Garba: The Womb of Devotion and the Dance of the Divine
Garba , the soul-stirring circular dance of Gujarat, is far more than festive rhythm—it is a living ritual, a celebration of Shakti , and a symbolic enactment of life’s eternal cycle . Etymology and Symbolism The word Garba stems from the Sanskrit Garbha , meaning womb—the source of life, the vessel of creation. At the centre of every Garba performance lies the Garbha Deep , a lamp placed inside a perforated earthen pot. This lamp is no ordinary light—it represents the unmoving divine , the eternal soul , surrounded by the ever-turning wheel of time. “The dancers revolve, but the lamp remains still—like the soul untouched by the dance of life and death.” The circular formation of Garba dancers mirrors the cyclinal nature of existence: birth, death, and rebirth. It is a visual mantra, a moving mandala, where the goddess is both the centre and the circumference. “As the rings of dancers revolve, the Goddess remains the still centre—the eternal constant in a changin...