Traditional Is Passe In The Modern-day Garba

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AHMEDABAD, INDIA, October 11, 2004: Innovation is the name of the game when it comes to wooing the crowds during Navratri. The traditional garba-raas is improvised with new themes and swanky sets each year so much so that a Mumbai-based event manager Niraj Damanwala was in for a shock when he planned a garba on the traditional lines in Ahmedabad. In Ahmedabad, the impact of modernity is much more striking. Falguni Hiren who runs Spandan, a group that performs traditional garba, says “Navratri was originally a purely religious festival. The songs were either prayers offered to Ma Amba and Shakti or they were sung in the praise of Lord Krishna. Tali was very important and the steps were in keeping with the rhythm.” But today, disco beats and Hindi remixes have replaced the traditional rhythm and the lyrics are meaningless, she says. “The big clubs have completely commercialized it and people dance in any way they like.”