Gujarat, a fascinatingly, varied, intermingled topographical landscape with villages and cities in a magnificent splendor of an amalgamation of ancient and modern architecture, mirroring the culturally diverse people comprising eras of historical incursions developments and the assimilation of color, form and the gradual settlement of various communities and cultures creating a potpourri over the years of tolerance and mutual respect. Gujarat is a richly colorful tapestry unfolding its ritualistic tradition through beliefs, styles, customs and showcasing the same in a myriad series of fairs and festivals rooted in religion, commemorating mythological lineages, honoring legendary events and the plays and prejudices of demi-gods, dealing in a variety of trade practices taking place in magnificently ornamented manifestations of ‘suks’ offering every kind of delight and entertainment, forming meeting grounds for the semi nomadic communities to cement family ties through trade links and marriages and lastly a grandly eulogized celebration of changing facades in a lunar calendar thus linking an agrarian economy together whilst paying homage to nature and marking subtly the impact of changes in climatic behavior over the landscape and a way of life affecting a yellow brick road of ancient trade routes, amidst gatherings at ‘vavs’ and oasis, time spent in the telling of tales, partaking of information, singing and dancing in a methodology of unwinding after an arduous day of travel, trade and commerce.
Through a gamut of convoluted tradition, Gujarat had a history of almost 1500 fairs and over 2000 festivals in a given year. Due to a variety of reasons, while some of them have gradually vanished into the theoretical annals of folklore and traditions, others eulogizing modernity and the changing climes have begun to spring up as replacements to the old. While religion and ritual is still the driving force, other factors include showcasing business and trade, products and implements, handicrafts and handlooms and of course fun, frolic, merry making, shopping, gossiping and the weaving of tales and the melas of today, mainly promoted by the government and through the generosity of private grants all to offer the discerning tourist a kaleidoscopic pattern of the social and cultural milieu that is Gujarat.
Diwali marks the beginning of a gamut of fairs and festivals entwined through the length and breadth of the region. Due to the Agrarian reasons defining the origins of these festivals it is also a mode of the end and the beginnings of a new cycle. Some festivals linking days in a lunar calendar are sharad purnima , this takes places on the full moon night of the Sharad Maas, and is an ancient celebration harking back to River Valley Civilizations and marks the end of the monsoon and the advent of winter. Garba and other folk songs enliven celebrations taking place all over the state. A traditional meal of dudh- poha (milk- dry rice flakes) is offered as a ritual celebration of the event. As a contrast to this on Kartik Purnima, is held one of the largest cattle fairs in the region of Ahmedabad. This is held on the night of the full moon at Vautha village approximately sixty kilometers from Ahmedabad at the sacred confluence of seven rivers. The celebrations are marked by the worship of the footprints of Karthik Swami who is supposed to have lived and preached there. Vautha’s unique distinction being the largest donkey fair patronized by select communities who trade and deal in the animals. Not only are the drays bought and sold but are bedecked in finery, beauty and each owner takes an inane pride in showing off his animal. The just concluded fair in Vautha, a fortnight ago marked a record sale of a stud donkey at Rupees eighteen thousand. Thus festivals abound and colorfully unfold weaving their way through a topographically exciting landscape of culturally diverse people that makes up the state of Gujarat!!
Through a gamut of convoluted tradition, Gujarat had a history of almost 1500 fairs and over 2000 festivals in a given year. Due to a variety of reasons, while some of them have gradually vanished into the theoretical annals of folklore and traditions, others eulogizing modernity and the changing climes have begun to spring up as replacements to the old. While religion and ritual is still the driving force, other factors include showcasing business and trade, products and implements, handicrafts and handlooms and of course fun, frolic, merry making, shopping, gossiping and the weaving of tales and the melas of today, mainly promoted by the government and through the generosity of private grants all to offer the discerning tourist a kaleidoscopic pattern of the social and cultural milieu that is Gujarat.
Diwali marks the beginning of a gamut of fairs and festivals entwined through the length and breadth of the region. Due to the Agrarian reasons defining the origins of these festivals it is also a mode of the end and the beginnings of a new cycle. Some festivals linking days in a lunar calendar are sharad purnima , this takes places on the full moon night of the Sharad Maas, and is an ancient celebration harking back to River Valley Civilizations and marks the end of the monsoon and the advent of winter. Garba and other folk songs enliven celebrations taking place all over the state. A traditional meal of dudh- poha (milk- dry rice flakes) is offered as a ritual celebration of the event. As a contrast to this on Kartik Purnima, is held one of the largest cattle fairs in the region of Ahmedabad. This is held on the night of the full moon at Vautha village approximately sixty kilometers from Ahmedabad at the sacred confluence of seven rivers. The celebrations are marked by the worship of the footprints of Karthik Swami who is supposed to have lived and preached there. Vautha’s unique distinction being the largest donkey fair patronized by select communities who trade and deal in the animals. Not only are the drays bought and sold but are bedecked in finery, beauty and each owner takes an inane pride in showing off his animal. The just concluded fair in Vautha, a fortnight ago marked a record sale of a stud donkey at Rupees eighteen thousand. Thus festivals abound and colorfully unfold weaving their way through a topographically exciting landscape of culturally diverse people that makes up the state of Gujarat!!
Published:Ahmedabad Mirror
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