The culture of Gujarat refers to the heritage and traditions of Gujarat.
Gujarati engagement ceremony Gol Dhana () is a Gujarati tradition in which jaggery and coriander seeds are eaten to celebrate a couple's engagement. They are distributed to the guests of the ceremony by the family of the groom. The giving of Gol Dhana symbolizes auspicious beginnings.
Gujarati Hindu wedding ceremony
Marriage is a highly auspicious occasion in Indian culture. According to the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures, marriage is a sacred, lifelong commitment that unites two souls. It is considered to be the strongest of all social bonds and is the initiation into a lifetime of togetherness.
The Vedic wedding ceremony consists of prayers, invocations, and vows recited in Sanskrit, the most ancient surviving language. The Vedic wedding ceremony dates back to over five thousand years and is performed under a decorated canopy, the mandap. The four pillars that surround the mandap represent the parents of the bride and groom. This signifies the important part they have played in raising their children to become the responsible adults they are today. The ceremony is performed before a sacred fire, or agniaa, which is the eternal witness of the marriage, and all vows are taken.
Parts of the ceremony Every Hindu ceremony begins with the worship of Lord Ganesha, the deity of peace and wisdom. This is done so that people can find strength within themselves to remove any obstacles that may arise.
Varghodo (Wedding Procession) The original form of a barat is a procession from the groom's house to the bride's house for the wedding ceremony. The wedding day begins with the Mangal-Vadya, the playing of the Shehnai (a traditional wind instrument) and the Dhol (an Indian drum).
Swagatam (Welcoming the groom and his family) The groom and his family are greeted at the doors of the mandir (temple) by the bride's parents and family. The mother of the bride then greets and welcomes the groom and his family into her own family. She blesses the groom by placing a tilak (a red dot) on his forehead. The groom is then led to the mandap, where the wedding ceremony will take place.
Ganesh Puja (The worship of Lord Ganesh)
Madhuparka (Welcoming the groom) While the groom is sitting under the mandap, the madhuparka is performed where his feet are washed by the bride's parents. He is then offered panchamrut, a drink composed of milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and sugar.
Kanyaa Daan (Giving away of the daughter) The bride accepts her change of status from an unmarried woman to a wife by spreading turmeric powder on her hands. Kanya Daan is performed by the father (or uncle or guardian) of the bride in the presence of a large gathering that is invited to witness the wedding.
Vivaaha (Wedding) The bride and the groom face each other, and the priest ties their garments (the bride's saree to the groom's shirt) in a knot, symbolizing the sacred union—the bride and the groom garland each other and exchange the rings. Next, the nuptial fire, symbolizing the divine witness, and the sanctifier of the sacrament, is installed and worshipped.
Both the bride and the groom grasp their hands together and pray to God for His blessings. Samagree, consisting of crushed sandalwood, herbs, sugar, rice, ghee (clarified butter), and twigs, is offered into the sacred fire to seek God's blessings for the couple.
Mangal Phera (Circumambulation of the sacred fire) The groom holds the bride by the hand, and both walk four times around the sacred fire. Both offer oblations and recite appropriate Vedic hymns to Gods for prosperity, good fortune, and conjugal fidelity. They touch each other's hearts and pray for the union of their hearts and minds.
Saptapadi (Seven sacred steps) This is the most important rite of the entire ceremony. Here the bride and the groom take seven steps together around the sacred fire (Agni) and make the following seven promises to each other: As per the Vedic rituals, the groom sings, "With God as our guide, let us take":
The first step to nourish each other The second step to grow together in strength The third step to preserve our wealth The fourth step to share our joys and sorrows The fifth step to care for our children The sixth step to be together forever The seventh step to remain lifelong friends The perfect halves to make a perfect whole!
The Satapadi ceremony concludes with a prayer that the union is indissoluble. At the end of this ceremony, the groom and the bride become husband and wife.
Mangal Sutra The Mangal Sutra Dharana is the tying of the thread containing the marks of the Vishnu or Shiva on the neck of the bride by the groom.
Suhaag or Sindhoordana The groom places sindoor (red powder) on the bride's hair, symbolizing her as a married woman.
Aashirvaad (Blessing)
The groom's parents bless the couple and offer clothes or flowers to the bride, symbolizing her joining the groom's family. All those assembled at the ceremony shower flowers on the couple and blessed them completing the marriage.
Music and dance
The traditional folk dance forms include Garba, Dandiya Raas, Tippani, Padhar, Sidi, and Dangi.
Dandiya Raas Dandiya Raas is a romantic, very energetic, colourful, and playful dance originating in the state of Gujarat. Its roots lay from the days of Lord Krishna, who played raas on the shores of Yamuna river on a moonlit night with his beloved Gopis.
Men and women dressed in colorful clothes dance in two concentric circles - one moving clockwise, one moving counter-clockwise. Men and women carry two bamboo sticks called dandiyas in their hands. In addition to footwork, one of the most enjoyable parts of this dance is the creative use of dandiyas.
The song sung on occasion is essentially an amorous one. Raas is a very playful dance providing the opportunity for acting and exchanging messages through eye contact. It is no wonder that many romances bloom during Navratri and hence the popularity of the dance among the younger generation.
