Nine nights of devotion to the goddess, with and dancing in streets and grounds from dusk until late.
The story
- means nine nights, honouring the goddess Durga in her nine forms and celebrating the victory of good over evil.
- In Gujarat the nights become , a circle dance to the , and with sticks.
What happens
- First night
Nine nights begin
starts and grounds open for the evening.
- ,
The final nights
The last two nights. follows the next day in most of India; West Bengal and Mysuru mark a day later.
Where it happens
What to eat
Fasting-friendly food: sabudana khichdi, batata vada and farali pattice.
Stalls around the garba grounds.
Ahmedabad's old square turns into a late-night food market.
Manek Chowk, Ahmedabad, late at night.
Crisp gram-flour fafda with hot jalebi: how Gujarat breaks the Navratri fast on Dussehra morning.
Sweet shops across Gujarat, open through the night before Dussehra.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable footwear: you will be dancing for hours.
- Big commercial grounds sell passes; neighbourhood are open to all.
- Dancing runs late, so plan your ride home.
Organised by
Community celebration (neighbourhood garba committees and clubs)
There's no single organiser. Local committees, temples and families make it happen, so welcome and etiquette matter more than tickets.