Garba Raas and Oneness
The Aangan or the 'Chok' where we played Garba in Jharia and Dhanbad was actually someone's big central courtyard with houses on three sides. Never noticed how generous those people were to allow all of us to dance for nine nights in their Chok till the wee hours of the morning. Am sure some families had old people, sick members or small children. For all the years we went for Garba, we never heard any resident complaining why so many people are there playing Garba who do not belong to this compound. In fact, arrangements were made for all women to sit around the Chok on the floor. Sand was brought in before Durga puja and mixed with little dry loose soil and spread all over the Chok. This was for the comfort of the feet of all Garba players. Every evening by four pm, water was sprinkled on this sand to keep it cool and moist. When we started the first round of the Garba, many of us would remember the wet Chok always. Some things go in your muscle memory, a 'Bheeno Chok' is one of them. My feet crave for it when I play Garba in Mumbai. We danced bare feet.
There was no food available in the vicinity. We could borrow water from any of the houses in the Chok. If your small infant needed to sleep, you could put your young one to bed in any house. They would put a mattress or a Dhurrie on the floor in the first room which was living room cum kitchen of the house. People ate their dinner, wound up their kitchen and then got ready for Garba. No household work was left to be done later. As we had had our dinner, we were not hungry for the next six hours of dancing. Which included two hours of ladies Garba, then men's Garba followed by Dandiya Raas of men and women. Watching the men dance was fun and am sure they felt the same about watching us dance. Amongst the men folk, the trick was to keep your face sombre and not show your excitement about any girl. There was a decency maintained as there were Gujarati Grandfathers, Fathers and sons at the same venue in the same Garba. Women were always safe. Most did walk home after the Garba in groups with a few male cousins or Uncles escorting them back. Cars was a luxury very few had but no one complained.
In Mumbai, people do not believe in this community Garba, where we go around in a circle. In Dhanbad, at the centre of the circle is a steel pot or an earthen pot with holes in it. This pot is called a Garba and a lamp is lit inside it. This light reflects out in circles when the other lights are off. Now the same concept is used by discos and pubs to give the dim light in concentric circles. In olden Gujarat, women could dance with a Garba on their head ie the pot with a lamp inside. Now that form of Dance is seen only by foreign tourists or visiting dignitaries, to showcase our cultural heritage. Mumbai is all about show biz. People go for Garba classes to learn new steps. What they actually learn is steps to Bollywood songs. That is what is being played at Garba these days. Mumbai kids and youngsters want to win corporate sponsored prizes for Garba. They dress in crazily heavy ethnic outfits, have professional water proof make up done and dance only in places which will give them high visibility in front of the judges. The judges walk around with a pen and paper, asking names of dancers and make themselves feel important. Each one wants to win and is constantly watching their steps. The spirit of oneness, wholeness and the community feel is totally lost. Since there is a full food court available at all commercial Garbas, people gorge on food post the Garba. The time restrictions in Mumbai allows only for two hours of Garba playing time. These young children are sweating and crazily tired. Its a joke of their dancing skills. The beauty of Garba is one doesnt get tired as one is not focussing on steps. It goes into a Gujarati's muscle memory by years of being around a chok. The legwork of a Garba is infact very simple. The claps are as per the dholak, so it is two or three. The Dandiya Raas always work on five beats. The expression is only of smile and enjoyment of the group movement. It is not about making eyes or twitching your brows or lips or neck as all songs/ Garbas are in the praise of the Goddess. And Yes, absolutely no shoes while dancing for Durga Ma. In Mumbai, a wooden platform eight inches above ground is created and carpeted for Garba. The musicians and singers are not in the centre or at the sides, they are on a huge stage. The scale,the space and the crowd is much larger than smaller towns. But Garba in a circle is still possible in every place, if people want it.
Happy Vijaya Dashmi.
There was no food available in the vicinity. We could borrow water from any of the houses in the Chok. If your small infant needed to sleep, you could put your young one to bed in any house. They would put a mattress or a Dhurrie on the floor in the first room which was living room cum kitchen of the house. People ate their dinner, wound up their kitchen and then got ready for Garba. No household work was left to be done later. As we had had our dinner, we were not hungry for the next six hours of dancing. Which included two hours of ladies Garba, then men's Garba followed by Dandiya Raas of men and women. Watching the men dance was fun and am sure they felt the same about watching us dance. Amongst the men folk, the trick was to keep your face sombre and not show your excitement about any girl. There was a decency maintained as there were Gujarati Grandfathers, Fathers and sons at the same venue in the same Garba. Women were always safe. Most did walk home after the Garba in groups with a few male cousins or Uncles escorting them back. Cars was a luxury very few had but no one complained.
In Mumbai, people do not believe in this community Garba, where we go around in a circle. In Dhanbad, at the centre of the circle is a steel pot or an earthen pot with holes in it. This pot is called a Garba and a lamp is lit inside it. This light reflects out in circles when the other lights are off. Now the same concept is used by discos and pubs to give the dim light in concentric circles. In olden Gujarat, women could dance with a Garba on their head ie the pot with a lamp inside. Now that form of Dance is seen only by foreign tourists or visiting dignitaries, to showcase our cultural heritage. Mumbai is all about show biz. People go for Garba classes to learn new steps. What they actually learn is steps to Bollywood songs. That is what is being played at Garba these days. Mumbai kids and youngsters want to win corporate sponsored prizes for Garba. They dress in crazily heavy ethnic outfits, have professional water proof make up done and dance only in places which will give them high visibility in front of the judges. The judges walk around with a pen and paper, asking names of dancers and make themselves feel important. Each one wants to win and is constantly watching their steps. The spirit of oneness, wholeness and the community feel is totally lost. Since there is a full food court available at all commercial Garbas, people gorge on food post the Garba. The time restrictions in Mumbai allows only for two hours of Garba playing time. These young children are sweating and crazily tired. Its a joke of their dancing skills. The beauty of Garba is one doesnt get tired as one is not focussing on steps. It goes into a Gujarati's muscle memory by years of being around a chok. The legwork of a Garba is infact very simple. The claps are as per the dholak, so it is two or three. The Dandiya Raas always work on five beats. The expression is only of smile and enjoyment of the group movement. It is not about making eyes or twitching your brows or lips or neck as all songs/ Garbas are in the praise of the Goddess. And Yes, absolutely no shoes while dancing for Durga Ma. In Mumbai, a wooden platform eight inches above ground is created and carpeted for Garba. The musicians and singers are not in the centre or at the sides, they are on a huge stage. The scale,the space and the crowd is much larger than smaller towns. But Garba in a circle is still possible in every place, if people want it.
Happy Vijaya Dashmi.
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