garba galore..

so the real reason i came to ahmedabad (although buying textiles was pretty high up there..) was for navratri, which is sometimes called the biggest dance festival in the world. it's nine straight nights of dancing - all over the city, on all scales. the dancing ranges from street garba to societies (sort of like gated communities) to the giant clubs that put on all-out productions with live music on stage and expensive lighting. on this trip we tried to hit them all.

first off.. club garba..

twirling

our first introduction to all that is garba was at the rajpath club (read: fancy). this ended up being a crash course. we wore our variously borrowed and purchased chaniya choli and bedecked ourselves in things that glittered and jingled. good thing, too, because we were probably the least adorned people there (as if we don't stand out enough). to say they were decked out does not come close. i'd say the average person there was probably wearing close to 8 pounds of fabric, embroidery, mirrors, bells, sequins, tassles, and let't not forget makeup. all tied together with a few strategic safety pins. but that did not stop them from moving. as soon as our friends (well my friend's friends from garba class. yes, class) arrived they formed circle, put their shoes in the middle, and jumped right in.

so coordinated (in more ways than one)

let me tell you, that was some complicated garba. there were many more than the two steps i had been briefly taught. and then they kept changing them! these people were going pretty fast too, definitely working up a sweat (though, in fairness, not difficult with the lights and 15 pounds of material they were under). kristen and i tried our best not to run into people (did i mention they were constantly switching directions?!) for a while but eventually gave up in favor of watching and documenting. we wandered all over taking pictures and videos of all sorts of groups - the most impressive was probably this one troupe - matching outfits and all - that had all sorts of choreographed routines, including, variously, men balancing umbrellas, little girls dancing on shoulders, and what looked to be mini dance-offs.

even the kids are impressive with the dandiya!

we saw all kinds of dances - with twirling umbrellas, throwing sticks (dandiya is the kind with the sticks, i believe) into the air (and, yes, catching them), and little kids getting into the mix. i think it would best be described as a spectacle. eventually kristen and i meandered back to our group where they themselves had moved on to the sequined umbrellas. we were ceremoniously pushed into the crowd and umbrellas were thrust at us. we were made to do a step that involved minimal twirling and stepping, thankfully something we could handle. we did this in various directions as photos and videos were taken around us. luckily that seemed to be enough to assuage the circle and we slipped out of the spotlight with our dignity more or less intact. we slipped out of the festivities not long after, though our friend did stay to be honored as the 'best foreign dancer' - very sweet. as we were speeding home in our auto afterward, chugging water and glad to be seated, my main thought was 'how do these people do this for nine nights?!'

i got my answer shortly, once we experienced society garba..

the closest i got to street garba. my feet did get pretty dirty!

so many of the neighborhoods in ahmedabad are comprised of societies that seem to vary in size and level of affluence. i'm sure their celebrations vary similarly but i only saw a few examples. in general they seem to be much more tame affairs, with one big circle, a few musicians and pretty slow, simple music. the dress code seems to be much more relaxed - some fully decked out in chaniya choli, others in salwar kameez and some just in western attire. and, best of all, the steps are much more limited. one direction, one half turn, same basic idea throughout. i can handle this! i'm glad to say i caught on to this one rather quickly and quite enjoyed it. i could see myself doing this for nine nights. although going in circles does eventually get tiresome..

street garba..

..it seems, is more of the same, just outside the confines of a society. the dance is done around a pot (society ones seem to be also) and other items for the deity. i've heard talk of women with pots on heads dancing, unfortunately i didn't get to see much of this variety.

but we also experienced what i'm calling university garba..

a variety of attire for this garba affair

as the name may suggest, we experienced this one at one of the local universities. most universities have various events throughout the festival but we were told by several people that the one at CEPT (environmental planning and technology) was particularly good. it must have been because there was quite a clamor to get in. i'm not sure how we did - persistence, maybe - but regardless. here once again the dress and attitude was varied - all kinds of clothing. the dancing seemed to be more or less the same slow, steady pace with half turns every other beat. there were two large circles and what we were first struck by was that no one was really smiling all that much. i mean, i suppose all that going in circles must get to you eventually. although, to be fair, this was punctuated about every 5 minutes by a big 'woooo' that went through the crowd. we're still not sure why. nothing else seemed to happen. probably the best part of this experience for me was the decorations, though i'm sure that had to do more with it being a school for architects. there were all sorts of lanterns made from little more than cut paper or cardboard. really well done.

