Garba enthusiasts exercise caution as rain forecast looms large over Navratri

  • | Thursday | 21st September, 2017

Citizens feel that most garba enthusiasts will prefer 'sheri garba' in their localities over commercial big venues.Payal Jariwala and her group from Bhatar go to Convention Centre in Sarsana since last few years to play garba. Surat: Forecast of heavy rains during Navratri has taken the sheen of the nine-day dance festival that begins Thursday. "Hiren Kakadia, who organizes garba at Sarsana Convention Centre, said, "We have scrapped season tickets. Besides, the organizers have not come up with season passes," Payal said.Apart from Convention Centre, indoor garbas are being held only at Indoor Stadium and at Swarnabhoomi. "The fear this year that rain could play a spoilsport at open venues and people may overcrowd closed centres like Convention Centre has prompted us to take this decision.

Surat: Forecast of heavy rains during Navratri has taken the sheen of the nine-day dance festival that begins Thursday. This year only three groups are organizing garba commercially against over half-a-dozen last year. Citizens feel that most garba enthusiasts will prefer 'sheri garba' in their localities over commercial big venues.Payal Jariwala and her group from Bhatar go to Convention Centre in Sarsana since last few years to play garba. This year, too, nothing much has changed except the fact that 15 girls, who used to buy Rs 2,000 season ticket every year, have not bought it so far this year."The fear this year that rain could play a spoilsport at open venues and people may overcrowd closed centres like Convention Centre has prompted us to take this decision. Besides, the organizers have not come up with season passes," Payal said.Apart from Convention Centre, indoor garbas are being held only at Indoor Stadium and at Swarnabhoomi. Organizers at all the three venues lamented, "There is huge demand for free passes, but no demand for tickets on sale."Deputy director, meteorology department of Navsari Agriculture University (NAU), Dr Neeraj Kumar said, "This year the onset of monsoon was late and so will be retreating monsoon. The rains are likely to lash major regions of south Gujarat till the end of September and beyond. There may be more rain now than it was in July."Hiren Kakadia, who organizes garba at Sarsana Convention Centre, said, "We have scrapped season tickets. The major reason being lack of clarity over laws if the ticket can be prized above Rs 250 and whether GST will be applicable on it or not.""Ours is a closed venue and we expect heavy rush following rain forecast. But it appears that people are not willing to pay money this year," he added.Pintu Navadia, Rujal Navadia and their friends from Adajan are ready for Navratri and are searching for a venue to play garba. They have now decided to make rounds of societies this year."It is more likely that there will be rains this year during Navratri, so we have decided to enjoy sheri garba," Pintu said.Rujal added, "We will save about Rs 25,000 in season passes. This amount we will used for feast with schoolchildren on Dussehra."According to an estimate, at least 20,000 garbas will be organized in different localities and societies.

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