Garba revellers unite in Vadodara

Even with increasing costs of passes, massive crowds have gathered at United Way of Baroda (UWB) to swirl to Atul Purohit's melodious Gujarati songs. Talking to DNA, UWB organisers have confirmed a good sale of dancers and viewers’ passes.

This time, UWB has recorded a rise of 17% in the sale of passes as compared to last year. Sharing the sales figures, the executive director of UWB, Dolcy Simon said, "Last year, we had sold 23,800 dancers passes — 17,000 female and 6,800 male passes — against which, this year we have sold 28,000 dancers passes this year, of which 20,000 were female and 8,000 are male. So the numbers has definitely increased to a great extent."

According to Dolcy, passes for boys cost Rs1,600 per person till last year, which increased to Rs1,800 this year. Similarly, the passes for girls, which was Rs100 has doubled this time to Rs200 per girl, which, however, is refundable. "Nobody complained  about the hike," Dolcy said.  UWB has also sold around 20,000 viewer's passes. Sharing more, Dolcy said, "We also have a counter where people can purchase passes on a daily basis. Priced at Rs100 per day, the counter witnesses huge crowds, wanting to see the amazing decorations and enjoy Garba listening to Atulji."

When asked about the popularity of United Way of Garba, Dolcy replied, "Our management, our singers and the ambience makes the difference. People are aware that we cater to their needs and have a proper security system." A team of eight staff members along with 23 members from Resource Mobilisation committee (RMC) and 15 Board members manage the event. Apart from this, a team of 98 volunteers continuously take care of the dancers and direct them to different gates on the ground. Every year, United Way of Garba receives youngsters both from outside the city as well as within the city. "Many youngsters from Mumbai and other metro cities also buy tickets in large numbers, which indicates its popularity," stated Dolcy.

Ameya Kokje from Vadodara, said: "I don't miss a single day of Garba at United Way. Though the price is high, I don't mind paying as I know we are safe here. Recently, one of my friends got a sprain in her ankle while dancing, and as the management has a trauma centre nearby, she was treated immediately. These extra services make you feel special. The UWB also has a social initiative behind the event as it gives away a majority of the fund to NGOs. This is the 24th year that UWB is participating in Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) events which hold Navratri events.