Garba Dance

About Garba Dance

• It is a ritualistic and devotional dance performed throughout the State of Gujarat, and across India.
• It is celebrated for nine days during the festival of Navaratri.
• The festival is dedicated to the worship of the feminine energy or Shakti.
• The cultural, performative, and visual expressions of this feminine energy are expressed through the Garba dance.
• The performative and visual celebration of Garba takes place within homes and temple courtyards, public spaces in villages, urban squares, streets, and large open grounds. Garba thus becomes an all-encompassing participatory community event.
• In addition to being a religious ritual, Garba fosters social equality by diluting socio-economic, gender, and rigid sect structures.
• It continues to be inclusive and participative by diverse and marginalized communities, strengthening community bonds.
• This dance form is the 15th cultural item from India to make it to the UNESCO list. 

What is Intangible Cultural Heritage?

• Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects.
• It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.

Q1) What is UNESCO?

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding and a more perfect knowledge of each other's lives. 

Source: Garba of Gujarat’ Declared as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO