability and superstitions. Legend has it that Saint Mekan Dada had a dog (“Motiyo”) and a donkey (“Laliyo”) who used to go into the Rann daily, carrying water and food to quench the thirst and show the way to lost travellers.
He was known for his simple living and high thinking. Saint Mekan Dada left behind a legacy of his preaching, which earned him the esteem and devotion of generations to come. The premise is that Saint Mekan Dada took Samadhi at a Temple of Lord Shiva. There are Samadhis of his five disciples, Samadhis of his animal friends “Laliyo” and “Motiyo”, and the robes he wore and the things he used during his lifetime are displayed.
There is a historical stepwell and other attractions, including the Sun Temple / Shiv Mandir, at Kotay village near Dhrang. Every year, enormous numbers of tourists visit the temple and Samadhi of Mekan Dada across the nation and participate in spiritual rituals. The fair, which has been held for centuries, is a major tourist attraction worldwide.
Important Note: Airport – 40 km away; Hotels in Bhuj – 40 km away; one-day fair from morning till evening.
The festival of Uttarayan is a uniquely Gujarati phenomenon, when the skies over most cities of the state fill with kites from before dawn until well after dark. The festival marks the days in the Hindu calendar when winter begins turning to summer, known as Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan. On what is usually a bright, warm, sunny day with brisk breezes to lift the kites aloft, across the state, almost all normal activity is shut down, and everyone takes to the rooftops and roadways to fly kites and compete with their neighbours.
Kites of all shapes and sizes are flown, and the main competition is to battle nearby kite-flyers to cut their strings and bring down their kites. For this, people find their favoured kite-makers who prepare strong, resilient kite bodies with springy bamboo frames and kite-paper stretched to exactly the right tension. Lastly, the kites are attached to a spool (or firkin) of manja, special kite- string coated with a mixture of glue and glass to be as sharp as possible for cutting strings of rival kites.
The atmosphere is wonderfully festive, as whole families gather on the rooftop, special foods like laddu, undhiyu, or surti jamun are prepared for the day, and friends and neighbours visit each other for group kite-flying fun. Often, people look for which of their friends has the optimum terrace for kite flying, and many will congregate there. This leads to many social gatherings that would not otherwise occur, as one person’s brother’s friends meet their classmate’s cousins, all gathered on the rooftop of the same mutual friend. People often mark time by uttarayan: “I met you three uttarayan ago, right?” is not an uncommon phrase. At night, kite fighters send up bright white kites to be seen in the darkness, and skilled flyers will send aloft their tukkals with strings of brightly lit lanterns in a long line leading back down to the rooftop. ( Night flying of kites with tukkals has reduced a lot now after the government banned Chinese tukkals ) From early morning to late at night, Uttarayan provides lots of fun and beautiful sights to remember for a long time.
Airport – Ahmedabad, Hotel – Ahmedabad. It is celebrated on the terrace, where people celebrate with their family for a 2-day festival that one has to climb approximately. 03 to 04 Floor through steep steps to be on the terrace to enjoy the festival, ideal time – 04.30 pm to 07.00 pm
Kavant is a harvest festival celebrated with wild abandon through dance, with the rhythm primordially blended with the shashaying of the forest and the frolicking of the animals in the undergrowth. Surrounded by the beating of drums, the susurrations of a variety of flutes and the stamping of feet, the Rathvas dance in a vast group, keeping time to the rise and fall of the crescendo of arrhythmic music in their tryst with destiny. The menfolk wear a belt attached with pebble-filled gourds and a string of brass bells. As they stamp their feet and gyrate their hips, the bells and the pebbled gourds add metronomic percussion, tintinnabulating in the air. Some of the men carry a cane sugar signifying the harvest and wear elaborate headgear, a conical hat adorned with small framed photos of local deities and an array of peacock feathers. Rice paste and ash are blended to make a dye, and the bodies are painted with circles and dots in a ritualistic salutation to the jungle cat. Some men and women gather to form a human pyramid, and the surrounding atmosphere is charged with heightened energy and human spirit.
The Rathva Festival at Kavant is a pagan celebration of the harvest and the link between man and nature, celebrated since time immemorial. It is a gathering of the Rathva community from as far off as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. It usually begins on the third day after Holi.
The Rathvas loosely inhabit Chhota Udepur in Vadodara District, with marginal groups extending into Dahod and Godhra Districts and Alirajpur in adjoining Madhya Pradesh District. The Rathvas are the largest tribal unit in the state of Gujarat. From a history of hunter-gatherers, they have now graduated to farming and other rural occupations, exploring their pastoral destiny. Despite changing living patterns, they religiously revere their old ways in the celebration of their rituals and take great pride in their traditional culture. Music plays an extremely important part in their lives, and no Rathva would feel complete without his lovingly embellished Flute {paavo / piho / pihoto } as a remembrance of his forested homeland. The Rathvas also practice a mural painting form based on ritual traditional beliefs on the inner walls of their homes and dedicated to Pithora, the Rathva universal God of well-being.
