New Delhi: Navratri, the festival of nine nights, celebrating the womanhood through the worship of Mother, is variously feted across the country. In the West, these nights are dedicated to Durga worship through the two dance forms of -- Dandiya Raas and Garba Raas. The origin of these dances can be traced back to the life of Lord Krishna.                              

Dandiya and Garba dances are performed in the honor of Goddess Durga and these dance forms stage the mock-fighting between the Goddess Durga and Mahishasura and also known as "the dance of swords".

In modern India, Dandiya and Garba are considered more of cultural events than that of religious events. But, these dance forms have religious significance and are dedicated to Goddess Durga. Due to commercialization of these events, their religious significance is getting reduced. It should be remembered that Dandiya or Garba are not just for fun and self-enjoyment but devotional acts dedicated to the Goddess of power and valour.

 Dandiya Raas:
 
There are several forms of dance that are performed during Navratri and one of the most popular dance forms is Dandiya Raas. It is performed in honor of Goddess Durga and signifies the victory of good over evil. Dancers with colorful and tastefully decorated sticks in their hands dance to the rhythm of music. The dance form stared from the western parts of India, especially Gujarat and Rajasthan but now is celebrated not only in all over India but also abroad.
The dance with sticks is known to represent a mock fight between Goddess Durga and the demon king Mahishasura. The sticks are supposed to a symbolic representation of sword held in the hands of the Goddess. Due to this it is also known as the sword dance.
It is after performing the aarti that Dandiya Raas is performed on all nine days. It starts in the evening and goes on well into the night. The dance reaches a feverish pace as the night progresses and people swing their sticks as a celebration of life.
There are a number of traditional songs that are used in Dandiya Raas. These songs praise Goddess Durga and seek her blessings. Apart from the traditional songs, there are also many new songs and music that is used by people to do these foot tapping dances.
The traditional costumes that are worn by men and women while performing this dance, is very colorful and bright. The sticks that are used in this dance are made from bamboo and they make a rhythmic sound when clicked against each other. These are held in both the hands and clicked to produce a sound of music.
The popularity of the dance is not just restricted to Gujarat but all over India. Millions of people celebrate Navratri each year by dancing to the rhythm of Dandiya Raas. As the dancers swirl and move around in their colorful dresses it is joy to watch.
Garba:
 
The Garba (dance) that is performed during the auspicious nine days of Navratri is a very popular folk dance of Gujarat. The term “garba” is associated with the Sanskrit word “Garbha” meaning ‘womb”. The word also means light inside the earthen pot. The light represents life and the pot is the womb that carries this light.
The dance is performed by women, men and children on all the nine days of Navratri. The dance is performed at night to the beat of rhythmic music. Apart from Navratri the dance is also performed on Holi, Sharad Purnima and Vasanth Purnima. The dance is considered a symbolic representation of God in the feminine form.
The musical accompaniments that form part of the dance and give it a unique identity are Damru, Ektaro, Hattho, Jantar, Murli, Nagara, Pavo, Pot Drum, Percussion Tabla, Ravan, Shehani Turi and Taturi. All these are ancient musical instruments and have been used for many centuries.
The songs that accompany the music are sung in praise of Goddess Amba. They are sung to invoke her blessings. This dance form has been associated with the raas leela of Lord Krishna and it was popularized by him. The granddaughter of Lord Krishna, Usha was instrumental in popularizing the Lasya Nritya. This ancient dance form later came to be known as Garba dance.
Men and women are dressed at their colorful best during the nine days of song and dance. The traditional dress that is worn by women is known as “chaniya cholis” and those worn by men are known as “kedias”. These dresses are mostly hand made by artisans and there is a lot of glass and shells used to make them more appealing.
Apart from wearing these colorful dresses, women adorn themselves with many accessories that add to the beauty and appeal of the traditional attire. The other accessories include bajubandh, bindi, chudas, jhumkas, kangans, kamarbandh, mojiris, necklaces and payal.
As the dancers move in circles it is known to represent the cycle of life (death and life)
This dance is not just popular in Gujarat but all over the world. It is not just popular among Gujaratis but people from other states of India to celebrate this unique form of dance.
Difference between Dandiya and Garba:
Dandiya is done with the pair of colorfully decorated sticks which represent the swords of Goddess Durga while Garba is done with various hand and feet movements without any prop or aid.
Most of Dandiya step require even number of people while in Garba there is no such requirement on number of people.

Reference:
http://www.drikpanchang.com
https://www.artofliving.org
http://www.durgasite.com
https://holidappy.com