The Gujurati Society of Lethbridge and Area invited Harita Desai (third person from the left) and her band to perform for the annual Navratri festival on Oct. 13. Photo by Ben Nario.
The power of spiritual beliefs is what makes a great community filled with like-minded people. An event that led people for a time of self reflection and amusements. It gave those who participated in the event feeling of being at home away from home.
Navratri (nuh-vra-tree) is a Hindu festival honouring the goddess Durga. The definition of Navratri means “nine nights”. Worshipping Durga within those nine nights of celebration.
The festival is filled with traditional dance music and rituals, showing how welcoming Lethbridge is towards the international population.
Hindus honor Durga and its nine incarnations are expressed a unique form of dance steps releasing their own feelings towards the goddess. The dances begin at night, but they can last into the early hours of the morning. The festival is celebrated and deeply interconnected towards many parts of India.
According to one of the members of the Gujarati Society of Lethbridge and Area, Amul Patel a chair member for three years shared his thoughts about the significance of the celebration.
“It’s a family festival. It’s celebrated by everybody across the age range. We celebrate Navratri by dressing in colourful clothes, dressing in cultural traditional clothes and the traditional dance called Garba.”
Garba is a circle dance. It is performed around a little display of the Hindu goddess Durga. With music mixed with people singing and dancers.
Woman dancers are commonly dance the Garba, but here is not the case. Any ages, gender identity, and race are open to take part. They will follow through the rhythm of the beat, and all clap their hands together.
Due to many participants and visitors, around 500 people are present to the dance routine, and starts to pick up speed of the people full of pride. In all the physical exertions in praising Durga, food concessions are right at the edges of the big open space for all visitors.
Foods that are available to eat include jalebi, khichu, vada pav and fafda. Certain people will tend to fast because of the goddess. Only eating once a day.