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in Scam 1991. Gujaratis are also talented
dancers, for the infamous art of Garba or
‘Garbo’ would not exist if not for them!
Garba and dandiya-raas are famous
Gujarati dances, practised by Gujaratis
and Indians all over the world. In fact,
universities in the United States now have
dandiya-raas competitions. The festivities
are accompanied by the one aspect of Gujju-
Enterprising and hardworking: Diamond merchants in Surat ness that trumps everything else in this
When you think of Gujaratis, you also article – the food!
think of the language itself. Funny sounding Let’s talk about Gujarati food. Dhokla,
Gujarati phrases and words like ‘Kem cho? khakra, khamand – If you’re an Indian or
Majama?’ and ‘Baka’ are beloved yet mocked you live in India, you’ve heard of it! Non-
by all. The Gujarati language, much like Gujaratis joke that all Gujarati food has
Gujarati people, originates from the state sugar mixed in it because it is so sweet! I’m
of Gujarat, the Westernmost state in India. guessing this is true because I can’t cook!
Here, they flock cities like Ahmedabad,
Gandhinagar, Rajkot and Surat. However,
Gujaratis have also made Maharashtra their
home, with Mumbai in particular being a
‘Gujju’ hotspot. Other favourite places that
are surprisingly popular with the Gujarati
community are Pakistan, Sri Lanka, The
United States, Belgium, Canada, The Middle
East and a lot of East and South African
countries!
No matter who you are, you may have Dhokla of course!
heard of a few famous Gujaratis. Let me list Being a Gujarati born and raised in
them out for you: Gujarat myself, I can personally vouch that
Mahatma Gandhi these stereotypes are funny but very true.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Gujaratis today are unique, eccentric and
Narendra Modi very proud of who they are – they wouldn’t
Morarji Desai have it any other way!
Vikram Sarabhai
Mukesh Ambani
The list can go on and on. As you might be
able to tell, most of these people are either
businessmen or politicians – something
Gujarati people are known for. However,
now Gujaratis are making strides in other
areas of life. Most recently, Gujarati actor
Pratik Gandhi made a splash by acting Pratik Gandhi

SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #27 | SEPTEMBER 2021 49