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Market where musicians are hired for 9 nights

Dialogues between garba organisers, singers and artists on such lines are much too common in the ‘music market’ outside Raipur Darwaja in the days leading to Navratri.

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Scene 1: A garba organiser: Mare akhu nortu (Navratri) karvanu che, tame khali cho? (I am looking for am artiste for the entire Navratri season. Are you free?) The artiste: Na bhai, mare motabhag na norta bharai gaya che, panchmu and satmu nortu khali che. (No, I am occupied all these days, except fifth and seventh day of the Navratri)

Scene 2: An artiste to another garba organiser: Mare pelu and chothu nortu bharayu che bakina khali che, shu tamara tya chhe koi khali jagya. Tame ek nortu bharvana ketla paisa apsho? (I have work only on the first and fourth day of Navratri, have you a place for me (in your orchestra group). How much you would be able to pay me?)


Dialogues between garba organisers, singers and artists on such lines are much too common in the ‘music market’ outside Raipur Darwaja in the days leading to Navratri. The unique music market has been the meeting place for garba organisers and artistes, both from the city and outside, for at least 20 years.

The artistes, mostly aspiring to make big in their respective fields, are hired by the garba organisers for the festival and get anything between Rs600 and Rs1,500 per day, depending on their skill and ability to bargain. There are some lucky ones who get employment for the entire nine days of Navratri.

“It is a more than two decades old tradition in which just before Navratri, the artistes, mainly those in the music field, visit the music market and strike deals with organisers to join the Garba music groups,” said Bhupendra Patel, a veteran Gujarati film music director. “The market would open in late evening, around 11 pm, and the show will come to an end the next morning,” he said.

For rest of the year, many of the artistes have their own businesses or jobs, but they take time off to perform in Navratri to show their ability and earn some money as well. “I have a job, but I keep myself free for the entire nine days of Navratri,” said Pratik Oza, a keyboard artist from Surendranagar, adding, “I have been visiting this place regularly for 12 years and got opportunities to work with various garba groups.”

“In this market, you can get artistes good at instruments, and singers,” said Viren Bhagat, another artist. “We earn some useful money and fame during the festival, but what is more satisfying that we get opportunity to perform with some famous groups,” he said.
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