The nine nights of Navratri attracts many. No matter which community you belong to, everyone enjoys being a part of the invigorating Dandiya and Garba raas. In fact, it’s not only the Goans/ Indians who get into the groove of dandiya, but international tourists as well. It’s wonderful to see a mix of cultures coming together to perform this spellbinding dance full of life and colour. Though dandiya and garba are not Goa’s folk dances, there are performed here wholeheartedly.
Commenting about the changing trend, Vrinda Kanani Lakhani from Vasco, a dandiya and garba instructor at Darsh Dance Academy, explains, “I moved to Goa eight years ago. In those days, only two places in Vasco had dandiya prorgrammes. However, today the scene has changed and there are more than 12-13 places in Vasco having dandiya programmes. Of late, housing societies too have started hosting dandiya programmes on complex terraces. Youngsters are mostly drawn to dandiya because of the fun time they get to share with friends. We get participants mostly falling in the age group of 15-35.”
She goes on to say, “Another reason why we get so many youngsters learning dandiya is because they are interested in participating in the various dandiya group competitions that are held across the state during Navratri. There is good money – approximately Rs 40,000 and above – in winning these competitions. “
“The best part about this dandiya and garba is that it is not restricted to the Gujarati community. Many communities are showing keen interest in learning these dance forms. I have trained Christians, Muslims, Khojas, Marwadis, Maharashtrians and others; they all love it,” adds Vrinda, who also conducts workshops on Dandiya Raas.
Concluding with the significance of Dandiya during Navratri, Vrinda says, “There are two stories related to Navratri. The term ‘navaratri’ comes from the union of two Sanskrit words: ‘nava’ meaning ‘nine’ and ‘ratri’ meaning ‘nights’. According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Durga battled with Mahishasura for nine nights. During these nine nights of the festival, nine forms of Devi are worshipped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or Dussehra. The second significance is that Lord Krishna performed ‘Rasa lila’ (playful dance) which is why Dandiya Raas is played during Navratri.”
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Navratri celebrations in Goa
“There are several Durga pandals erected in the state by various communities to venerate ‘Maa Durga’. During Navratri celebrations, we perform puja, aartis, organise programmes, play dandiya, etc to evoke the goddess,” says Shankar Prasad, member of Janhit Seva Mahamandal, who was present at the ongoing Navratri celebration at the Durga Pandal erected opposite KTC Bustand, Panjim.
“In many temples of Goa, we have the unique tradition of worshipping Goddesses with the Makharotsav celebration. The Goddesses are installed inside makhars and these makhars are then swung to the beats of local musical instruments and prayers. Those who wish to witness the Goan way of celebrating Navratri should witness this Makharotsav. Some temples also have taranga and palanquin processions of Gods and Goddesses. The must visit temples during Navratri festival are Navdurga (Madkai), Naguesh (Nagueshi), Manguesh (Mangueshi), Laxmi Narsinmha (Veling) and Shantadurga (Veling),” informs Dr Rohit Phalgaonkar, historian.
