Dandia- The Gujarati Way of Making Merry
Posted on June 29, 2008 in Art & Culture by Gitanjali
Gujarat is the westernmost state of India. As with any other region in India, Gujarat boasts of its own rich cultural heritage and colourful festivals. Celebrations vitally include folk dances ranging from Garba, Garbi and padhar to Dandiya. Whatever be the occation, Indians have made it a point to make their happiness felt through a variety of group dances.
Dandiya Raas
Dandiya Raas or Raas is one of the importance folk dances of Gujarat. Raas together with Garba forms an integral part of Navratri evenings throughout West India. The roots of this dance form could be traced back to the days of Lord Krishna who performed raas on the shores of the river Yamuna on a moonlit night with his beloved Gopis.
‘Garba’ can be distinguished from and ‘Dandiya’ dance from the fact that Garba is performed prior to ‘Aarti’ while Dandiya is performed after it. Garba is performed exclusively by women, whereas men and women join in for Dandiya.
The Steps
Also known as ’stick dance’ since performers sport a pair of colorfully decorated sticks as props, the circular movements of Dandiya Raas are slightly more complex than that of Garba. Dandia is performed by a group who move in circles to measure steps, marking time by sticks called dandia. The sticks of the dance represent the sword of Durga. The graceful, easy moving steps are marked by men and women dressed in colorful clothes dance in two concentric circles - one moving clockwise, one moving counter-clockwise.
The Costume
The costumes adorned for the dance are traditional and very colourful. Women wear Chania Cholis and men wear Kedias. Chaniya Cholis are hand embroidered and embedded with mirrors, shells and anything that goes with it. Women go to great extents experimenting on decorative accessories and jewellery that are a mix of traditional Gujarat and modern-day fashion.
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