Ahmedabad - One of the best places to visit during Navratris to enjoy Garba Festivities & Eventful Evenings

India has lot of festivals and fairs around the year. Navratri is one of the popular one because of various aspects associated with it in terms of faith, holidays, music, dance and fancy food. And for last few years we have been thinking of visiting the special state of Gujrat during Navratras to witness it's world famous Garba nights which are listed in various record books & publications. This year we had this sudden plan to visit Gujrat and when we did a little research it turned out that Vadodara is very special place in Gujrat in comparison to various other cities like Ahemdabad. This post will share what's so special of Garba in Gujrat and why Vadodara stands out in all the cities of the state during Navratras, along with some tips to make best of your trip to this part of Gujrat during Navratra week.

India has lot of festivals and fairs around the year. Navratri is one of the popular one because of various aspects associated with it in terms of faith, holidays, music, dance and fancy food. And for last few years we have been thinking of visiting the special state of Gujrat during Navratras to witness it's world famous Garba nights which are listed in various record books & publications. This year we had this sudden plan to visit Gujrat and when we did a little research it turned out that Vadodara & Ahmedabad are very special places in Gujrat. This post will share what's so special of Garba in Gujrat and why Ahmedabad stands out in all the cities of the state during Navratras, along with some tips to make best of your trip to this part of Gujrat during Navratra week. 

Navaratri is a Hindu festival which is celebrated for nine continuous nights and is celebrated every year in the month of October. It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Indian cultural. Lot of activities happen during these 10 days - some folks fast & visit temples each day. If not everyday, certain days are considered special for keeping fast and worship. 8th Navratra is considered very special when families invite girls from neighbourhood to visit their home to have prasadam & special food. Girls (Kanyas) are worshiped as part of this process. But there is another side of Navratras and how they are celebrated - music & dance. And that's what we will be talking about in this blog-post.

Navaratri is a Hindu festival which is celebrated for nine continuous nights and is celebrated every year in the month of October. It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Indian cultural. Lot of activities happen during these 10 days - some folks fast & visit temples each day. If not everyday, certain days are considered special for keeping fast and worship. 8th Navratra is considered very special when families invite girls from neighbourhood to visit their home to have prasadam & special food. Girls (Kanyas) are worshiped as part of this process. But there is another side of Navratras and how they are celebrated - music & dance. And that's what we will be talking about in this blog-post.  

Garba is main thing for which Gujrat becomes world's attraction during Navratris. Lot of folks from different states of India and abroad visit Gujrat state to witness the craziness about Garba nights in main cities of Gujrat. Be it Ahemdabad of Badodara, there are dedicated grounds where Garba is played by thousands of folks dressed up in special dresses to celebrate Navratris with friends & family. Some of the key Garba events in these cities need passes for entry while for others you can enter but may not find place to sit to witness the Garba performance.

Garba is main thing for which Gujrat becomes world's attraction during Navratris. Lot of folks from different states of India and abroad visit Gujrat state to witness the craziness about Garba nights in main cities of Gujrat. Be it Ahemdabad or Badodara, there are dedicated grounds where Garba is played by thousands of folks dressed up in special dresses to celebrate Navratris with friends & family. Some of the key Garba events in these cities need passes for entry while for others you can enter but may not find place to sit to witness the Garba performance. 

Related Blogpost from Gujrat - One day Trip around Ahmedabad - Adalaj ni Vav, Modhera Sun Temple, Patan's Rani ni Vav & Gandhinagar

Garba is a form of dance which originated in the state of Gujarat in India. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term Garbha. Many traditional garbas are performed around centrally lit lamp or a picture or statue of the Goddess Durga. The circular and spiral figures of garba have similarities to other spiritual dances, such as those of Sufi culture. Traditionally, it is performed during the nine-day Hindu festival Navarātrī.

Garba is a form of dance which originated in the state of Gujarat in India. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term Garbha. Many traditional garbas are performed around centrally lit lamp or a picture or statue of the Goddess Durga. The circular and spiral figures of garba have similarities to other spiritual dances, such as those of Sufi culture. Traditionally, it is performed during the nine-day Hindu festival Navaratri.

 Related Blogpost from Gujrat - Travelling Camera in Gujarat || Interesting tour of Hutheesing Jain Temple

Above photograph shows sample of a Chaniya-Choli. All markets in main cities of Gujrat sell Chaniya choli in big way during Navratri season. Locals prefer to dress up appropriately when they visit these Garba grounds every night of Navratri. And that's not limited to these beautiful & colorful dresses but also there is a craze about silvery jewellery. Main places to experience Garba in Vadodara city of Gujrat : 1. Laxmi Vilas Palace 2. Sayaji Baug 3. Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery 4. Kirti Mandir 5. Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum

 Above photograph shows sample of a Chaniya-Choli. All markets in main cities of Gujrat sell Chaniya choli in big way during Navratri season. Locals prefer to dress up appropriately when they visit these Garba grounds every night of Navratri. And that's not limited to these beautiful & colorful dresses but also there is a craze about silvery jewellery. 

