Navratri is here and it is one of my favorite festivals. Since childhood, I along with my friends visit our nearest Durga Pandal and enjoy Dandiya Raas. The spirit of this festival is just beyond words.
My niece was here for the weekend, and I took her to the Pandal. When we were enjoying Dandiya, she just popped up with a question, “Why do we play Dandiya Raas on Navratri, and why not Bhangra or Lavani?” Whoops!!! The question never struck my mind, as I never gave a thought to it before. Now as I know the myth behind the same, let me share with you too.
The Dandiya Raas Myth
Dandiya dance and Navratri are synonymous these days. Nine days of worshipping of Divine Devi Durga are incomplete without the infamous Dandiya Raas dance. It is believed that the Dandiya Raas began as a devotional Garba dance and this was performed in Goddess Durga’s honour. Many historians believe that the dance actually symbolizes a fake fight between Mahishasura (the cruel and mighty demon king) and divine Goddess Durga. This also symbolizes victory of good over evil.Hence the form is known as ‘The Sword Dance’. The swords are represented by the Dandiya sticks.
The dance is very important in the western state of the Gujarat. The festival is incomplete without this dance and is also extremely significant to crops and harvests. It is said men and women celebrate and rejoice before they start working on the new harvest of the crop.
There are numerous forms of Raas, but Dandiya Raas, that is performed during the Navratri, is really popular amongst the people in India as well as abroad.
Getting ready for Dandiya Raas
Men and women dress up in colourful and jovial attires and pay honour to Goddess Durga. While women usually dress up in colourful bandhani-chunnis and heavy mirror embroidered ghagra-choli, men are seen wearing vibrant turbans and colourful embroidered traditional kurtas. In this form of dance, the dancers are required to twirl and whirl in their most energetic manner. They use the colourful Dandiya sticks in a beautifully choreographed manner. A lot of percussion instruments are used for the rhythm such as bongo, dhol, table etc.
The hype of Dandiya Raas and Navratri is not only limited to Gujarat now, like an epidemic it has taken over the entire country. Earlier the dance form was used to educate the lay man about the importance and mythological significance of the festival, but now things have changed. And with these changes, things have become commercial. With event management companies organising big and grand Dandiya affairs.
Did you know these facts before? If you know anything else about this colorful and zealous festival, or if have any such worth sharing stories of this occasion, do share with us know in the comments section.