Published 10:57 IST, October 6th 2019
Navratri: Gujaratis organise Garba Raas in Antananarivo, Madagascar
The Gujarati community in Antananarivo, Madagascar organised Garba Raas and Dandiya night events to celebrate the festival of Navaratri with the community
- World News
- 2 min read
The Gujarati community in Madagascar has organised Garba and Dandiya nights to celebrate the festival of Navaratri. ANI reported that the community members in Antananarivo, Madagascar were seen sporting bright lehenga cholis and colourful dandiya sticks at the event. The thumping music at the event gripped the city with Dandia fever. Madagascar is home to a significant number of Gujaratis, a part of the Indian diaspora who mostly reside in cities like Antananarivo, Antsiranana, and Mahajunga, since more than a century.
Gujaratis - a major part of Madagascar’s society
Gujaratis occupy a significant place in the society and economy of Madagascar. Apart from the Khojas, Bohras, Ismailis, Sunnis and other Hindus make a total of nearly 25000 of the total population. A Hindu temple is also under construction in Madagascar’s Antananarivo. The construction of this temple, in an area of 6000 square meters, is likely to be completed by the end of this year.
Garba wearing PM Modi’s mask
As the spirit of the Navratri festival in India is escalating in all the creative ways, a group of people in Surat were seen performing Garba wearing PM Modi’s masks. Apart from this, the youngsters in Surat were also seen painting tattoos on their bodies to raise awareness on various social issues during Navratri. The Modi fandom was seen painting their body with the portraits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump during preparations for Navratri.
Garba to increase road safety awareness
A group of people were seen performing Garba at the VR mall in Surat on September 30. The group members explained that "Wearing helmet and seatbelt is for one's own safety and it should be followed by all. It should not be a forceful action by the government as it does not benefit them in any way. People should make it a habit to wear a helmet and seatbelt so that they can enjoy all the festivals for a longer time in their life".
(With ANI Inputs)
Updated 17:08 IST, October 6th 2019