Gujaratis are
people that originate from the state called Gujarat in the western region of
India. Its a flourishing state with cultural diversity. It is vibrant with
its true colors of rich heritage, art and cultural traditions. Famous Gujaratis
include Mahatma
Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dhirubhai
Ambani, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Virchand
Gandhi, Narendra
Modi and Vikram
Sarabhai.
In
the words of early european traveller Ludovico di Varthema (15th century):
...a certain race
which eats nothing that has blood, never kills any living things... and these
people are neither moors nor heathens... if they were baptized, they would all
be saved by the virtue of their works, for they never do to others what they would
not do unto them.
Gujaratis
in United States: Gujaratis attained prominence as merchants and hoteliers, and over 40% of the hospitality industry in the United States is controlled
by Gujaratis in the 21st century. As time passed, the offspring of the
initial Gujaratis have also made high levels of advancement into professional fields, including as physicians, engineers, and lawyers.
- Foodie for sure:
You can eat some great Gujarati cuisine! In snacks be ready for some spicy and fried dishes., Khakra,
Dhokla, Faafda, Paatra. They are as heavy as they sound. You will feel the
oil going down your throat and the meal will probably clog your arteries,
but it’s worth it. Jokes apart, traditionally Gujaratis eat
dal-bhaat-saak-rotli (pulse-rice-vegetables-bread) as everyday meals. When
summertime rolls around, Gujarati folks love mangos! You can try keri no
rus (fresh mango pulp)! Yum! Also, Gujarati moms will feed you until your
stomach seems to explode. (A few minutes later without any shame, she will
comment on your waistline.) They’re also very generous in the sense that
they will always pack all the friends some food to go.
- Dancing and clapping: No party is
over without a Garba or Dandiya raas. Garba is a traditional
Guajarati dance with a lot of clapping and turning around, while dandiya
raas is a dance with sticks. Both are high-level energy dances for the
Gujarati folks! Most of the time, you’ll hear your Gujarati friends
complaining of being tired after walking for more than 15 minutes or have tendency
of using the elevator rather than stairs. Well, don’t be too quick to
judge their energy levels. These are the same people who will be able to
dance to both garba and raas all night long without complaining of being
tired during wedding season and Navratri.
- Outfits: Ladies can
easily borrow traditional Chaniya choli, a 3 piece outfit consisting of
choli(blouse), chaniya(skirt) and odhni(long scarf). Male dress consist of
Chorno (cotton drawers), Kediyu(short frill shirt covering upper part of
the body) and phento (layered turban). These outfits are usually decorated
with beads, mirrors, and embroidery work. A saree can also be worn in Gujarati style for a photogenic photo shoot.
- Bargaining skills: Gujaratis
have PhD in bargaining, the moment they are born. A must have with you in
your shopping spree. Whether it’s online or in
stores, you can trust that your friend is not going to stop until you get
some sort of discount, coupon, deal, steal, or something in between.
- Gujarati words: Being with your
Gujarati friend, you will definitely learn some Gujarati words, “Kemcho” (How
are you?) and “Aavjo(Bye, see you gain). The more you hangout with your
Gujarati friend you will start to pick up more words, phrases and
sentences. Believe me, its easy to learn Gujarati.
- Gossip and drama: Your Gujarati friend will always have some sort of
gossip and/or drama to share. It’s always fun to hear about it because
most of the time, it is all nonsense and silly issues turning into big
things.
- Forever Food
Supplies:
Gujaratis are never short of their home-food supply. Your Gujarati friend
will have enough stock while travelling too, especially yummy “Theplas”
(spicy indian bread) with “Choonda” (grated raw mango pickle)
- Great Gujarati
weddings – Did I say lavish weddings! These tend to be 3-day
events! You can have an amazing experience from attending a Gujarati
wedding. You’ll have the honor of seeing the groom come on a white horse,
more than 500 people, awesome food, amazing dance music, and uncles and
aunties breaking it down on the dance floor!
- Free tutor: Be it Science, Maths
or management, your Gujarati friend is always ready to help. Gujaratis
take pride in giving gyan.
- Social reach will multiply many folds: Between extended family members and friends of friends, Gujarati folks tend to know a lot of people. They even tend to keep in touch with their 2nd and 3rd cousins. Most importantly, it show how family oriented your friend can be. (Meaning? You’re going to have a friend for life.)
