Correct Answer : Gujarat
One of the most popular Garba songs starts with the line, “dholida, dhol re vagaad, maare heench levi chhe”, an instruction to the dhol player to start playing so that the dancing may begin.
Across Gujarat, that’s all it takes — a familiar beat — for people to form a circle and fall in step with each other, performing the folk dance synonymous with the state. This week, Garba joined other Indian dances, such as the Kalbelia folk dance of Rajasthan, Chhau from eastern India, Sankirtana from Manipur and Mudiyettu from Kerala, on the UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, becoming another representative of the richness of India’s performing art traditions.
In one important way, Garba is distinct from many of the Indian, and non-Indian traditions, on the list. An indelible part of every Gujarati celebration, from wedding to birth, and, most notably, the annual nine-day festival of Navratri, it remains a thriving tradition.
One feature that keeps it alive is its strong roots in community, with everyone, young and old, male and female, expert and amateur, dancing around a perforated earthen pot — the metaphorical universal womb from which all of humanity emerged and a symbol of the earth’s fertility. The other is its adaptability — every new generation refashions the dance to its tastes, with songs and techniques from over a hundred years ago being as popular as the more contemporary ones.
There is no existential threat to Garba, but its inclusive character has, of late, become imperilled. While the worship of goddess Amba (a form of Durga) is a key part of this tradition, as the film submitted to UNESCO by the Government of India states, people of other faiths were for long enthusiastic participants. Reports, in recent years, of performances being open to only Hindus, and Dalits being assaulted for attending events for upper-caste communities, must be taken seriously if this beloved intangible heritage is to continue to thrive.
Source : Indian Express
