📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / White Cat
Religion
292-Year-Old Garba Tradition at Baki Mata Temple, Khargone Draws Men to Dance, Women to Sing
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 14 Oct 2026, 04:01 PM
👁 7
During Navratri, men have been performing a traditional garba at Baki Mata Temple in Khargone for 292 years, while women gather to sing age‑old songs.
Khargone’s Baki Mata Temple has become a focal point of Navratri celebrations, where a 292‑year‑old custom sees men performing a traditional garba dance on the temple’s premises. The ritual, observed every year during the nine nights of the festival, is carried out on the temple’s courtyard while devotees offer prayers to the goddess.
In this unique arrangement, men form a circle and execute the rhythmic steps of garba, whereas women sit on the surrounding platform, known locally as the chaupal, and chant songs that have been passed down through generations. The division of roles reflects a long‑standing gendered practice rooted in the region’s folk traditions.
Cultural scholars link the ceremony to the broader Nimad folk heritage of central Madhya Pradesh, noting that the continuity of the dance and song underscores the community’s commitment to preserving its intangible heritage. The tradition has survived colonial rule, post‑independence changes, and modern entertainment influences, remaining a living testament to local identity.
In this unique arrangement, men form a circle and execute the rhythmic steps of garba, whereas women sit on the surrounding platform, known locally as the chaupal, and chant songs that have been passed down through generations. The division of roles reflects a long‑standing gendered practice rooted in the region’s folk traditions.
Cultural scholars link the ceremony to the broader Nimad folk heritage of central Madhya Pradesh, noting that the continuity of the dance and song underscores the community’s commitment to preserving its intangible heritage. The tradition has survived colonial rule, post‑independence changes, and modern entertainment influences, remaining a living testament to local identity.