Be ‘Dandiya’ Ready

Dandiya nights are about joy of dancing together, opportunity to spend time with friends, and also a reason to shop for the traditional look.

In addition to Gujaratis who do not miss dandiya/garba this season, there are several others who have adapted the tradition and dance through the nights in their traditional best. The ideal wear are the Chaniya Cholis in bright colours for women and Kedias for men. Chaniya Cholis are hand embroidered and embedded with mirrors, shells and anything that goes with it. Of late women experiment with decorative Gujarati accessories with modern touch.

There are many stores in Hyderabad that stock the best possible for the season. “I buy ghagra choli every year. We get amazing ghagras at Kutch Kala Darshan, Sultan Bazaar. I have been buying from this store since six years and I heard that this store in Hanuman Vyayam Shala Complex is 25-years-old and you get all embroidery, mirror work and cowrie work dresses. I want to look traditional on all these nine days, so I usually wear traditional dress and groom myself in Gujarati style which is quite possible in Hyderabad.

The store imports all the stuff from Kutch, Gujarat and you get the traditional jewellery too,” says Krushita A who works with Google. Karishma Adhai, Assistant Curator at BM Birla Science Museum, says, “Every year, just like other fashion, Gujarati fashion too changes. This year the trend is ghagra with A nine-metre long ghera, that which Madhuri Dixit wore in ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’. I always prefer wearing the latest trend, but I also look for comfort. I have dresses that I had brought earlier in traditional style, yet are evergreen in fashion. I do wear them but we also order our dresses every year either from Gujarat or buy from Kutch Kala Darshan store.”

There is also the option of hiring a ghagra for a day if you do not want to buy it. “I don’t buy gharga every year because I need it only for this season. So I hire ghagra for a day from P Babu Rao’s store in Badi Chowdi. The shop gets new stock almost every season. It just not the dress, I can hire jewellery too, from the store,” says Aparna J, Student, a college student.

Archana, Investment Banker shares, “I go for dandiya every year with my office friends. Though I am not a Gujarati I like to buy ghagra for dandiya nights. I buy the dress from Maharaja Exclusive on Tilak Road, Abids, Jootis from Dreamz Footwear, General Bazaar and jewellery from Vyshanavi Selections in Shapur Nagar near my home.”

There are also many specialty boutiques in Sindhi Colony, Prenderghast Road and Sultan Bazaar that stock colourful traditional wear and jewellery which seem to fly off the shelves as soon as they are stocked during this festive season. Mojdees are available in the Charminar area. And Lad bazaar stocks the latest in bangles and costume jewellery. The most important accessory, dandiya sticks are sold in many novelty shops and small bazaars.