34,000 Dancers Twirl in Mud: Some Ruined Their Clothes, Others Slipped; People Say – “One Can’t Walk Here, How Will We Dance Garba?”

On the first day of the Navratri festival, dancers passionately twirled in Garba across the state. In Vadodara, known as the largest and most renowned city in the state, around 34,000 participants danced together in the United Way of Baroda’s Garba event during the first night. 

However, heavy rains this year led to excessive mud and slush on the event ground, causing significant difficulties for the dancers. Many performers’ expensive outfits were ruined by the mud. Despite the challenges, the dancers were seen playing in the muddy conditions and expressing their frustration as well.

Muddy Conditions Greet Dancers at the United Way of Baroda Garba Ground

Upon entering the United Way of Baroda Garba ground in Vadodara, participants were met with mud and slush, forcing them to navigate through difficult conditions to reach the venue. This situation led to frustration among the dancers. 

After arriving at the ground, many viewing stands were found to be flooded with water, necessitating arrangements for seating. Additionally, patches of mud and slush were visible throughout the Garba ground at various intervals.

Concerns Over Management at United Way of Baroda

Dancer Kunjum Shah expressed dissatisfaction regarding the management at the United Way of Baroda, stating that the money collected for passes has not been justified by the inadequate ground parking and traffic management. 

He emphasized that no further charges will be collected at United Way from now on, declaring, “As long as Atul Dada is around, United Way will continue; after that, it will cease.” Shah pointed out the poor conditions of the ground, mentioning, “Look at this ground; one can barely walk here, let alone dance Garba. Our clothes are getting ruined, our feet are slipping; the management is very poor.”

Lack of Management Continues to Trouble Dancers at Garba Ground

Dancer Jaime shared with Source that they arrived at the Garba ground at 8 PM but were unable to find parking, forcing them to leave their vehicle on the road. “Even after reaching the ground, there is no management,” he noted, pointing out the excessive mud and slush that has made it difficult for them to dance. 

Jaime expressed their demand for an additional day of Garba festivities, stating, “We request that another day be added to the nine days of Navratri so we can recover from the Garba we missed today.”

Efforts Made to Prepare the Ground, Says United Way of Baroda Chairperson

Preetiben Patel, Chairperson of the United Way of Baroda, stated, “We have put in a tremendous amount of effort to prepare the ground. Our team has worked tirelessly to get this venue ready, and today, on the first day, around 34,000 dancers have come to participate in the Garba festivities.”