G for Garba

It has to be.

Garba is the word derived from the word 'Garbi' which is actually a probe contrary to the belief that it is a form of folk dance. Garbi means the earthen pot with small holes on its body. In days of Navratri, inside Garbi a small lamp would be put after sunset. I am not sure about the religious believes behind the ritual apart from worshiping Goddess Amba, it looks beautiful in the dark. After the 'Pratishtha' and 'Aarati' females would dance in the circle keeping these 'Garbas' or 'Garbis' on their heads. The dance is the famous folk of Gujarat which can be performed using Dandiya as probes as well and we call it 'Raas' and not 'Dandiya'.

Garba is an important part of my life - Childhood or current. When I was two years old, I flaunted my new Chaniya Choli gifted by my grandmother (which was just a start of the big collection of cholis) and kept on dancing inside the main Garba circle. Usually when I used to tumble for more than two times due to my sleepy state of mind, I would be dispatched to bed by my mom dad as I would be reluctant to acknowledge that dancing should be stopped when you are drowsy. This story has been told zillions of times by my relatives.

Even now, almost like 'Daya' in the stupid 'Taarak Mehta ka ulta chashma' I start getting vibrations in my body while any of those tunes get into the air which is/can be the potential tune for next Garba performance. Believe me.

When some buddy calls me typically Gujju for my love for Garba, I always say

"Thank you for the compliment!"

Not every state has the hold over their folk dances in my generation, like Gujaratis having over Garba!