Navratri - An commercial art form

Gujarat is the state of festival and celebrations. The upcoming festival of Navratri is the signature festival of Gujarat which is always awaited by the Gujju’s (Gujarati people). The celebration for 9 nights is full of colors, costumes, dance, music and devotions to Goddess Amba. The traditional way of celebrating this festival is specially seen in the society which the local people call as “Sheri Garba”. Garba is the dance form which is been the core part for the celebrations. We can see lots of traditional varieties in the costumes that are put up by the people playing the Garba.

If we look in the ancient period we can realize that what form this celebration has taken comparing to previous period. In ancient time this festival of 9 nights was been celebrated by devotees engaged in the spiritual world with the fellows and especially ladies who use to perform Garba in a typical style beholding the Garbo. This trend was not at all dependent on the loud music or any modern style for playing Garba. In the modern era these spiritual festivals have become the platform for commercial deals. The big business man organize the 9 night’s celebration and does crore of rupees of investment followed by the sponsorship, marketing endorsement and many other things. People are paying prices for getting entered into the party plot just for enjoying the Garba which they were already enjoying in the area near by their residence which was more traditional and spiritual then this party plot and other big events on the name of celebrating Navratri. I remember the place where my grandfather uses to go for Garba, which was the place where there was no decoration, no colorful lights, no music, and no entry fee. All the people would play the simple Garba in round, producing sound just by clapping and 2 fellows would be singing the Garba of goddess. This is the real way for celebration, not like the big events in which instead of Garba singers would be singing the filmy songs like “munni badnaam” that is ridiculous. Gujju's are good at business that they found out from their own traditional festival also.  

Anyways the Navratri is coming up; as usual Gujju’s are popping up for the 16^th October 2012 for the 1^st night of Navratri I wish all the people Happy Navratri, Jay Maa Ambe.