While the days are filled with devotion towards the deity, the nights are vibrant, reflecting the festive spirit at its peak. People all over the country observe fasts on all nine days of the festival and pay regular visits to temples. The Navratri festival is celebrated to pay homage to the nine incarnations of Mata Ambe, the Mother Goddess. As for sticks, they are traditionally made of bamboo. The uniqueness of dandiya from the rest of the Indian dance forms is the use of colourful, musical sticks, its dress code, the scope it offers for improvisation, innovation and creativity, and the massive number of dancers in any single programme. According to the dance setting, two circles are formed by the dancers.Äandiya the folk dance is a very energetic and playful dance providing opportunity for acting and exchanging messages through eye contact. Dandiya Ras involves a huge number of people at a time. The performers hold sticks in both their hands and strike them together on the beats of the musical instruments. The sticks are made of bamboo which is painted in different colors to make them look attractive. It is for this reason this dance is also called the 'Stick Dance'. The wooden sticks are used as prop and are beautifully decorated. The special feature of the Dandiya dance is the colorful attire worn by the dancers and the colorful sticks carried by them. Dandia is a dance form usually performed in a group, by both men and women.
It is a special feature of the Navratri festival. Dandiya Raas is the most popular dance of not only Gujarat but also all the states throughout India.