The folk dance festivities for Gujarati Mandal of Central Ohio's (GMOCO) annual flagship event - Garba & Dandiya Festival are set to unfold on October 4 and 5, marking a tradition that has graced our community for 57 incredible years. The largest community Garba & Dandiya festival in Ohio will be hosted in the heart of Central Ohio, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The nightingale of Gujarati folk dance music - Vatsala Patil and her group will be performing live at the event. The Garba & Dandiya folks dances are performed during the Navratri festival.

The five special activities at Garba & Dandiya Festival 2024 are designed to enhance your experience:

• Garba & Dandiya Workshop: Free lessons in Gujarati folk dance for all age groups in the two weeks leading up to the event. Learn more: https://gmoco.org/gdw 
• Cultural Ambassador: Our members have the opportunity to extend a warm welcome to someone of non-Asian Indian heritage to join the festivities, with their entry ticket graciously covered by GMOCO. Discover more: https://gmoco.org/ca 
• Folk Dance Showcase: Experience the vibrant energy, excitement, and colors of Gujarati culture at our Folk Dance Showcase featuring a series of curated performances, highlighting the rhythmic beauty of traditional dances like Garba and Raas. 
• Junior Garba Jam: A kid-friendly zone specially designed for our young folk dance enthusiasts, complete with dedicated instructors. Explore further: https://gmoco.org/jgj
• Kanya Puja: Participate in the auspicious ceremony celebrating the feminine power on the first day of Navratri, Saturday, October 5. Additional info: https://gmoco.org/kp

The Gujarati Mandal of Central Ohio (GMOCO) is a vibrant cultural non-profit organization committed to preserving and promoting the rich heritage of Gujarat in Central Ohio. Established in 1967 as a 501(c) (3) organization, GMOCO has been a cornerstone for over 1000 families, fostering a sense of community and cultural pride.

Our mission is to sustain and propagate the Gujarati (Asian-Indian) culture through a variety of social, educational, and traditional events. We strive to provide a platform for cultural expression and community engagement, ensuring that the rich traditions of Gujarat are passed down to future generations.

The President's Charter for 2023-2024 emphasizes a commitment to enhancing community engagement, fostering cultural education, and expanding outreach. GMOCO aims to unite Gujarati groups and enhance cultural awareness. This vision includes strengthening partnerships with local organizations, increasing participation in our events, and promoting the richness of Gujarati heritage.

Through the collective efforts of our dedicated members and volunteers, GMOCO continues to be a beacon of cultural preservation and community spirit in Central Ohio. Join us as we celebrate our heritage, embrace our values, and build a stronger, more connected community.

Folk dancing is an integral part of any celebration in the Gujarati culture and Garba is the go-to dance. Garba is performed in a circular pattern and characterized by a sweeping action from side to side. The dancers move counterclockwise in circles and if space is constrained dancers form concentric circles with their unique sequence of steps but in the same rhythm as everyone else.

Dandiya-Raas is performed by dancers using decorated wooden sticks called dandiyas, striking them together in harmony with the music. This dance symbolizes the playful time between Krishna and the gopis. With its vibrant costumes and infectious rhythm, Dandiya Raas brings people together in a festive and joyous celebration embodying the energy, excitement, and colors of Gujarati tradition.

Navratri means nine nights. Nava means nine, and ratri means night. The feminine divinity in the form of Nava Durga is celebrated during Navratri. The Garba & Dandiya folk dances are performed during the nine days of Navratri. These folk dances are popular all over India and around the world especially for their unique dance format, energy, costume, and significance.  It has a profound spiritual significance that celebrates fertility, honors womanhood and pays respect to an array of mother goddesses.

The significance of each day of Navratri is attached to a form of the divine mother.

1. On the first day of Navratri, we propitiate Devi Shailaputri so that we may also attain the highest state of consciousness.
2. On the second day, we worship Devi Brahmacharini so that we may meditate and explore our inner divinity.
3. The third day is dedicated to Devi Chandraghanta so that we may try to withdraw from the quirks of the mind, with a single focus on the divine mother.
4. The fourth day is dedicated to Devi Kushmanda so that we may receive her divine energy that helped manifest this entire universe in the form of the cosmic egg (hiranyagarbha).
5. On the fifth day, Devi Skandmata is worshipped so that the motherly aspect of Parvati brings us an abundance of wisdom, wealth, power, prosperity and liberation.
6. On the sixth day, Devi Katyayani is invoked to put an end to all our inner foes that are a hindrance on the path of our spiritual elevation.
7. The seventh day is dedicated to Devi Kalratri, who brings solace, rest, and comfort to our souls.
8. On the eighth day, Devi Mahagauri is celebrated who represents the beautiful and serene aspect of mother nature. She is the energy that propels our lives and liberates us.

The ninth day is dedicated to Devi Siddhidatri who helps bring perfection in life. She takes us beyond the ever-reasoning logical mind to explore the realm beyond time and space.

The Garba & Dandiya Festival, organized by the local cultural non-profit Gujarati Mandal of Central Ohio (GMOCO.org), began with a few families in the late 1960s and now attracts over 2,500 attendees from diverse backgrounds. This beloved festival has allowed multiple generations to connect with their rich cultural heritage through vibrant and energetic folk dances, which are popular across India and globally. Known for their unique dance format, colorful costumes, and deep spiritual significance, this festival celebrates fertility, honors womanhood, and pays respect to various mother goddesses. GMOCO’s Garba & Dandiya Festival proudly continues this 1,000-year-old tradition.

Vatsala Patil is one of the most Iconic Gujarati Folk singers from Gujarat, India. Her passion for singing and life long journey of recording over 8000 songs has earned her the title - nightingale of Gujarati folk dance music.

The Gujarati language, culture, and music are deeply rooted in Vatsala Patil’s heart. She is one of the most popular and successful folk singers from Gujarat. Most of her 8000 songs are in Gujarati language. Her depth in music and love for it in her heart is truly depicted in her voice. With the mission to promote Gujarati folk music around the world, she has performed in several countries including USA, UK, Oman and Hong Kong.

Vatsala Patil has been a playback singer for more than 80 Gujarati films and has received the best playback singer’s award for her song in the film Vichhudo. She has extended her string of awards by recently achieving the best playback singer’s 7 award 2010 for her song in the Gujarati movie Vichhudo, Nadie Nahva Gai Ti, Badiyabapji, Sajan ne Sathware. She has performed in a number of shows all telecasted by GTV, ETV, Doordarshan, DD2. Some of her popular hit tracks are Mahisagar ni aare, O raj Re, Pattana etc.

Vatsala Patil is a commerce graduate from the M S University of Vadodara and served as the superintendent at the Central Excise & Customs Department. In addition to her passion for singing Vatsala has played field hockey in her teen years and participated in various state, national and international tournaments. She led the state of Gujarat field hockey team seven times.