The Big Garba was celebrated on 14 April and 21 April and is also planned for 1st May on the occasion of Gujarat Day in Central London.
To Celebrate the UNESCO Status of Garba, British Women in Sarees (Dr Dipti Jain, Chairperson)in collaboration with Inspiring Indian Women ( Founder and CEO Rashmi Mishra) and National Council of Gujarati organisations with the support of 70 organisations brought together 250 Dancers from all walks of Life all ages Professionals to participate in this beautiful form of Dance and performed on unique venues like London Tower Bridge, King’s Cross station and other iconic places.
Garba is a dance that honours, worships, and celebrates the feminine form of divinity. The word "garba" comes from the Sanskrit word garbha, meaning "womb." Traditionally, the dance is performed by women in a circle around a clay lantern with a light inside, called a garbha deep ("womb lamp").
Garba is performed in a circle representing the Hindu view of time. In Hinduism, time is cyclical. As the cycle of time revolves, from birth to life to death to rebirth, the only constant thing is the Goddess, an unmoving symbol in the midst of all of this unending and infinite movement. The dance symbolises that God, represented in feminine form in this case, is the only thing that remains unchanging in a constantly changing universe (jagat).
It was also a part of an Educational Project to bring communities other than the Gujaratis to explore this unique dance style and many of the participants through this event were able to experience for the first time we had participants from all states of India settled in the United Kingdom.
This event has sent a strong message of our varied and rich cultural heritage and enjoyed by many other communities and nationalities who enjoyed and danced with us and will take home the images of colourful celebrations of India.
One of the participants, Akansha Shukla told the newsweekly, "Garba isn't just a dance; it's a tapestry of tradition woven with every step. Choreographing the garba event for the Gujarati community at The Scoop, London is a journey of preserving heritage while embracing the spirit of togetherness and festivity. Each swirl of the steps and every rhythm resonates with the rich cultural essence of Gujarat, creating an unforgettable experience for performers and spectators alike.""The BIG Garba was truly an immersive experience. Being a Tamil girl from Chennai, I felt overwhelmed not only to be a part of this huge event, I was honoured to help the team with the simple choreography up to my knowledge of Garba. With just the virtual practice sessions the outcome that you all witnessed is truly BIG!" Padmavathy Kannan founder of Ananda Nadanalaya, a Bharatnatyam dance school, Reading told Asian Voice.
