Rajasthan resonates with the thumping beats of dandiya during the colorful celebrations of Navratri. An idolization of nari-shakti, the dandiya epitomizes the victory of good over evil. It reincarnates the slaying of Mahishasura by Devi Durga.

Varicolored sticks, beautiful traditional costumes comprising ballooning skirts and ornate blouses embellished with lovely embroidery and mirror craft, eye-catching accessories, foot tapping music, electrifying atmosphere- dandiya is marked by verve and celebration of life. The dhol, in accompaniment with several other musical instruments, jazzes up a dandiya ceremony.

This popular dance form, that has undergone massive metamorphosis in the twenty first century, thanks to the media boom, dates back to the era of the Blue God Krishna. It is no wonder then that romance is an integral part of the celebrations.

In the land of sands and forts, dandiya is also celebrated as the harvest festival. The thumping beats of the 'meddale', is an integral part of the dandiya jubilations in Rajasthan.

Though ‘garba’ and 'dandiya' have several points in common, minor differences lend them distinctive characteristics. While the dandiya celebrations ensue after the performance of the ritual of ‘aarti’, garba is performed prior to it.

The dandiya jubilations have undergone a complete overhaul in the hey days of marketing and packaging. Colorful advertisements are splashed all across the newspapers and websites. Dandiya has been rechristened as dandiya night. Bollywood chartbusters, top o f the line singers, the latest western wear clad gyrating bodies, disco dandiya, media frenzy- dandiya has indeed come a long way since the days of Lord Krishna. Rajasthan is no exception to this mood of euphoria. Dandiya in Rajasthan is an affair to remember. It is the perfect fodder for your shutterbugs, that is guaranteed to leave an indelible impression on your minds.