culture of Gujarat, tradition of Gujarat

CULTURE OF GUJARAT: ABOUT TRADITION AND LIFESTYLE

3 years ago

Gujarat is derived from the word ‘Gurjara’ apparently a subtribe of the Huns who earlier ruled the area during the 8th and 9th centuries.

The State of Gujarat is situated on the western coast of India. The population in the State of Gujarat is approximately 60.4 million. It ranks ninth in the list for the largest population. Gujarat has Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to the South, Rajasthan to its Northeast, Madhya Pradesh to its East, and Maharashtra to the Southeast and Pakistan Province of Sindh and the Arabian Sea to the West. The capital city of the State of Gujarat is Gandhinagar. Ahmedabad is the largest state in Gujarat. Gujarati is the official language of the State. It is considered to be most industrially developed and also is a manufacturing hub of India.

The state of Gujarat has few Ancient sites as well, for instance, Gola Dhoro, Lothal and Dholavira. Lothal is considered to be one of the first seaports of the world. In the Gupta and Maurya empires, coastal cities Khambhat and Bharuch served as the trading centers and ports and also during the Western Satraps Era – the succession of royal Saka dynasties. The State of Gujarat doesn’t promote the sale of alcohol. Gir Forest located in Gujarat is home to the only wild population of the endangered Asiatic lions in the world.

Gujarat holds a leading position in the industrial and manufacturing field. Gujarati people are undoubtedly born with business skills giving them an opportunity for being self-reliant whenever in need.

CULTURE OF GUJARAT

Origin of the Gujarati’s lies with Indo – Asian and out of which 20% constitute the tribal group, namely, Macchi – Kharwa, Kolis, Bhils, Dhubla, Naikda. They still are the inhabitants of the State of Gujarat. Gujarat is known for its rich cultural heritage and diverse traditions. It is a beautiful blend of Islam, Hinduism, Buddism, and Jainism which gives a vibrant tough to their culture. They don’t step back from transferring their cultural ideologies to the coming generations. They prefer to keep their ancestral ideologies alive. Be it Gujaratis or their food you will find both of them very sweet. They build their relations and network with their sweet language. Their “Kem Cho mota bhai ?” ( which translates: how are you, big brother? ) can heal everything. Their mind always runs around doing business. A Gujarati is a born businessman/businesswoman. They are very calculative about everything in their lives. They are very friendly and talkative people for instance if you are traveling in a train and have Gujarati besides  you you will never get bored and also will never feel hungry because “jya Gujarati tya khavanu toh hoy aj” (which translates to: where there are Gujaratis there is food )

Gujaratis never go anywhere without food – oh no lots of food khakhra fafda thepla “toh joiye aj saathe” ( which translates to: food is a must )

LIFESTYLE OF GUJARATIS

Picture via Internet

Gujaratis traditional outfits are kediya for men and chaniya choli for women. These clothes have mirror work, beadwork, and embroidery on them. There are different works on clothes such as patola and bandhani.

Another important part of the costume of Gujaratis is their ornaments. The jewelry they wear stand out. Chain, earrings, bangles, key rings, and necklaces are beautiful and attractive. While men rely on the gold chains, turban, and rings to adorn themselves. Women in rural areas use silver metallic ornaments which today is a fashion statement as well. Jewelry is crafted with close detailing which makes it look appealing and gorgeous.

Their traditional cuisine consists of roti vegetable rice Dal farsan sweet and chaas (buttermilk) for lunch (chaas is the heart of a Gujarati Thali). Their dinner includes bhakri or khichdi-kadhi. Along with these papad pickles chutney are also eaten.

TRADITIONS OF GUJARAT

Picture via Internet

Navratri – “Aee halloo”, the most celebrated festival of Gujarat. It’s a nine days festival of goddess Durga and people celebrate it by doing dandiya and Garba throughout the nine days tenure by putting on their traditional clothes.

RANN UTSAV: Picture via Internet

Rann Utsav – celebrated every year at the Great Rann of Kutch.  The festival reflects Gujarati folk culture. You can enjoy everything from Gujarati cuisine to food to culture. Also, you can enjoy the experience of staying in tents in deserts

Picture via Internet

Uttarayan – “Kai Po Che” is all you can hear. It’s also known as the kite festival. In this festival, all people come on their terrace from morning till night and fly kites. After sunset sky lanterns are released and it’s a beautiful scene to watch hundreds of them in the sky. There’s music and cheers and happiness everywhere. On this day people even have their food on the terrace to enjoy seeing the colorful kites and also so that t

Chanchal Vinod

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *