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GUJARAT
STATE - FAIRS & FESTIVALS
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Gujarat
celebrates almost all the festivals. But Navratri is celebrated
the best.Gujarat is associated all over the country with its major
Dussehra celebrations called Navaratri (Sep-Oct), which is a dance
festival of sorts. The January Makar Sankranti kite fyling festival
is very popular among the local population, especially the younger
generation.
There are several
fairs in Gujarat, the best known being the Tarnetar fair, besides
which there are tribal fairs such as the Dang Durbar at Surat and
the Madhavrai fair at Porbandar around April.
Navaratri, is a major festival
of the Gujaratis. Originally it was a small family where women of
the house would gather around an idol of the deity and dance in
circles. With the entry of Gujaratis into Bombay, the festival was
given huge dimensions. Today there are two variations, the Dandia
Raas and Garba Raas.These have become more like a pop culture today,
with huge dance contests and open grounds where Navaratri is held
with several variations, including 'Disco Dandia' and 'Bhangra Garba'.
Basically, it is nine nights of dancing and partying.
The Tarnetar fair gets its name
from its venue, which is named after Trineteshwar, or 'The one with
a third eye' as Lord Shiva is also known. The venue of the fair
is Tarnetar, in Saurashtra. The fair celebrates the legendary marriage
of Draupadi with Arjuna, very symbolic since the fair is basically
a marriage fair, in which people get married practically en masse!
Tribes including the Kolis, the Rabaris and the Bharwards come here
for the fair, with the common chant being, 'Chalo Tarnetar, bhalso
tyan parnetar' reflects the mood of adventure and enjoyment here.
While people bathe in the waters of the temple tanks of the Trineteshwar
Temple, a huge fair takes place where, apart from buying and selling,
the major features are performances of traditional Gujarati dances.
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