Navratri nights today shimmer not just with devotion but with LED lights, designer outfits, celebrity DJs, and expensive passes. The sound of dhol is often drowned by the buzz of influencers, VIP zones, and ticket counters. Once a deeply spiritual ritual of connection and community, Garba has, in many places, transformed into a commercial spectacle. Conversations around this sacred dance now revolve more around access and pricing than its deeper meaning. But if we pause for a moment, step back from the chaos, and look at the origins of Garba, we may begin to ask: Have we lost sight of the circle we were meant to trace?
Garba, derived from the Sanskrit word “garbha”, meaning “womb”, originated in Gujarat and is traditionally performed during the nine nights of Navratri, a festival dedicated to the divine feminine energy, Shakti. Far from being a mere performance, Garba was, and still is, at its core, a devotional offering. It celebrates the cycle of life, the eternal feminine, and the light that lives within every being.
Central to this symbolism is the garbha deep—a clay pot with a lamp lit inside. This pot, placed in the centre of the dancers’ circle, represents the body, while the flame signifies the soul, the divine spark of creation. The dancers move around it in rhythmic, circular steps, echoing the cosmos, time, and the womb of life itself. Each clap and twirl, once a prayer in motion, was meant to remind us of our place in the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
Today, the lamp still exists—but more as a performance prop than a spiritual focal point. In many commercialised venues, it's dwarfed by smoke machines and stage lights. The dance has scaled up, but its soul risks fading out. What was once a community gathering of shared devotion has become, in some cases, a transaction—a night of glamour, driven by profit.
Of course, evolution is natural. Culture is meant to grow, absorb, and express itself in new ways. But when the essence is lost—when the womb lamp becomes just a backdrop to a ticketed performance—we're no longer circling the divine. We are, instead, dancing around commerce.
And yet, there is hope! Across Gujarat and in pockets of cities around India, the sheri (neighbourhood) Garbas still exist—quietly but powerfully. These community-led events hold onto the original circle. No celebrity passes, no velvet ropes—just people coming together in devotion, with the pot and flame at the centre, the way it always was. In these circles, the rhythm of meaning still pulses. The dance still honours the light.
In 2025, perhaps the call is not to reject the new but to remember the old. To let the lights shine, but not let them blind. To bring the lamp back to the centre—not just of the circle, but of our intention. Because when we dance with meaning, the divine dances with us.
Dr. Karthick Sridhar
Vice Chairman, ICARE | Angel Investor | Assessor, Civil Services Training Institutions (NSCSTI) | Mission Karmayogi | Capacity Building Commission | Healthcare | Education
