Revellers hope to reign again

Ahmedabad: Thousands of revellers were ready to make the most of the only Sunday during the 10-night festival this Navratri, but the weather doused the plans. The rain across the city made it difficult for garba revellers to enjoy the dance, with grounds turning wet and slippery. A majority of garba organisers decided to cancel their events, although some continued with caution. Most of the events under domes were not affected, said organisers.The garba event at GIFT City was cancelled, with the organisers announcing full refunds for patrons. "The safety and comfort of participants is our priority," the organisers said in their statement, adding that the unexpected showers made it difficult to ensure a seamless experience. Across the city, smaller venues also faced disruptions, with last-minute cancellations, rescheduling, and reduced footfall. For many garba enthusiasts, the rain dampened the festive mood, but the spirit of Navratri prevailed at venues that adapted quickly. Shanku's Dandiya, one of the garba organisers in the city, confirmed that its event would go ahead as planned. "The garba is on, and there are no issues. We are clearing up space for ease of parking," said Manoj Chaudhary, the organiser of Shanku's Dandiya. He said, "The lawn is not waterlogged, so there wouldn't be much trouble." Extra staff were deployed by Shanku's to ensure the smooth movement of vehicles and participants. The events cancelled included the Umiya Dham Navratri Mahotsav in Jaspur, the Khodal Dham programme in Nikol, the Sheri Garba Mahotsav in Bopal, CAIT by Young Entrepreneurs, and the Club Babylon garba. Jayesh Modi, the vice-president of Karnavati Club, said, "We organised a garba event exclusively for club members on Sunday, but due to the heavy rain, we cancelled the event." R P Patel, the president of Vishwa Umiya Foundation, said, "We organised garba on a big scale on Sunday, but cancelled the programme because of the downpour." At society and housing colony levels, too, members decided to cancel events. One of the organisers said that apart from the obvious problem of a muddied ground, troubles were afoot on parking, F&B, and electricity fronts. "Even after utmost caution, mishaps can occur if events are organised in such conditions," said the secretary of a residential society in South Bopal. The secretary added, "We will keep an eye on the weather and check the equipment and electrical supply before resuming celebrations on Monday." On Sunday, only the mandatory aarti was performed to keep the festive spirit going, the office-bearer of the society said. "We are a group of 20 and we have visited several venues this Navratri," said Shreya Dave, a resident of Vaishnodevi. "We were looking forward to events at a couple of venues on Sunday. We will pray for better weather on Monday."