People Celebrate Navratri Festival With Dance, Music Across India

People dance to celebrate the Navratri festival in Ahmedabad, capital of the west Indian state of Gujarat, Oct. 23, 2012. Navratri, which literally means nine nights, is a festival of worship, dance and music celebrated during a period of nine nights almost throughout India.

A girl dances to celebrate the Navratri festival in Ahmedabad, capital of the west Indian state of Gujarat, Oct. 23, 2012. <Xinhua/Li Yigang>

In this Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 photograph, Indian devotees perform Garba, a traditional dance of the western Indian state of Gujarat, at Hindu deity Umiya Mata temple on the eighth night of Navratri or nine nights festival in Surat, Gujarat state, India. Every year thousands of devotees participate in this ritual. <AP Photo/Ajit Solanki>