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Travelling is such a delight. More so when you travel to various states of the country. Our country is huge and so is the range of diversity. Each state has something different to offer in terms of culture which is an all inclusive term in itself. This time round, I got a chance to visit Gujarat again. They say it is at its best during Navratri. I had been harbouring this desire for quite a while and at last my wish was fulfilled. Not only did I experience Gujarat's rich culture but I also had an opportunity to relive my past, that is to say, I had a chance to meet my best friend whom I hadn't seen for long. 

Navratri was just an excuse to reminisce about the good old past that we had shared together. Meeting friends does mean a lot of old stories being retold. While all these years have passed by, there are a lot of things that have changed in her and in me but the thing that remains intact even after this time gap is our ability to laugh at anything and everything. Getting together with my friend is always accompanied by bouts of laughter and uncontrollable giggles. She is now almost completely transformed into a Gujarati, at least the way she speaks, no one can deny that she does not hail from the state. 

My friend introduced me to a Gujarati dish mainly eaten on Dussehra. If on the day of Dussehra, you happen to miss the effigy burning of Ravan, it wouldn't affect the Gujaratis as much as missing the typical Fafda Jalebi. No Fafda Jalebi means no Dussehra, so I have been told. One thing I became fond of during my stay is the variation one gets in food items in Gujarati cuisine especially in snacks known as Farsan. Even the variety of Sweet Paan that you would find here is unimaginable. 

It is really fascinating to hear Gujarati language. My friend used to tell me it sounds very desi. After listening to it, I would agree with her completely. It does have a desi feel about it. Being a hindiphone, I did not find it difficult to understand the language except for a few situations where I might have missed out the meanings. Even the script is not that complicated to read.

Food and language were the principal features of my visit. But wait! How can I take the liberty of not mentioning the mesmerizing ambiance of Garba. Navratri is the nine day celebration where people dancebGarba to the tunes of Gujarati songs. Even if you are not on the dance grounds, you would see people all dressed up for the Garba nights on the road. This is enough to give a feel of what it is like to be in Gujarat. In the eveneing, the whole city turns out to be participating in a fancy dress competition or in a costume party. After having roamed around in the streets, if you get a chance to go to the Garba venues, you would remain ecstatic through out. People dancing in groups with their fancy costumes on. A veritable delight is to watch the boys dance with fervour. They dress up in the traditional attire, not all of them, however. They dance on the rhythm of the songs played, enjoying themselves to the core, matching up with the dances steps of the group.    

Once you happen to visit Gujarat during Navratri, you are bound to get addicted to come back again and again for the celebration. It had been amazing fun with my friend, food, fancy dress and foreign to me but a desi language.

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