Garba dance of gujarat

Times Square reverberated with the beats and music of ‘Garba’ as members of the Indian-American community performed the traditional Gujarati dance at the iconic New York City destination to celebrate its inclusion in UNESCO’s cultural heritage list. Braving near-freezing temperatures late Thursday evening, members of the diaspora from around the New York tri-state area, including New Jersey, turned out in large numbers to perform Garba in the heart of Times Square. Diaspora organization Federation of Indian Associations NY NJ CT NE organized the celebration along with the Consulate General of India in New York PTI Earlier this week, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage inscribed ‘Garba of Gujarat’ on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during its 18th session in Kasane, Botswana. The inclusion of Garba now makes it India’s 15th inscription on the List. Dressed in traditional Garba finery, men and women performed the traditional Gujarati dance surrounded by the flashing Times Square billboards as New Yorkers and tourists from around the world stopped to watch, take photos and videos and cheer the performance. Some onlookers even joined the dance, trying to match the steps and the rhythm of Garba and the 'Dhol'. Addressing the community at the Times Square celebration, Acting Consul General of India in New York Dr Varun Jeph said it is a “momentous and historic occasion as we celebrate Garba of Gujarat” and its inclusion in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. “These celebrations are not just celebrations of Garba but these are the celebrations of the diverse, vibrant and celebrated traditions, heritage and culture of India,” he said, adding celebrating Garba at Times Square - the “crossroads of the world” - is indeed special and unparalleled. Jeph underlined that the celebration in Times Square highlights unity, harmony and communities coming together. “Let the rhythm of Garba resonate in our hearts and let it spread across the world,” he said. Jeph noted that over the years several other cultural elements of India have been added to the UNESCO list and “we are sure that in the coming years, more and more elements will be added”. Leading diaspora organisation Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-NE (FIA) and community members came together with the Consulate General of India in New York to celebrate Garba at Times Square. A special video on Garba was also displayed prominently on a billboard in Times Square. FIA Chairman Ankur Vaidya described the occasion as “historic” and said the Indian-American diaspora has a fondness for the art form of Garba. “We are extremely grateful to UNESCO for recognising” the ancient art form that “is also an auspicious and divine celebration” in India during the festival of Navratri. Vaidya also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for his leadership and efforts of the government of India in getting Garba inscribed in the UNESCO list. FIA’s newly elected President for 2024 Dr Avinash Gupta said it is a proud moment for India and the diaspora across the

Garba is a world famous dance form that beautifully reflects Indian culture. India has been home to varied form of cultures and traditions often manifested into a plethora of art forms including paintings, crafts, dances, folk festivals and celebrations. These diverse cultures resonate beautifully with its rich heritage. One of the highest octane energetic dance forms that has fans all over the world and is a wonderful mix of vibrancy, traditions and festive celebrations– The Garba. Originating from Gujrat, the dance has been one of the core forms of Indian cultural depiction often celebrated and performed during the Navaratri celebrations and sometimes in other social occasions. Its deeply symbolic roots combined by divinity, colorful celebration, and vibrancy has made it one of the most known dance forms in India and around the world. Here is everything you need to know about Garba, its history, significance and its cultural eminence. Garba Dance Meaning and Origin Derived from the Sanskrit word Garba which means womb, this dance is usually performed around a ‘diya’, an earthenware lamp which is symbolic of the divine energy residing in a ‘devi’ or godess. Due to its historic significance, the dance has almost become synonymous to Gujrat’s cultural heritage. Conventionally, the dance is performed during the nine-day Navratri festival in India and also other parts of the world around a lamp or deep, which is placed in the middle of concentric rings, as an object of devotional veneration. Sometimes, the dance is also performed around the image of godess Durga, which represents life. The circular dance is also in sync with the Hindu belief of a cyclic rotation of life – namely birth, life, death and rebirth. Though the forms of performance may change, the lamp or the godess at the centre remains to be constant in each performance. This signifies that the universe is represented in the form of a feminine divine and it remains unchanged all the time. The lamp, deep or the lantern represents the human body carrying the soul within. Gathering and moving around these circles depicts the time cycle and infinite nature of birth and death according to the Hindu mythology. Recommended Story – Top 10 Kathak Dancers In IndiaGarba Dance Cultural SignificanceWhile this dance belongs to Gujarat, it has become immensely popular throughout the country due to its characteristic vibrancy during the Navratri festivities. Garbha and its sister dance ‘Dandiya‘, are

When someone mentions Gujarat, the first thing that comes to mind is color, vibrancy, culture and of course the folk dance. Being one of the most ancient land of festival, the gujaratis population here loves to celebrate every auspicious day with great pomp, show and celebration. the folk dances of Gujarat form a very valuable part of the culture here. The unique thing about the dance forms of Gujarat is that most of them are ancient but are very well preserved over centuries and ages. the various forms of dances are sure a treat for the eyes. Various Traditional Dance forms of Gujarat Dandiya Raas Deemed for being one of the most iconic and popular dance forms of Gujarat this fun dance is not just famous in Gujarat but has also gathered international attention. Typically, this rhythmic dance involves 2 sticks and the raas is in the form of a Raas Leela. Being the land of lord Krishna, this dance form is dedicated to the childhood dance he used to do which was Raas Leela and takes place in concentric circles as well. One can see this elaborate celebration of enthusiastic and zealous dance during the auspicious time of Navratri. The best raas dancers here in these regions are considered to be the Kathiawari and the folks from the Saurashtra Region. Bhavai The name Bhavai is derived from the word bhava which translates into feelings or emotions. This dance is presented in the form of a classical folk gujaratis drama which takes place in various villages and temple complexes, especially by the professional communities of the indigenous tribes like the bhojakas, the taragalas and some other tribes from north Gujarat. This dramatic performance takes place and goes on for an entire night and without the help of any sort of certain stage equipment. The main feature of this representation is the depiction of various issues in the social life of different communities and the absence of women in this which mean that the male artists have to perform the part of the women as well. Garba This name definitely rings a bell. The rhythmic and gracious dance movements, the synchronised dancing and an energy of excitement is all what makes this dance form one of the most widely admired. The dance is dedicated to goddess Amba and is done on concentric circles with the central focus being the idol or