And here comes Navratri !!!

Navratri - Nine nights of Garba, Dandiya, Puja, Aarti. Dashera - The day when Ravan - the demon got killed by the God Ram.

That's the ancient definition of Navratri & Dashera. Now comes to the modern world where Navratri means, masti, Garba, Dandiya, fun, food and lot more.

In Ahmedabad young girls & boys are so excited about navratri that they start preparing for coming nine days before few months. Preparations??

Oh!!! Yeah...

• Beauty parlor appointments
• Shopping for new Chaniya-Choli or Kediyu-Dhoti - 9 pairs
• Shopping for matching jewelery/accessories 
• Shopping for matching footwear
• Ticket bookings for famous party plots where these Garba-Dandiya are going to organize.
• and more 

Please note that this could be the outdated list since i have not attended A'bad Garba from last 10 years. In Gujarat, Dandiya nights goes till 4 or 5 in morning. Gujju enjoy it to the fullest. Nights become days and days are lazy and sleepy. I recommend each non-gujju to must visit A'bad, Vadodra, Anand during Navratri and feel the energy in the air. It will be memorable experience. For few it sounds like a madness or craziness but for gujjus its another chance of enjoyment, fun and stress free time.

Gujjus are known for their celebrations and enthusiasm for any festivals. And they are die hard fan and follower of Navratri-Garba/Dandiya. I stay in Noida - Delhi and when Navratri approaches, my search for places where dandiya party takes place starts. Now, we have a Gujarati group in Noida and this year we are organizing 3 night dandiya mahotsav in Sector-50 Community Hall. I am planning to go there and enjoy each bit of it for 3 nights. I am also a die hard fan of Dandiya and whenever on any Gujarati Channel i see garba, I start performing same in my TV room. My daughter looks at me with puzzled & questioned face. The emotion i see on her face is - "Mom what are you doing and what are you up to.... Please stop it.... :-)"  As soon as i hear sound of Garba or Dandiya music, my legs start feeling the thump and my hand start feeling the movement. Wow!! What a feeling... I think Punjabi people might be feeling same when they hear Bhangra music or song.

I have plan to enjoy all 3 nights of navratri and forget all my worries.

Happy Navratri to all!!!!