Amongst the quintessential Vadodara festivals, the nine day long celebrations of Navratri or Dassehra holds a special place. During this festival, the inhabitants of Vadodara dance the ras in garba in sync to the catchy bucolic tunes. The revered Goddess Durga or Shakti is worshiped during this festival. In fact, the term garba connotes the worship of the mother and the process of human birth and creation. The festival commences during the month of October and November when the local people devoutly fast during the day and dance energetically at night during these nine days. On the ninth day, the ceremony culminates with the nightlong garba dance where the men and women dance with equal fervor and enthusiasm to the traditional melody. Music, food and colorful carnivals where handicrafts are sold are the other highlights of this festival. Another interesting aspect of the garba ceremony is that the festival's basic philosophy that marks the communion of all the various faiths. The church supports procreation and the garba celebrates the same.
Uttarayana or Makar Sankranti is another gala festival of Vadodara that celebrates the sun's gradual traversal towards the northern hemisphere. During the lionization of the festival, the citizens of Vadadora put on new clothes, eat, drink and make merry. Kite flying is another integral part of the revelry of this annual ceremony.
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Last Updated on 09/19/2012
