CHENNAI: It’s been a week of Navaratri and Chennai has got its groove this festive season. As the clock strikes 10.30 in the night, women dressed in colourful chaniya cholis — with laces, stonework, glasswork, and embroidery; their foreheads, chin, and outer corner of the eyes marked with three round black dots; adorned in oxidised jewellery like maang tikka, earrings, choker, necklace, bangles, and anklets; and their feet secured in bright juttis — hit the dance floor. Their counterparts, the men, are seen in monochromatic ghagra kedia pyjama, the traditional dress of Gujarat, oxidised round earring on the helix, kada, and juttis. These scenes unfold at various locations in the city where the Gujarati community celebrates Navaratri with Amba maa puja followed by Garba and Dandiya.
“Garba is the traditional dance of Gujarat and maa’s (the goddess) favourite. When you play garba, you will feel energised. People dance for hours without taking a break. The song’s beats keep you moving,” shares Abhilash Kumar Jain, born in Gujarat and settled in Chennai. In simpler words, he says, what kuthu dance is for Tamilians, Garba is for Gujaratis — a way to express emotions.
Going with the flow
Like Abhilash, many Gujaratis have made Chennai their home, and in return have shared their culture. For a city that loves to dance — classical or kuthu — taking to Garba seemed natural, and the Gujaratis are more than happy to pass on the dancing knowledge. “My mother is from Gujarat and Garba is in my veins since I was born during these auspicious days. I have been coming to Gujarati Samaj in Mambalam for the last six years. I picked up my Garba skills by looking at the people performing here. Now, I teach Garba to a set of students,” says Abhilash.
His student Pari Sharma shares, “The people who come to the Samaj are passionate about learning the moves. Though we perform for certain religious reasons, people from other religions also participate in our celebrations. Garba makes Amba maa happy and when others participate in it, they get her blessings too.”
Navartri is synonymous with Garba in the western part of India, and Gujaratis can break into Garba anytime, anywhere. Choreographer Khushi Chitalia explains that the crucial skill in this dance form is maintaining eye contact. “You have to constantly look at the person in front of you and be spontaneous. When he/she changes a step according to the beat, you have to catch up,” notes Khushi. She conducts workshops during the nine days of the festival. “The craze is high. We live in a time where the fear of missing out is real. Hence, people attend my 90-minute workshop only to experience the hype of Garba.”
With higher demands during the festive season, Khushi teaches basic hand movements and leg positions in these classes. “It is usually moving your leg according to the song’s rhythm; hand movements start with air swings from left to right, and continue with claps up and down; making small rounds and subsequently incorporating jumping,” explains the dancer, adding that the steps change “unsystematically.”
Entry, unrestricted
These are the days when the entire city comes together to explore traditions. Navya Narayanan, a dentist, made her debut on the Garba dance floor this year. “I am a Madrasi and Navaratri is a joyful celebration. Friends and family visit our home and appreciate the kolu. This is the first time I am stepping out on these nine days. Gatherings like this promote inclusivity,” she says. Bala Yogitha K concurs, “Pillaiyar Chathurthi is an important celebration in Chennai, I see my non-Tamil neighbours get involved in our festival, so it is fair that we do at theirs.”
While some of them caught up with the dance moves quite quickly, some, like Jayashri K Jamboo, found it difficult to follow the twirls and turns. “The dance bit was tough and rushed. Catching up with them (other participants) at their speed was a bit hard. It was also fun because we let ourselves loose and were jumping and making random hand movements,” shares Jayashri, a medical student, who had attended Express Avenue’s Garba Night, along with Navya.
Since the festival across India celebrates women, Poornima Karthik, a marketing executive notes, “Women, in our country, have been pushed and shoved aside for ages. Being a woman, I want to be a part of an event that gives her central importance.”
From a spark to a tradition
The Garba Night at Express Avenue has been a tradition for almost a decade, inviting Chennaiites across communities to participate. Tracing the beginnings of the dance night, Dilip Kumar Jawaharmal Chand, president of the Gujarat Cultural Committee and organiser of Garba Night at Express Avenue, says. “Amba maa is the supreme goddess for Gujaratis. She is the one who gives us power and shows us the way forward. There are more than 8,000 Gujju families in Chennai and we wanted to create a space replicating the puja conducted in Gujarat. So, we placed Amba maa 15 years ago at EA and she has never left the premises.”
Here, an aarti is held between 10.30 pm and 11 pm, followed by Garba on devotional songs sung by a live band, DJ playing Bollywood songs, and ends with Dandiya at 4 am. Similarly, the Gujarat Samaj Mambalam holds Garba Night at Smt. Vasantben Chandu Bhai Shah Matriculation School, T Nagar. “There are nine forms of the goddess, denoting the stages of womanhood. We perform aarti on shlokas and then play Garba and Dandiya till midnight,” shares Hemant Thakkar, joint secretary of the Samaj.
Started in 1956, The Gujarat Samaj Mambalam is believed to be the pioneer of this tradition in the city. “At that time, only the rich played Garba. We broke that and made it free for anybody and everybody. Today, we have formed a close-knit family of sorts, for the five lakh Gujaratis and also others, who come here each year to perform,” he adds.
The celebrations come to an end on the eighth day, as women place diyas on their hands and dance. “We turn off the lights and watch them perform. This creates a wonderful environment and pleases maa,” he concludes.