The rain gods decided to show some mercy as the sky cleared up on Sunday evening allowing revellers to begin the nine-day-long dance festival in the city. However, the relief came a bit too late for several organisers who cancelled their plans for the initial two days.
Rajpath and Karnavati, two prominent clubs in the city whose events during Navratri are much sought after, had cancelled their celebrations for the two days fearing rains. Club officials said that while the weather had indeed cleared up at least for the day, they would begin celebrations from Day 3 onwards. Several smaller venues also decided to delay their programmes.
An organiser said that even if it did not rain in the evenings, heavy rains during the day could still dampen the mood. "The grounds will be flooded and overall attendance will reduce. So even if an organiser plans to go ahead with his event, it will still be a difficult proposition."
WASHED OUT SO FAR
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- The annual Navratri festival at GMDC to cost about Rs 5 crore
- Venue attracted over 6 lakh visitors and 1 lakh dancers last year
- Met department has predicted light to moderate rain in Saurashtra, Kutch as well as Ahmedabad
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Meanwhile, the respite from rains came as a big relief for the Gujarat government which threw open its annual Garba gala at the GMDC ground in the evening. The highlight of the event is performances by various artists that showcase the garba traditions from around Gujarat. "There was no way we were going to cancel the celebration. This has been an annual highlight every Navratri and the chief minister had said that we would go ahead with the celebration come rain or shine. We are aware that several organisers have cut short their programmes due to the weather," said tourism minister Jawahar Chavda.
The minister said the rain gods had finally relented but admitted that if the downpour had continued enthusiasm would have been dampened. "We have facilities indoor and the inauguration would have taken place there. We have also made efforts to ensure that the ground is not waterlogged," said Chavda.
Puddles, however, dotted the green carpet laid for the revellers at the venue. This year the gates of the venue have been designed on themes depicting the cultural and religious heritage of the state. The ground also has 25 food stalls, 75 stalls promoting handicrafts and artisans of the state. Last year, the festival had attracted 6.8 lakh visitors of which 1.71 lakh were participating dancers.
Many societies that hold sheri garbas had also toned down their plans fearing rains. "I had joined a class to learn the steps and was determined I would not miss a single day of dancing. But the place I planned to go has cancelled the event," said Vastrapur resident Shreya Patel.
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