Guajarati Association teaches children about garba and navratri
More than 250 children got a chance recently to learn about garba and the significance of Navratri. They and their families attended Garba Night at Shakti Mandir, an event hosted by the Gujarati Cultural Association of North America (GCANA) and attended by about 600 people.
The evening began with a short presentation by Praksha Patel. She explained that Navratri stands for nine (nav) nights (ratri) and that three forms of goddesses are worshipped during this period. The first three nights are dedicated to Durga to allow people to cleanse their negative tendencies, the next three nights are dedicated to Lakshmi for wealth, and the last three nights are dedicated to Saraswati for knowledge. The children learned that the word ‘garba’ originates from the word ‘garbo,’ a clay pot.
After the short presentation, the children were taught basic garba and raas steps and the meaning behind those steps. Once the children had learned the steps, all the parents joined their children and danced the night away with the lively music of Bhanubhai Vora and his group.
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