i'm sure this is by no means an exhaustive list of the types of garba one can see - just what i experienced in a few days. i mean, after all, it was the biggest dance festival in the world.

garba garb, and other textile tales

it's always interesting to go back to a place you've been before. some things are just as you remembered, while others seem to have changed completely. the last time i was in ahmedbad it was this past january, sadly just after uttarayan (the kite festival). remnants of kites were littered in the trees and power lines, and there were a few kids here and there playing but nothing like the big festival i've heard of.

how to choose?

this time around it was navratri - the festival of nine nights, which is also considered to be the biggest dance festival in the world. so when i strolled around the familiar sights of the old city.. the jama masjid, manek chowk.. the landscape seemed slightly altered. the piles of mouth fresheners and dried fruits remained but were overwhelmed by rows of dangling silver necklaces, small clothes with shiny tinsel fringe, and meters upon meters of fabric covered in embroidery, beads, mirrors, tassels, shells, bells - anything eye-catching and loud (literally or figuratively). the law garden (another shopping area) was more of the same. sequined umbrellas, sparkling dandiya sticks and fabric that was wall-to-wall glitz. i'm told gujaratis have a particular flair for all things glittery.. i would be inclined to believe that.

everything sparkles.. even the sticks

so these chaniya choli, worn for the dancing i mentioned, consist of a long skirt, short bodice-type top and a long scarf. and they are everywhere. the shopping area i remember looked completely transformed. it was hard to find anything but these outfits. (though that didn't stop me from buying about a dozen types of fabric.. it is the city of textiles, after all. more on that later.) i did end up getting myself a chaniya choli as well. 'when in rome' and all that sort of thing..

stalls at the law garden. can you spot the person?

going about finding one of these was harder than expected, considering i was literally surrounded by them. the general mentality with these items seem to be the more, the better. sequins? good. mirrors? great. tassels? sure, why not! as for color, well if you were hoping for something monotone, you've come to the wrong place. while i think these crazy, busy, shiny designs look fabulous on other people and are certainly wonderful for dancing in, i'm not so sure i could pull it off (or carry it home..) so me looking for something 'simple' (ha) was something of a wild goose chase. then there was price to consider. i tried to be sure i was getting a good deal (it helps to listen to the prices locals are quoted). in the end, i found one i liked for a reasonable price. it still had beads and shells but it was only two colors, one of which was somewhat muted. and, hey, it still twirled and made noise. success.

i also managed to find some regular textile shops in the middle of all this madness. i saw a few materials and was directed up a narrow flight of wooden steps with a hanging knotted rope for a banister. my rewards at the top was a room filled with piles and piles of fabrics of all kinds. solids, prints - wood block, batik, bordered. it was heavenly - i took my time and leisurely chose some prints and matching solids for pants. i bought a few the first day and came back (after shopping around a bit) another day for more. who knows when i'll be in gujarat again! i even found some pretty striped silk to have some pillows made. now all that's left is to find a tailor..

and now, for something completely different..

the textile museum. it's an experience in itself. the rules are many and hardfast. my first introduction to this was last winter, when i tried to visit the museum at 1.30. silly me. you can only visit the museum at 10.15. if you have a reservation. and leave your camera and phone at the front gate

the grounds and buildings themselves are beautiful - apparently the property once belonged to the wealthiest family in ahmedabad. you'll have to take my word for it (as of course i have no pictures) but the grounds are lush and shady, with plenty of palm trees, flowering plants and small ponds. the houses themselves are gorgeous, with beautifully carved wooden window boxes and elaborate brackets. the collection itself is vast - and even more impressive. saris, turbans, tents, wall hangings - from all over india. in all different styles, techniques, and colors (thought there was a lot of red and gold). the tour itself was another story. the guide (whose reputation precedes her across the city) was insistent that everyone stay together and not dawdle and her explanations seemed to be muddled. mostly what i got out of each one was the geographic origin and maybe the use of the textiles in that room. at the end we were told to wait so we could go as a group to the next section to see the tools. we wanted to duck out and go to the store, which we did with some difficulty, only to discover that the dozens of postcards that line the walls are no longer in stock. 

at any rate, ahmedabad certainly lived up to its monicker as the city of textiles. the landscape and experience of the city during navratri was a sight to behold. maybe next time i'll make it for uttaryan...