The nine-day festival of Navratri that began on October 15 is being celebrated across the country with great zeal and enthusiasm. People are worshipping Maa Durga and her nine forms in different ways in various parts of the country throughout the nine days. Dandiya and garba programs are amongst the highlights of the Durga Puja celebrations. Several videos of garba performances are being shared on social media platforms that are gaining a lot of traction. One such video that has gone viral on the internet shows some women performing 'garba' on bikes and cars with swords in their hands in Gujarat's Rajkot.
The video of the celebrations said to have taken place on Tuesday, the third day of Navratri, was shared on the microblogging site X, formerly Twitter, by news agency ANI.
"Women in Rajkot perform 'Garba' on motorcycles and cars with swords in their hands, on the third of #Navratri," reads the caption of the post.
In the clip, women dressed in traditional Gujarati attire can be seen entering the venue wielding swords and waving them in the air on bikes, scoters and jeeps. The women were said to be taking part in 'Talwar Ras' or 'Sword-Wielding', a traditional culture in Gujarat.
Navaratri is often observed with fasting, believed to bring joy, prosperity, and health, as well as the strength to overcome life's challenges and adversaries.
This celebration is based on the nine incarnations of Goddess Durga, each associated with a specific day of the festival:
Day 1 – Shailaputri, Day 2 – Brahmacharini, Day 3 – Chandraghanta, Day 4 – Kushmanda, Day 5 – Skandamata, Day 6 – Katyayani, Day 7 – Kaalaratri, Day 8 – Mahagauri, Day 9 – Siddhidatri.