The Pot contains a Deep which means light. The light represents the Divine shining through the perforations and the Pot symbolises the womb universe.
This combination of Pot and light is known as a Garba Deep. The Garba Deep has another symbolic interpretation, that the vessel itself is a symbol of the body
The dances which are performed around the Pot are called Garba.
Initially women will start dancing in a counter clockwise circular form around the Pot, with each dancer following the same sweeping motion, with differing vigor and clapping at regular and frequent phases.The dances celebrate femininity and fertility and venerate a range of Divine Mother Goddesses
Music
The songs and tunes to which the Garba dance takes place, are also known as Garba or Garbis. These compositions have been handed down over the generations and their words and themes range from the spiritual to the social.The way that the melody and rhythm are composed influence the movement of the dancers and vice versa.
Swirling
Many dancers move in flowing rhythm, in balance and harmony, swift and speedy, in an instance they disappear to the far side, only to reappear a few minutes later, twirling and swirling, spinning and whirling, again and again, again and again, round and around, round and around, all over the ground
Raas
The Dandiya Raas is played by just men or just women and also by women and men together. This mixed dancing is a unique achievement of this culture and shows great awareness of the relations between men and womenAs the dancers interact with each other when they click their Dandiyas, they have a few moments to acknowledge and greet most everyone who takes their place on the swirling dancing circles
The Dandiya Raas is a stick dance played by a group of evenly numbered dancers, dancing in two concentric circular lines, with one line moving clockwise and the other moving counter clockwise. The dancers may twist, turn and sway and even change places depending on their ability and inclination