Raas/Dandiya Raas Dance

The origin of these dances can be traced back to the life of Lord Krishna. Today, Raas is not only an important part of Navaratri in Gujarat but extends itself to other festivals related to harvest and crops as well. It is associated with scenes of Holi, and lila of Krishna and Radha at Vrindavan. Along with Garba, it is the featured dance of Navratri evenings in Western India. During Navratri festival, in most of the cities of Gujarat people gather and perform Garba dance – an event that is becoming increasingly popular in countries with large Gujarati-speaking communities around the world, such as Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.