The 9 nights festival of Navratri begins on the first day of Ashwina of the bright fortnight. Seeds are sown, sprouting is watched, the planets are consecrated, and on the 8th and 9th days, Goddess Durga, Vijayashtami and Mahanavami are worshipped.

The Devi Mahatmya and other texts invoking the Goddess who vanquished demons are cited.

The most characteristic dances of Gujarat during Navratri are the Rasa and Garba dances which are performed at all levels of society by men and women.
The origin of the Rasa is traced back to the legends connected with the life of Lord Krishna. It is essentially associated with the agricultural rites. The Rasa is performed in Gujarat India on Navaratra; and other important festivals associated with harvest and crops. The Rasa dances of Saurashtra are closely related to agricultural functions and are for the best part grain-ritual dances.

They are performed only by men and are often complex circular formations to represent designs of lotus and other designs considered magical religious and auspicious.

The choreographical pattern of the dance, the floor designs made by the dancers, is similar of the paintings seen on the walls of huts. Through these designs whether on the floor or walls, through paint and colour or through dance, ritual is held and spirits are invoked. This is another aspect of the fertility cult. is mother aspect of Navratri. A cloth called Mata ni Pachepi, where the adventures of the seven mothers, is painted. The mother, one of the seven archetypes, is painted in the centre and she is surrounded by her devotees and Bua, the magician-priest. At the end of the month the Bua wraps the cloth around him and sings and dances with Virgin girls carrying pots of sprouted corn finally, the pot at immersed in the waters of a river. In all cases, the object is always either burnt or consigned to the waters. The Rasa follows.

Each community has its distinctive dance patterns.

The Garba of Gujarat is the most popular women's folk dance of Gujarat. During Navratri, a pot is ceremoniously placed attractive designs are made on the pot and a light is placed inside. Village girls bearing pots (garbis) on their heads go from door to door and dance around the respective house.

The leader of the group sings the first line of the song while the rest repeat it in chorus, the beat being produced clapping hands or striking sticks in unison. At every step they gracefully bend sideways, the arms coming together in beautiful sweeping gestures, up and down, left and right, each movement ending in clap.

The Garba is indeed a ceremony in which everyone can take part irrespective of caste or social position. The dances are accompanied by drums (dholak) and the vocal women. The songs of the Garba are often history and melodious and have been handed down through generations. The origins of the seem to be a tribal dance revolving around a hunt; later it was transformed into an agricultural ritual dedicated to the goddess Ambika. Today it is a social dance at all levels of society. In essence, it continues to be a fertility dance.

There are variations in the garba different regions communities and dancers have involved their own style and steps. In Gujarat, as in Rajasthan, tribal, rural and urban life is interlinked. While the tribes respond to the natural environment, the forest, the sea or the desert, the agricultural community moves around the mother-goddess. She is worshipped as an icon or painted image or painted scroll or as a symbol - an earthen pot (garbi) or a bamboo or wood structure mandavi. The ritual of the Navaratra of the sowing and sprouting of corn for nine days and the climax through a variety of dances links agricultural and urban societies. Today in the cities and town the dance is a social activity and entertainment rather than religious agricultural or fertility symbol.

Baroda :
110 kms from Ahmedabad, the city of Baroda is famous for the celebrations of Navratri. The Laxmi Vilas palace of Baroda, rated among the 5 grandest palaces of India, is the site for folk dances organised by the royal family of this princely city. Often there are many good hotels in Baroda.

Poshina :
180 kms from Ahmedabad, in the triballands of Sabarkanta, Poshina is where you can see the harvest celebrations of the Garasia and Bhil tribals, besides villagers of the Hindu and Jain faith. There is a heritage hotel at Poshina.

Balaram :
167 kms from Ahmedabad, Balaram is a place of pilgrimage in the Arravalli hills. Between Balaram and Ambaji, tribal women dance on the days of Navratri. There is a palace resort at Balaram.

Ambaji :
180 kms from Ahmedabad, Ambaji is one of the most reversed temples in Gujarat during the 9 days of Navratri. Prayers are performed and dances can be witnessed in the fore-court.

Pawagadh :
Around 70 kms from Ahmedabad, the fortified hilltop temple town of Pawagadh has Kali temples worshipped by thousands of pilgrims during Navratri.

Kutch :
An overnight journey from Ahmedabad, Kutch witnesses colourful tribal and rural fairs during Navratri specially on the 7th-8th days.

Navratri is a huge affair in Mumbai and Gujarat. The metropolis has around 3,000 small and medium dandiya mandals. At least 10 mega raas garba events are held, with thousand flocking to them.
Companies fall over each other in sponsoring these events. For the people, it is one extended stretch of fun, dance and celebrations.

Snazzy ethnic clothes, fancy dandiya sticks and nimble feet are the preferred accessories for these events