Best Fetival Navratri & Makarsankranti ( Uttarayan) in Gujarat

NAVRATRI
The historical background Navratri or the Festival of Nine Nights from Ashvin Sud 1 to 9 is devoted to the propitiation of Shakti or Divine Mother. She represents prakriti, counterpart of purusha jointly making possible the creation of the world according to the religious ideology of Goddess worship. Such worships were prevalent in India even before the advent of the Aryans, who adopted it as a religious practice. References in vedas and puranas confirm this opinion. The main temples of mother goddess that are visited by multitude of devotees during Navratri are the shaktipithas, of which there are three in Gujarat. It is believed that Lord Vishnu had to cut the body of Sati into pieces to stop the destruction by Shiva who was perturbed by her death. At fifty-two places these pieces fell, the three in Gujarat being; Ambaji in Banaskantha, Bahucharaji in Chunaval and Kalika on Pavagadh hill in Panchmahals.
This festival is essentially religious in nature. It is celebrated with true devotion in the various temples dedicated to the Mother, or Mataji, as she is familiarly called. In some homes, images of the Mother are worshipped in accordance with accepted practice. This is also true of the temples, which usually have a constant stream of visitors from morning to night.
Celebration Galore The most common form of public celebration is the performance of garba or dandia-ras, Gujarat's popular folk-dance, late throughout the nights of these nine days in public squares, open grounds and streets. Females wear ethnic Chania Choli and Males wear Dhoti-Kurta and enjoy garba and dandiya ras (dance) the whole Night. The participants move round in a circle around a mandvi (garbo), a structure to hold earthen lamps filled with water and to house the image or idol of mother goddess. A betel nut and a silver coin are placed within the pot, called a kumbh, on top of which a coconut has also been placed. Pandals are erected over these madvis and decorated with asopalav, date palm leaves, flowers and electric light. As the dancers whirl around the pot, a singer and a drummer provide the musical accompaniment. The participants clap in a steady rhythm. The dance usually starts slowly. It gets faster and faster as the music too gets more rapid until the dance abruptly comes to a halt. There is a pause for a while and the dance commences once again, the singer leading with a new song.
Another dance which is also a feature of Navaratri is the dandia-ras or ‘stick’ dance, in which men and women join the dance circle, holding small polished sticks or dandias. As they whirl to the intoxicating rhythm of the dance, men and women strike the dandias together, adding to the joyous atmosphere. So popular are the garba and the dandia-ras that competitions are held to assess the quality of the dancing. Prizes are given to those judged to be the best. The costumes worn for the dances are traditional and alive with colour. The dances usually commence late in the night and continue until early morning, testifying to their great popularity.
Navratri in GujaratIn different parts of the state the celebration of Navratri has different emphasis. In Saurashtra, bhavai, a dance drama is played. At Vadnagar in Mehsana Vada Garbani Sheri is focus of the attention as large number of men and women participate in garba. In Ahmedabad the fusion of modern music is at its peak and youngsters have gala time. The overnight extravaganza is worth witnessing for pomp, splendour and exhilaration that permeates everywhere. Isanpur near Ahmedabad is famous for its mandvi, which is erected on the thirteenth day with arti being performed the next day early in the morning. Account of Navratri would be incomplete without reference to Vadodara, the city of art and culture. Here, number of groups performs garba in quite professional manner. A bhavai performance is also held at Baroda’s Ambaji temple, during Navratri. The grace and dignity of the performances of Baroda leaves nothing to chance for its perfection.
Navratri is thus the festival that combines religious, devotional, cultural and recreational activities for almost a fortnight. To be in Gujarat during Navratri is to witness Gujarat at her best.

Uttarayan & the Kite Festival of Gujarat

As millions of kite enthusiasts pitch themselves at the rooftops, waves of flying kites overwhelm an otherwise deep blue sky. On January 14, watch the sky change colors... like a rainbow in a glittering sun after the rain and bask in the glory of Uttarayan, when the skies of Gujarat give way to colorful kites.
About UttarayanUttarayan (known as Makar Sakranti in other parts of India) is the day when the sun starts to travel northwards marking the decline of winter. The days become longer, the skies clearer and the breeze cooler. A feeling of anticipation, joy and jubilation grips all who celebrate the occasion of thanksgiving and merry-making.
Gujarat celebrates 2,000 festivals every year! Among these, the festival of Uttarayan is one of the grandest and stands tall. In Gujarat, Uttarayan is a holiday when every family can be met outdoors. People of all ages fly kites from dawn to dusk. Crowded rooftops, fun-loving rivalry to outdo each other in kite flying skills and delicious traditional Gujarati feast are the hallmarks of the day.
History & SignificanceThe fascination and the revelry associated with the kite flying cuts across age groups, class and communities. Although, Uttarayan is predominantly a Hindu festival marking the awakening of the gods from their deep slumber, history has it that India developed a rich tradition of kite flying due to the patronage of the Kings and Nawabs who found the sport both entertaining and a way of displaying their prowess. Trained fliers were employed to fly kites for kings. Slowly, the art started becoming popular amongst the masses. Today, manufacturing of kites is a serious business. It attracts big names of the corporate world as kites provide for the most cost-effective opportunity for branding. The stakes are high and prizes for the competition grand.
Months before the festival of Uttarayan, homes in the localities of various cities in Gujarat turn into kite producing factories with all family members doing their bit in the seasonal cottage business. The paper and sticks are cut, the glue is stirred and thousands of kites are prepared in the market. The string is coated with a special glass powder and rice paste, all set to cut each other's strings and knock down the kites. The size of the kite ranges from nine inches to three feet.
Members of various communities irrespective of cast and creed are engaged in the business of kites. Rich or poor, people enjoy this festival in their own ways. The aerodynamic skill, devotion and ingenuity that goes into the kite making and flying is almost a religion in itself, honed to the level of an art form, though it looks deceptively simple.
Ahmedabad: Kite CapitalAlthough the Kite Festival is celebrated all over Gujarat, it is the most exciting in the capital city of Ahmedabad. The night before is electric with brisk business in buying and selling kites, in amazingly numerous bulk purchases. The Patang Bazaar (kite market), situated in the heart of Ahmedabad city, is open 24 hours a day during the Uttarayan week. A visit to the Bazaar in the middle of the night proves beyond all doubt that the entire population of the city is obsessed with kites and they crowd the streets and buy the stocks while negotiating and enjoying through the night.
Uttarayan is the time to indulge in ceaseless amazement - in the most pulse racing kite competitions. There are kites and more kites, in all shapes and designs, but some stand out for their sheer size and novelty.
And the excitement continues even after dark. The nights see the arrival of the illuminated box kites, often in a series strung on one line, to be launched into the sky. Known as tukkals, these kites add a touch of splendor to the dark sky. What's more, the day is marked with the traditional food/delicacy festival of Gujarat like the undhiyu (a delicacy of vegetables), jalebi (sweets), til ladoo (sweets made of sesame seeds) and chikki for the guests from different parts of world.
The International Kite FestivalEvery year, the extraordinary fanfare associated with the paper works of art called kite brings people together from far and wide - be it from Japan, Australia, Malaysia, USA, Brazil, Canada and European Countries - to participate in the International Kite Festival.
For details, visit http://www.vibrantgujarat.com/ or contact Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL): Telephone +91 79 23222523, 23222645; E-mail: gujtour@icenet.net