Navratri: Gujarat allows 'garbas' in housing societies, streets but says no commercial events

The Gujarat government on Friday relaxed night curfew by one hour in eight cities and permitted organisation of 'garba' events in Navratri in housing societies and on streets during the nine-day-long festival next month with certain norms as coronavirus cases steadily decline in the state. However, commercial organisation of garba events will not be allowed this year.

Garba is a popular folk dance of Gujarat and is performed with passion and fervour during the Navratri festival, which this year will start from October 7. The government also announced a slew of relaxations related to hotels, marriage functions and funerals. In an advisory issued keeping in mind the Covid-19 pandemic, the crowd limit for gathering at any one place for Navratri celebrations has been capped at 400 people.

The state government said it is imperative for participants of Navratri events to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus. Last year, the state government had banned organisation of all garba events due to the pandemic. In a meeting chaired by chief minister Bhupendra Patel with home department officials on Friday, it was decided to relax night curfew timings in eight cities - Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Gandhinagar.

Earlier, the duration of curfew was from 11 pm to 6 am, but now it will be from 12 midnight to 6 am in these eight cities where night curfew has been imposed to curb coronavirus cases, a government release said. The new night curfew timing will be in force from September 25 to October 10, the release said. “Regarding the celebrations of Navratri, it has been decided that no commercial garbas, that are held mostly in party plots (open sites) and clubs, will be allowed. However, people can organise garbas in their housing societies and streets with a limit of 400 people at such gatherings. In the same way, Durga Puja (beginning on Oct 11), Vijayadashmi (Oct 15) and Sharad Purnima (Oct 19) festivals can also be organised with a limit of 400 people,” it said.

“It is imperative that those participating in such functions should have taken both doses of the coronavirus vaccine,” the release said. The state government has also allowed participation of 400 people in marriages instead of the earlier limit of 150, it said. For funerals, the cap on attendees has been increased to 100 from earlier 40, the release said. The state government has also allowed hotels and restaurants to use 75 per cent of their sitting capacity instead of the earlier limit of 60 per cent, it said.

An association of hotels has urged its members to only allow those who are vaccinated for dine-in facility. Restaurants can remain open till 10 pm, the release said. The government has increased the timing of public parks by an hour from 9 pm to 10 pm, it said. Gujarat has seen a steady decline in coronavirus cases. On Friday, the state recorded 17 new Covid-19 cases, but no fresh death.

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