Navratri and Dandia Raas comes to an end in grandeur…

Youth dancing to glory in a Navratri Garba organised at Dhobighat, Vakola

Navratri Festival, which is celebrated at the beginning of Autumn in Mumbai, represents a celebration of the Goddess Durga, the manifestation of the Deity in the form of Shakti or energy/power. Navaratri is a nine day festival that honors the Mother Goddess in all her manifestations, including Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. It's a festival full of worship and dance. The festival culminates with Dussehra, the victory of good over evil, on the tenth day. Navaratri is celebrated with nine nights of dancing. The traditional dances of Gujarat, known as garba and dandiya raas, are performed in circles with dancers dressed up in colorful clothes. Small, decorated sticks called dandiyas are used in the dandiya raas. In Mumbai, dancing takes over stadiums and clubs throughout the city. While some of it has retained a traditional flavor, the introduction of disco dandiya has given Mumbai's Navaratri celebrations a glamorous and modern twist. Over the course of the nine days, the Mother Goddess is worshiped in her various forms. Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Each goddess is worshiped for three days in turn, starting with Durga who destroys negative tendencies. Next is Lakshmi who bestows good virtues and fortune, and last is Saraswati, who instills wisdom and spiritual knowledge. The worship, accompanied by fasting, takes place in the mornings. Evenings are for feasting and dancing. Nowadays, people unleash their dancing to a fusion of remixed beats and loud Hindi pop music.