Garba Garba is a very graceful form of dance mainly performed by females in a circular formation. It is in reverences of goddess Ambaji. The basics of the dance are singing and clapping rhythmically while going around the goddess. Today many modifications are prevalent to the basic pattern, and even men are free to join in. Women are dressed in exquisitely embroidered, set in mirrors cholis, ghaghras, and bandhani dupattas! Extensive jewelry in the form of necklaces, bracelets and anklets are also worn. The typical dress code of men is kehediyu, chudidar, and a turban.
Garbi Originally men used to perform this dance. It was on the way back from a battle that the victorious army would start dancing to couplets and amorous songs sung by the Charanswar, or the narrators who used to go to the front to raise the spirit during the battle by singing songs of valour. The dance was characteristic for its forceful movements, which would fascinate viewers. Today, however, even females participate in the dance.
Padhar It is performed by a rural community living around Nal Lake. In it, performers simulate the rhythmic movements of roving mariners and the undulating sea waves. The Bhil tribes, who live close to border tracts, and the Adivasis of Dangs district, have particularly lively folk dances.
Theatre
The traditional forms of theatre include Bhavai and Akhyana.
Gujarati cinema
Before the arrival of talkies, there were several silent films that were closely related to Gujarati people and culture. Many film directors, producers, and actors who are associated with silent films were Gujarati and Parsi. There were twenty leading film companies and studios owned by Gujaratis between 1913 and 1931. They were mostly located in Bombay (now Mumbai). There were at least forty-four leading Gujarati directors during this period.
The Gujarati cinema dates back to 9 April 1932, when the first Gujarati film Narsinh Mehta was released. Leeludi Dharti (1968) was the first colour film of Gujarati cinema. After flourishing through the 1960s to 1980s, the industry saw a decline. The industry is revived in recent times. The film industry has produced more than one thousand films since its inception. In 2005, the Government of Gujarat announced a 100% entertainment tax exemption for Gujarati films.
Gujarati cinema is chiefly based on scripts from mythology to history and social to political. Since its origin, Gujarati cinema has experimented with stories and issues from Indian society. The films are generally targeted at the rural audience but after recent revival also caters audience with urban subjects.
Languages of Gujarat Gujarat is inhabited by people belonging to varied castes, religions, and communities. Due to that, a number of varied languages are spoken in the state. The official language of the state is Gujarati. It is an Indo-Aryan language derived from Sanskrit. Gujarati is the 26th-most widely spoken language in the world. In addition, it has eleven dialects, spoken in different parts of the state.
Gujarat shares its borders with the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Therefore, there is a small population that speaks the respective languages of the different states also, namely Marwari, Hindi, and Marathi. Apart from this, Urdu and Sindhi are also spoken in Gujarat. Kutch is one of the important areas in the state. It has an independent identity and is growing popular among tourists. The mother tongue of the people of Kutch is Kachchi. It is an important language of the region.
Another part of Gujarat is Saurashtra, which is also referred to as West Gujarat or Kathiyawad. The mother tongue of these people is Kathiyawadi Gujarati which is spoken in seven different districts in Saurashtra. Rajkot is the financial capital of Saurashtra. Saurashtra is also known for giving many saints and great men like Mahatma Gandhi. The young population migrated to different cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara due to employment problems.
Literature
Gujarati literature's history may be traced to 1000 AD. Since then, literature has flourished till date. Well-known laureates of Gujarati literature are Hemchandracharya, Narsinh Mehta, Mirabai, Akho, Premanand Bhatt, Shamal Bhatt, Dayaram, Dalpatram, Narmad, Govardhanram Tripathi, Mahatma Gandhi, K. M. Munshi, Umashankar Joshi, Suresh Joshi, Pannalal Patel, and Rajendra Keshavlal Shah .
Kavi Kant and Kalapi are famous Gujarati poets.
Gujarat Vidhya Sabha, Gujarat Sahitya Sabha, and Gujarati Sahitya Parishad are Ahmedabad based literary institutions promoting the spread of Gujarati literature. Saraswatichandra is a landmark novel by Govardhanram Tripathi. Writers like Suresh Dalal, Jyotindra Dave, Tarak Mehta, Harkisan Mehta, Chandrakant Bakshi, Vinod Bhatt, Kanti Bhatt, Makarand Dave, and Varsha Adalja have influenced Gujarati thinkers.
A huge contribution to Gujarati language literature came from the Swaminarayan paramhanso, like Bramhanand, Premanand, with prose like Vachanamrut and poetry in the form of bhajans.
Gujarati theatre owes a lot to bhavai. Bhavai is a musical performance of stage plays. Ketan Mehta and Sanjay Leela Bhansali explored the artistic use of bhavai in films such as Bhavni Bhavai, Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India! and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Dayro (gathering) involves singing and conversation, reflecting on human nature.
Religions In Gujarat, there has been several great religious figures. Sant Dadu Dayal (1554–1660) a saint-poet and a major Bhakti figure from Ahmedabad, treated equally both Rama as names of God and became popular in Northern India. He wrote, "The illusion of Rama hath been dispelled by my mind; since I see Thee in all."p. 400 History of Medieval India By S. Chand
Gujarat is also the home of Gandhi, who preached unity between all religions and became a worldwide figure for peaceful struggle against tyranny.
Hinduism