The Kavant Festival is a catharsis of emotional splendour, a rite of passage, family liaisons and a successful harvest all amalgamated into one tremendous exposition of riot and colour. The Kavant Mela is a prominent tribal festival in the north-eastern part of Gujarat, held sometime in April. On the way to Kavant village, one can sometimes see groups of tribals bedecked in traditional attire trekking towards the venue. Through a variety of modes of transport, they arrive, showing off their affluent eyeshades, lighters, and radios. Women in each village wear a dupatta and a skirt of the same dye, while men wear similar turbans and skirts to differentiate themselves from other sub-groups. Both men and women are bedecked in community-specific silver jewellery that is intricately sinuous and a pleasure to behold.
Airport – Baroda 120 km, Hotel at Jambhugodha –60 km, Vadodara – 120 km, One-day fair, Pack lunch to be carried, ideal time 12.00 pm to 05.00 pm
The Ravechi Fair, also known as Ravechi Mataji no Melo, is an annual festival held in September near the Ravechi Mata Temple in Nana Reva village, Rapar Taluka, Kutch, Gujarat. It’s a significant event, particularly for the Rabari, Koli, Kanabi-Patel, and Ahir communities, attracting thousands of pilgrims and tourists. The fair is a celebration of the local Goddess Ashapurji, also known as Ravechi Mata, who is a form of the Hindu Goddess Parvati.
The fair takes place on Bhadra Sud Aatham (the 8th day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Bhadra), which typically falls in September. The fair is held near the Ravechi Mata Temple in Nana Reva village, Rapar Taluka, Kutch. The fair is a major cultural and religious event that unites people from diverse backgrounds and showcases traditional music and dance.
Devotees participate in bhajans (devotional songs), garba (a form of folk dance), and other cultural performances. The fair also features a buffalo cart race.
The fair is a significant tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world.
Airport – Bhuj – 130 km; Hotels – Bhuj – 130 km; Dholavira – 90 km; One-day fair. Have to do a day trip from Bhuj or Dholavira, as no accommodation is available at Ravechi as of now; start from morning till evening.
The Bhavnath Mahadev Mela is held at the Bhavnath Mahadev Temple, located at the foot of Mount Girnar in Junagadh. Girnar is a holy abode of the 9 nathas or gods who are considered to be eternal and 84 siddhas or religiously uplifted souls.
A Two-day Bhavnath Mahadev Fair is held during the festival of Mahashivratri, which is a worldwide tourist attraction. The Mahapuja (Prayers) of Lord Shiva takes place at midnight in this temple on the 14th day of the dark half of the month of Magh, as per the Hindu calendar. (Somewhere in February/ March)
The Naga Bavas (sages in nudity) march in procession when the Puja ceremony begins. A palanquin carrying a decorated idol of Lord Dattatreya precedes them. Seated on Elephants, they hold flags and blow conch shells. On the way, they dance, perform swordplay, and engage in other interesting activities. They reach the temple at midnight and take a bathing plunge in the Mrugi Kund (tank). Unlike the Kumbh Mela, only three akhadas (groups of Sadhus) participate in the Kund Bath. It is firmly believed that Lord Shiva himself visits the shrine on this occasion. Folk music and dances are performed on the occasion.
The Bhavnath Mahadev Temple is surrounded by many ancient holy places resting at the foothills of Girnar. Mahashivratri is the major Annual fair which is gaining popularity for its charismatic appeal.
Important Note: Airport – Rajkot – 140 km; Hotels – Junagadh – 06 km; One-day fair, morning to evening; Lacs of devotees come for this fair, so one has to be ready to move through heavy crowds. Walking of 02 km as transport is banned during the festival.
The Shamlaji Melo, also called the Kartik Purnima fair, is held every year in November. The Shamlaji Temple is a renowned Vaishnav Shrine, and the deity housed here is known by various names, including Gadadhar (bearer of the mace) and Shaksi Gopal. The temple is of great archaeological significance as it was built in the 11th century.
Devotees belonging to various castes and communities, including the Garasias and Bhils, throng this festival. Apart from a darshan of the deity in the temple, the pilgrims consider a bath in the river Meshwo essential. These pilgrims come in groups, singing devotional songs and carrying religious banners to have an audience with the deity at the Shamlaji Temple. The fair is also popular with the Bhil tribes, who have great reverence for Shamlaji, referred to as ‘Kalio Bavji’ – the dark divinity. The Shamlaji mela is famous for the bath in the Nagdhara kund and the centuries-old traditions.
Airport – Ahmedabad 130 Kms / 3 hrs | Udaipur- 140 Kms / 3 Hrs
