Folk dances of Gujarat are the identity of the typical Gujarati culture and tradition. The vibrant, colourful and energetic Gujarati folk dances truly reflect the essence of the society. Gujarat is identified by its rich preserved tradition of songs, dances and dramas. The Gujarati folk have a natural talent for singing and dancing. The best known among these is the Garba and Dandiya. Folk drama in Gujarat is known as Bhavai dance. Most of the art traditions trace back their origin to the ancient period.Garba
Garba is a popular folk dance of Gujarat and is famous in all parts of India. This dance is performed by the womenfolk of Gujarat and has connection with Shakti-Puja and its origin is believed to be in the worship of goddess Jagdamba. At the time of Navaratri, this dance is performed throughout nine nights. This folk dance is performed also on occasions such as Sharad Purnima, Vasant Panchami and Holi and is presented by the ladies in a circular form. Usually kedia and churidar are worn during the performance and the instruments of this dance form include damru, tabla, nagara, murli, turi, shehnai etc. Other than this, there is another form of Garba known as Garbi which is primarily performed by men during religious festivals like Janmashtami.
Dandiya
Known to be one of the most popular folk dances in Gujarat, the dance form of Dandiya is also known as the stick dance. This dance form is always performed in a group in a circular movement to a measure steps. The sticks used in this form are believed to be the sword of Goddess Durga. This is another form of dance that is also a feature of most welcomed festival, Navaratri. The main difference between the Garba and Dandiya dance performances is that Garba is performed before Aarti while Dandiya Ras is performed after it. Garba is performed exclusively by women but in Dandiya both men and women can join in. It is mainly performed by the women in a graceful and rhythmic manner but men also join it when it is performed in pairs. They generally wear traditional Gujarati dress like flashy ghagras, choli, bandhani dupattas paired with silver jewellery.
Bhavai
The Bhavai Dance is believed to be dance of emotions and is a typical folk drama of Gujarat. In this form of folk dance, the male and female dancers balance up to 7 to 9 brass pitchers on their head as they dance nimbly, pirouetting and then swaying with the soles of their feet perched on the top of a glass or on the edge of the sword. The Bhavai drama is a continuous performance lasting the whole night and staged in open grounds before the audiences, as a source of entertainment.
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