Navratri's and Dandiya Time !!!

We celebrate Durga Puja for essentially 5 days, in Bengal. But we've heard about Navratri, I find the Dandiya dance very interesting. The picture you posted is framed on a wall in my home right now. A friend brought it as a gift for us from Rajasthan.

Well i live in a society so here the celebrations are quite boisterous really! Huge DJ fest with people dressed in the choicest ( and sparkli-est ) of clothing! Ready with their dandiya sticks! Speakers start to boom and the whole crowd synchronizes into a beautiful show of love and dance! That's probably the only time of year i miss having a gf

@ashuli,Of course,Navaratri and Durga Puja has been my favourite festival.Today is the 13th day of the 'Pitrapaksha',the fortnight when we remember our forefathers who are no more.Durga Puja is knocking at the door.This is the festival we celebrate with much pomp.

Yes, it is a long awaited fest at our place and people take part in it in abundance and that too with great zeal and enthusiasm.Whether dancers or non-dancers, of all age, gather at various gardens booked for this fest and make the place alive by their warmth. Prizes are also distributed after performances. But, moreover, Enjoyment & Fun are the key factors that drives people there. A real colorful, joyful and zealous festival of India.

I have no idea who they are, but it sounds pretty awesome to me. A 9 day party? Bring it on!

Lol! we dont enjoy those days here. But yeah we get 2 days of holiday to take books and give to temple for the well studying in future. Isn't that sounds weird. here people dont even newspaper onm those days as everything is placed infront of god.

We have alot of festivals going on and corn mazes etc now for Halloween. I love this time of year as there is so much to do and perfect weather also.

Oh yes of course, it is a lot of fun ...We have Dandiya organised in so many places here, since we have a large Gujarati community here , who are fond of dancing there is no dearth of celebrations..

No we do not have that where I live. But I would enjoy taking part.

I've not heard of these festivals but would like to learn more about them. They sound very interesting and exciting. I would like to share them with my students next year when we study India.

We love playing dandiya on ocassions of wedding on your Indian songs.

Yes, eagerly waiting for Durga Puja and Kali Puja (Diwali).

Wow that is very interesting and sound like a nice festival to attend. I hope you have a great time at your festival.

happy navratris ashuli

The word Navaratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Devi (Goddesses) are worshiped. Navarati festival has become part and parcel of our life. We don't play dandiya here as such. Happy Navaratri to you.

What we have in America (around this time of year) is Halloween---a.k.a. All Hallow's Eve---the day before All Saint's Day, giving all the ghosts and goblins one 'last hurrah' (for a little while) because all the 'Saints Come Marching In' on November 1. (The folklore is that children dress-up as monsters & ghosts and go 'trick-or-treat-ing' (going from house-to-house ringing the doorbell and asking for candy-donations) to scare the REAL monsters & ghosts away from the kind ones' houses.) And then we're coming up on Thanksgiving, an American holiday celebrating the first Colonists peace with the Native Americans---where they marked the peace they made with a great feast, starting the American tradition of once-a-year family-reunions where everybody brings food.

Hindu culture is fast spreading across the globe, i remember when i was in Austin we had a small indian community which celebrated Dandiya!

Soon it will be Divali and many fireworks will be going off here followed shortly after by Guy Fawkes day (5th November) where bonfires and firework displays abound! Enjoy the festivals.

I love Navratris.... God bless all ... Jai mata di :)

i love playing dandiya...