Gujarat CM opens Vibrant Navratri Festival in Ahmedabad; Garba till October 20

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel opened the Vibrant Navratri Festival 2026 at the GMDC Ground in Ahmedabad on Sunday, October 11, 2026, the first night of Navratri. The state-run festival, organised by Gujarat Tourism, runs until October 20 and brings together traditional and modern forms of Garba and Raas on one large stage. Opening the event, the Chief Minister said Gujarat's traditional Garba had won international recognition through the festival, which he said was started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also opened an exhibition of products and handicrafts made by women in self-help groups and Sakhi Mandals.

Garba is more than a dance. Performed in circles around a lamp or an image of the goddess during the nine nights of Navratri, it is a form of devotion to Shakti, the divine feminine, and one of the clearest living links between Gujarat's religious life and its folk arts. The circular movement, the clapping rhythms and the songs passed down through generations carry meaning that older performers still teach to the young.

Garba today has two broad strands: the older Prachin form and the modern Arvachin form, which typically uses faster steps and contemporary music. A state festival that puts both on one stage helps keep the older styles visible and gives traditional troupes a large audience.

The festival also has an economic and tourism side. Navratri is a peak season for visitors to Gujarat, and the crafts exhibition run with women's self-help groups lets rural artisans sell directly to that audience during the busiest festival period of the year.

For readers who follow Sanatan festival traditions, the event is a reminder that Navratri is celebrated in very different ways across India: with Garba in Gujarat, Durga Puja in Bengal, Dasara processions in Karnataka and Ramlila in the north, all running through the same nine nights this month.

Short-term: Ahmedabad hosts nightly Garba performances and a crafts exhibition at GMDC Ground until October 20, drawing residents and tourists.

Long-term: Regular state backing for traditional Garba styles can help preserve them alongside the popular modern forms and support the artisans and troupes who depend on the festival season.

Who is affected: Garba artists and troupes, women artisans in self-help groups, tourists and residents of Ahmedabad, and the state's tourism sector.

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