Garba and dandiya raas

The largest participatory dance events in the world happen over nine nights in Gujarat, and in Gujarati communities everywhere. They are also the easiest Desi dance to join with no training at all.

The two dances

	Garba	Dandiya raas
Danced with	Hands — claps and circular steps	A pair of decorated wooden sticks
Formation	Concentric circles around a centre	Two rings rotating against each other, in pairs
When	Earlier in the evening, before the aarti	After — it's faster and louder
Difficulty	Genuinely beginner-friendly	Needs a partner and a bit of timing

What's in the middle

The circles turn around a garbo — a perforated earthen pot with a lamp inside — or an image of the goddess Amba. The pot is the point: it's a body with a light in it, and the dance is performed around the divine feminine rather than for an audience. This is why garba moves anticlockwise, and why the circle is unbroken.

Navratri, briefly

Nine nights honouring the goddess in her nine forms, ending in Dussehra. Many people fast during the day — see fasting (vrat) — and dance at night; the tenth day marks Rama's victory over Ravana in the north and Durga's over Mahishasura in the east. The festival year places it in context.

What to wear

Chaniya choli for women — a mirrored, full-skirted three-piece that flares when you spin — and kediyu or kurta for men. Comfortable shoes matter more than anything, and many people dance barefoot. See what to wear when.

The overview of India's folk dances more broadly is in folk dance, and the other big circle dance is bhangra.

Traditions vary by region, gharana and teacher — where practice genuinely differs, this page says so rather than presenting one version as the rule.

See also: festival year · folk dance across south asia · what to wear when: desi occasions decoded · fasting (vrat): not simply going without

Common questions

What is the difference between garba and dandiya?

Garba is danced with the hands — clapping and circular steps around a central lamp or image — and traditionally comes first, before the aarti. Dandiya raas is danced with a pair of wooden sticks, in pairs, striking your partner's sticks in rhythm, and usually follows later in the night.

Do you need to know how to dance to join a garba?

No. The basic garba step is a repeating two or three-beat pattern with a clap, and the circle moves at a walking pace early in the evening. Standing in an outer ring and following the person in front is exactly how everyone learns, and beginners are expected.

Last updated: 2026-08-12