Navratri Decency Rules: No Entry for Transparent Clothing, 30 New Guidelines for Garba Organizers

To ensure that no incidents or accidents occur during Navratri in Ahmedabad, the city police have released specific guidelines that all organizers must adhere to. These guidelines include a ban on wearing transparent or indecent clothing while participating in Garba. Additionally, no bags or other items are permitted at Garba venues. The police have established a total of 30 rules as part of these guidelines.

Responsibility of Organizers for Any Incident or Accident

Organizers of Garba events during Navratri must obtain police permission from the Ahmedabad City Police’s licensing branch. Microphone and loudspeaker usage will be allowed only until midnight. Any use of loudspeakers or microphones after midnight will result in legal action against the organizer. The organizer will be responsible for any incidents or accidents that occur. They must sell tickets only up to the venue’s capacity and cannot sell more passes than the designated limit. Each Garba organizer must keep separate entry and exit gates and ensure the number of gates is sufficient.

PWD Certificate Required for Large Stages

In consideration of security, breath analyzers, CCTV cameras, and metal detectors must be installed at every gate. Surveillance towers should be erected around the Garba ground to record video daily, and close-circuit cameras should also be installed. Organizers must ensure no traffic congestion occurs within 200 meters of the Garba venue and provide volunteers and security personnel. All staff members, including security guards and volunteers, must have identification cards with photos. A PWD certificate is also required for large stages.

Reporting Suspicious Items

There must be a safe distance between the Garba venue and parking areas, with barricades established. All vehicles parked must have their numbers and types recorded in a register. Driving license numbers, RC books, and policy details must also be noted. There should be a barricade between those watching Garba and those participating. Necessary medical facilities must be available at the venue. Separate entry gates for men and women must be maintained. Any suspicious items must be reported to the police.

30 Rules for Organizers/Managers During Navratri Festival

The responsibility for ensuring proper organization of the Navratri festival rests with the organizers. Garba events should be held in locations that do not cause inconvenience to the public, such as common plots, public spaces, and private areas. The number of entry and exit gates should be maximized, with security personnel stationed at each. Organizers must ensure separate entry and exit gates, including emergency exits, and clearly mark male and female entrances.

Organizers must appoint responsible individuals for (1) public safety and security, (2) women’s safety, (3) traffic management, and (4) preventing intoxicated individuals from entering the Garba venue. The names, addresses, and mobile numbers of these individuals must be provided to the police station. Metal detectors, security staff, and breath analyzers must be in place at entry points, and suspicious individuals should be physically searched. Any person appearing to be intoxicated must be reported to the police immediately, and a female security staff member must be present.

No items should be allowed inside the Garba venue, with thorough checks conducted at entry points. Organizers must maintain identification for their staff, ensuring unauthorized individuals cannot enter or cause disturbances. Close-circuit cameras (HD CCTV) must be installed at entry points and within the Garba area to prevent any undesirable actions by antisocial elements. It is the organizer’s responsibility to ensure thorough checking of all attendees.

Participants and spectators should not bring bags or other items into the Garba venue, and any suspicious items must be checked at the entrance. Sufficient barricading must be set up between parking and the Garba venue entrance. Strong barricading must be maintained between participants and spectators at the venue.

All volunteers, electricians, security personnel, and stall workers at the event must be issued photo ID cards, and their names, addresses, and phone numbers must be provided to the local police in advance. Organizers must not sell or distribute tickets/passes in excess of the venue capacity.

For issuing entry passes for the Navratri festival, organizers must establish proof of identity for the issuing individual (e.g., Aadhaar card, election card) and keep a record to present to the police station.

An electric maintenance staff must be present for the electrical system at the Garba venue, and necessary firefighting equipment must be provided in accordance with municipal regulations. Standby generators must be available to avoid any power outages, and alternative lighting arrangements should be made to keep essential items illuminated.

If any suspicious individuals are observed at the Garba, they must be reported immediately to the local police and the city police control room at number 100. A PWD certificate must be obtained for the structural integrity of large stages set up for the events, and regular checks for suspicious items must be conducted beneath the stage. Any suspicious items should be reported to the local police and kept away from the public.

As per government directives, Garba events are permitted to continue until midnight from October 3, 2024, to October 13, 2024, ensuring that the programs conclude within the approved timeframe. No microphone or sound systems may be used after midnight. On other days, Garba programs are permitted only until 10 PM.

Compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives related to timing must be observed. During the Dandiya Raas, arrangements for parking must be made. The registration of vehicle numbers and types must be organized in a register, including details from the RC book, driving license, or police evidence.

Strict adherence to the provisions established by the Home Department, as published in the government gazette on April 28, 1981, must be maintained for entertainment regulation. Given recent reports in the media, arrangements for prompt medical facilities must be established based on the crowd expected at the event venue.

During the Navratri festival, organizers/managers must take precautions to prevent littering or the spread of any disease, considering the current circumstances. Transparent clothing is prohibited during cultural performances in Dandiya Raas.

Should any obscene programs occur during Garba, legal action will be taken, and if any undesirable incidents happen, the full responsibility will lie with the organizers. Organizers must not play songs that disturb public interest or religious sentiments, and Garba participants must not wear indecent attire. The internal responsibility for managing the Dandiya Raas lies with the organizers, and legal actions will be taken for any misconduct.

In collaboration with private security, Garba organizers should deploy volunteers in civilian clothes to monitor activities in the parking area and surrounding locations. Every Garba organizer must provide security instructions to each participating member and ensure understanding. They must not spread any rumors or broadcast them through the microphone during the ongoing Garba. If any undesirable incident occurs, immediate reports should be made to the local police and control room.

Four watchtowers must be erected in all directions at the Garba venue, with daily video recording. Close-circuit video cameras should be installed, and arrangements should be made for police monitoring from designated points, including setting up televisions at the venue. Organizers must cooperate with the local police station and the officer in charge.