Jamnagar: Foreign visitors embrace the Navratri fervour, partake in Garba dance

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Indians across the country are celebrating Navratri with fervour and excitement. Visitors from abroad have also joined the locals in Jamnagar in order to watch the youths perform Garba, ANI reported.

Nastasia from Germany said to ANI, "...It was a very special experience. I researched for a year to come here. We can attend many Garba functions in Jamnagar or across Gujarat or around the world but this is very special because they dance with fire, they dance traditional Garba and this is not in many places..."

In Jamnagar, women also danced the traditional 'Indhoni Raas Garba', where women wear a burning "Indhoni" on their heads as they do Garba. The 'Indhoni' is a pot holder used in Indian culture to hold a 'Kalash' on the head.

Navratri meaning 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, is a festive where the nine forms of Goddess Durga known as Navdurga are worshipped. This festival is celebrated across India with great devotion, where several rituals and prayers are performed to the goddess.

Hindus observe four Navratis throughout the year, but only two are widely celebrated namely, Chaitra Navratri and Shardiya Navratri, as they coincide with the changing seasons. In India, Navratri is celebrated in several ways, distinct traditions are more commonly practised in different states.

Shardiya Navratri is observed from Ashwin Shukla Paksha's Navami until the Pratipada.

According to ANI, in Gujarat, people perform 'Garba' on the occasion of Navratri. Men and women dance with full passion and energy to the traditional music of Garba, honouring Goddess Durga during the Navratri festival.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, Ram Leela, a celebration in which scenes from the Ramayana are performed during the Navratri festival.

In North India, particularly in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, the Ramlila, a dramatic re-enactment of scenes from the Ramayana, is arranged.

The festival finishes off with Vijayadashami, marked by the burning of King Ravana's effigies. 'Vijyayadashmi' or 'Dussehra', is celebrated to mark the triumph of good over evil.