After Ganeshotsav bid adieu, Mumbai the City of Dreams and Financial Hub is gearing up to celebrate Navratri. The ten-day event kicks-off from 26 September.

After the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions and now with the new Maharashtra Government led by Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis having given now to celebrate festivals as usual, Mandals are getting erected in various prime locales of the City and Suburbs. for the ten-day traditional fare.

Borivali, the Gujarathi dominated suburb, hosts the big acts, followed by Malad Kandivli Andheri Ghatkopar, Mulund, Thane and Navi Mumbai.

Notably, as many as seven big Navratri mandals in Borivali draw in lakhs from across the city. This year the fervour is building up with some of the top artistes invited to perform.

Meanwhile, Seven big mandals are vying for space here, with big industry names such as Falguni Pathak, sibling-duo Preety-Pinky, Nilesh Thakkar, Kinjal Dave, among others.

In Kora Kendra Ground, which has been attracting loyalists for decades, the Naidu Club Navratri is preparing to ring in its twentieth in a big way.
The two-year hiatus has encouraged more people to prepare for Navratri this year.

As per Ganesh Naidu, organiser of the Kora Kendra Navratri programme in Borivli, lot of queries are pouring in for the traditional fare.

Each year the Kora Kendra ground has a footfall of 18,000 to 20,000 every day.

And this year’s equity will be traditional Kathiawadi songs for raas-garba and dandiya. Well-known folk singer Nirav Barot has been roped in for the event. Since the city is experiencing the last leg of monsoons, organisers have built a one lakh square foot wooden platform where people can dance despite the rain. Each season pass is priced at ₹3000.

While the Queen of Garba Falguni Pathak will perform at the sprawling Pramod Mahajan Sports Complex in Chikuwadi, Borivali (W), singer Kinjal Dave will perform for Durgadevi Navratra Utsav Samiti, at Kutchi Ground, on Link Road, Borivali.

Undeniably, Borivali has emerged as the Navratri hub in Maharashtra. The biggest names will be performing here this year. Pankaj Kotecha of Navrang Navratri, is organising the first AC Dome Navratri at the Opal Convention Centre, on New Link Road. It can accomodate approximately 5,000 people. The ten-day season pass is being sold at ₹4,600.

As per Kotecha, People spend lakhs on their outfits and start practising two months in advance. This year, rain will not spoil the fun as it is in retreat.

Organisers are negotiating with the government for an extension from the 10 pm deadline to midnight for at least three days.

Thane got its big garba in 2017, thanks to chief minister Eknath Shinde, who was then the guardian minister of Thane district, with Raas Rang.
This year’s event was inaugurated on Sunday, and is expected to draw 8000-10000 people on weekdays and 15,000 on weekends.
A 1,50,000 square feet wooden platform has been constructed for people to dance with ease.

Jitendra Mehta, president of CERDAI-MCHI, Thane, said security for the event has been beefed up to avoid any untoward incident and several CCTVs and a watchtower set up, and bouncers employed. With a two-crore purse, the event will be dotted with celebrities from the Marathi and Gujarati entertainment industry — ‘Dhol King of Navratri’ Naitik Nagda, Umesh Barot, Kosha Pandya, Divya Joshi and Ambar Desai, are a few.

This years Navratri Celebration is expected to go beyond commerce. In the spirit of cultural integration, the bhondla dance form, often dubbed as the garba of Maharashtra, will be the highlight in some mandals.

News Input : K.V.Raman