Editor's Letter: Navratri and Garba 2025

Dear readers,

The first time I stood at the edge of a garba circle, I did what most visitors do. I watched. I admired the colours, the mirror-work catching the light, the drummers, the way hundreds of people seemed to breathe together. And I took out my phone. It took a kind older woman, gently pulling me into the ring and showing me the simplest step, to make me understand that I had been looking at the festival from the wrong side.

That is what this issue of Travel Viewpoint is about. September 2025 brings Navratri, nine nights dedicated to the goddess in her many forms, and in Gujarat those nights are danced. Navratri this year is expected to begin around 22 September and end around 1 October, with Dussehra following on 2 October. Please do check the dates against a local calendar before you travel, because regional practice can vary by a day.

Why Navratri, why Gujarat

Navratri is celebrated across India in many ways. In Bengal it is the season of Durga Puja; in the south, families set up golu displays of dolls; in the north, Ramlila performances lead to Dussehra. In Gujarat, the festival is most visibly expressed through garba and dandiya raas, circle dances performed night after night in honour of the goddess.

In December 2023, UNESCO added the Garba of Gujarat to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. I find it moving that the recognition was for something so participatory. Garba is not a performance by a few for many. It is something an entire neighbourhood does together: grandmothers and toddlers, students and shopkeepers, all in the same circle.

The quiet idea behind this issue

You will notice a theme in these pages. We keep asking you to slow down, to step back, to join rather than watch. That is deliberate. As garba has become famous, it has also become, in some places, a large commercial event. There is nothing wrong with the big ticketed grounds; many are joyful, well run and full of devotion. But a visitor who only sees the biggest stages may miss the heart of the festival, which often beats in a housing-society courtyard, a village square or a temple compound.

So we have tried to write an issue that helps you find both. You will find advice on Ahmedabad and Vadodara, the two cities most associated with Navratri, and a story about a village celebration. You will find practical pieces on clothing, food, tickets and photography. And you will find, I hope, a recurring reminder that this is worship first.

What I hope you will take with you

I hope you will learn at least one step before you go. The basic garba step, a simple pattern of claps and turns, can be picked up in an evening by watching or by asking a friend. Many neighbourhoods and cultural groups run practice sessions in the weeks before Navratri; we suggest asking your hosts whether there is one you can join.

I hope you will not try to attend all nine nights. Dancing for hours is wonderful and exhausting. Our first-timer’s guide suggests a rhythm of nights out and nights off, and I think it is wise.

I hope you will eat well. Many Gujaratis fast during the day, and the food of Navratri, from farali dishes to late-night snacks, is a world of its own. Our food piece explores it gently, without naming stalls that may not be there next year.

I hope you will think before you film. Our piece on clothing and filming is frank about this. A circle of dancers is not a set. Some participants prefer not to be photographed, especially women and girls, and their wishes come first.

And I hope you will give back. Spend your money in the neighbourhoods that welcome you. Thank the musicians. Leave the ground cleaner than you found it.

A word about what we have not included

We have not listed ticket prices, event timings or the names of specific organisers, venues or businesses. These change every year, and we do not want to send you to a ground that has moved or a price that has doubled. Instead we explain how things generally work and suggest how to check the latest information. Where we mention facts such as distances or dates, we have tried to give approximate figures and to flag anything you should confirm.

A note on safety

Large gatherings late at night require some care. Plan how you will get home, keep your phone charged, stay with your group, and keep an eye on children. Police and organisers in Gujarat’s cities typically put considerable effort into managing Navratri crowds, but it is still sensible to follow their instructions, avoid crushes at entrances and exits, and drink plenty of water.

Thank you

This issue was a joy to put together, and I am grateful to everyone who shared their memories of Navratri with us, from friends who grew up in Ahmedabad’s pols to readers who danced their first garba only last year.

If you go this year, I hope you find a circle that pulls you in, a rhythm your feet remember, and a morning after that is quiet enough to remember it all.

Shubh Navratri,

Khushi Anand
Editor, Travel Viewpoint

How to read this issue

Start with the issue index if you want an overview. If you are planning travel, the news page on dates and tickets and the first-timer’s guide are the most practical. If you want to understand the festival better before you go, read the etiquette piece and the village story. And if you are a photographer, please read our photography piece before you pack your lenses.

One more thought

Every festival changes, and Navratri is no exception. Music styles evolve, venues come and go, and each generation adds something. What seems to endure is the circle itself: people moving together around a lamp, in the dark, for the goddess and for each other. That, more than any stage, is what I hope you will see.