Main places to experience Garba in Vadodara city of Gujrat :

1. Laxmi Vilas Palace
2. Sayaji Baug
3. Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery
4. Kirti Mandir
5. Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum

Above photograph shows GMDC ground in Ahmedabad, which is considered as largest gathering for Garba in the city. This photograph shows a smaller part of the stage setup for main guests and special events. This is a huge ground which can accommodate dozens of thousands of folks to celebrate the festival as a community.

 Above photograph shows GMDC ground in Ahmedabad, which is considered as largest gathering for Garba in the city. This photograph shows a smaller part of the stage setup for main guests and special events. This is a huge ground which can accommodate dozens of thousands of folks to celebrate the festival as a community. 

Gujarat state celebrates this festive spirit but there is one city, compared to all others, that stands out for its sheer grandeur of celebrations and the number of events that are held here during these nine nights. It’s Vadodara - the Cultural Capital of Gujarat. Folks who want to see the real magic of Garba celebrations, Vadodara is the place of choice but witnessing it well may not be as easy as you may think. One needs to arrange passes to witness best Garba in the town and it costs you some money as well.

 Gujarat state celebrates this festive spirit but there is one city, compared to all others, that stands out for its sheer grandeur of celebrations and the number of events that are held here during these nine nights. It’s Vadodara - the Cultural Capital of Gujarat. Folks who want to see the real magic of Garba celebrations, Vadodara is the place of choice but witnessing it well may not be as easy as you may think. One needs to arrange passes to witness best Garba in the town and it costs you some money as well. 

 Related Blogpost from Gujrat - Rani ki Vav, Patan - Largest Stepwell & A UNESCO's World Heritage Site in Gujrat

One of the biggest Garba festivals in Gujarat, the United Way of Baroda attracts over 400,000 people per night, and for all the right reasons. Delectable food, dance competitions, enthusiastic participants and exceptionally well-dressed individuals anywhere you look, this event also has a lot of popular musicians and singers from across India participating in this event. You should keep a tab on the registration and passes for this event a few months in advance, considering the sizeable number of participants that this event sees throughout the nine days. Attending this festival also has a lot of goodwill attached to the event, a fundraiser for United Way, an organization that has been relentlessly working towards the welfare of the community. The proceedings of this event are evenly distributed among 140 organisations. You may want to check out more. Main Markets to explore in Varodara during Navratri Celebrations in Gujrat : 1. Ratri Bazar (Night Market) 2. Khadi Bhandar Center 3. Rooppura Market 4. Mandvi Market 5. Teen Darwaza Bazar 6. Lehripura Mandir Bazar 7. Mangal Bazar 8. Khanderao Market

 One of the biggest Garba festivals in Gujarat, the United Way of Baroda attracts over 400,000 people per night, and for all the right reasons. Delectable food, dance competitions, enthusiastic participants and exceptionally well-dressed individuals anywhere you look, this event also has a lot of popular musicians and singers from across India participating in this event. You should keep a tab on the registration and passes for this event a few months in advance, considering the sizeable number of participants that this event sees throughout the nine days. Attending this festival also has a lot of goodwill attached to the event, a fundraiser for United Way, an organization that has been relentlessly working towards the welfare of the community. The proceedings of this event are evenly distributed among 140 organisations. You may want to check out more. 

Main Markets to explore in Varodara during Navratri Celebrations in Gujrat :

 1. Ratri Bazar (Night Market)
2. Khadi Bhandar Center
3. Rooppura Market
4. Mandvi Market
5. Teen Darwaza Bazar
6. Lehripura Mandir Bazar
7. Mangal Bazar
8. Khanderao Market

 Related Blogpost from Gujrat - Travelling Camera in Gujarat || Visiting Bapu in Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad

Along with lot of shopping for dresses, silver jewellery is very popular during Garba days. There are lot of stalls setup outside these Garba grounds as well as markets of Vadodara. Vadodara is a brilliant place to visit during Navratris and witness it's magical evenings/nights during Gabra celebrations.

Along with lot of shopping for dresses, silver jewellery is very popular during Garba days. There are lot of stalls setup outside these Garba grounds as well as markets of Vadodara. 

 Vadodara is a brilliant place to visit during Navratris and witness it's magical evenings/nights during Gabra celebrations. 

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These days if you check out documentaries on Netflix about old town, cuisines, street food etc, Delhi is the city from India which is prominently covered but there is a lot more beyond the capital city of India to explore the heritage through old neighbourhoods and their preferences of food, which are still carried forward over the generations. When we were in Ahmedabad for Navaratri celebrations, we walked around the old town of the town. This Blogpost shares about Teen Darwaza in the middle of the old town and surrounded by hustle bustle of the markets.Teen Darwazah - A historical gateway on the east of Bhadra Fort, which is trying to get heard in the noise of Old Town Markets
























































































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