Gujarat: People dance to 'Garba' tunes in Surat on second day of Navratri
Oct 17, 2023
Surat (Gujarat) [India], October 17 : On the second day of Navratri, people in Gujarat's Surat danced to 'Garba' (the traditional dance form of Gujarat) tunes with fervour.
In Surat's Umiya Dham temple on Monday, women played 'Garba' in a traditional way by carrying 'Matkas' (earthen pots) on their heads.
Yesterday marked the second day of Sharad Navratri.
This day, people worship Maa Brahmcharini, one of the avatars of Maa Durga. According to Hindu scriptures, Maa Brahmacharini was a great Sati, and her form is symbolic of the severe penance carried out by Goddess Parvati.
Maa Brahmacharini wears white clothes and holds a chanting rosary in her right hand and a kamandal in her left hand. It is believed that worshipping her increases the power of chanting and penance inside the person.
In Madhya Pradesh's Indore, a large number of people performed 'Garba'.
Also, people danced to the 'Garba' tunes with enthusiasm in Maharashtra's Mumbai. 
They were seen dancing with full enthusiasm to the traditional tunes of Garba, which honours Goddess Durga during the Navratri festival.
During the nine-day Navratri festival, devotees worship Maa Durga's nine incarnations in order to obtain her blessings.
There is a goddess manifestation linked with each day of Navratri.
People maintain ritualistic fasts, recite shlokas dedicated to each goddess, wear new clothing, offer bhog, and clean their homes during these nine days.
In their prayers, they ask the goddess for her favour in order to have prosperous, joyous, and fulfilled lives.
Over the next nine days, devotees offer their prayers to Goddess Durga and observe fasts.
The festival of Navratri honours the defeat of the demonic Mahishasura and the triumph of good over evil.
The 10th day of Sharad Navratri is celebrated as Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami.
Ramlila is organised extensively during Navratri in North India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. During the Ramlila, the tale of Lord Ram's triumph over Ravana is acted out.
