The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has called for Muslims to be excluded from garba and dandiya events in Maharashtra during the upcoming Navratri festival. The organisation has also issued a set of guidelines for event organisers, including identity verification of participants and the application of tilak on their foreheads.
Navratri will begin on October 11 this year, with garba and dandiya events expected to be held across Maharashtra. The VHP’s recommendations have focused on regulating participation at these celebrations and ensuring that organisers verify the identities of those attending.
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VHP spokesperson and joint secretary Shriraj Nair said the organisation had decided that members of the Muslim community should not be allowed to participate in garba and dandiya events. According to Nair, the decision was based on the VHP’s argument that the celebrations are centred around the worship of a Hindu goddess.
The organisation has also urged organisers to check the Aadhaar cards of people attending the events. The recommendation is aimed at verifying the identities of participants before allowing them entry into garba and dandiya venues.
Another guideline suggested by the VHP is that participants should have a tilak applied to their foreheads. The measures are being proposed ahead of the Navratri festivities, when large-scale garba and dandiya programmes are traditionally organised in Maharashtra.
Garba and dandiya are closely associated with Navratri celebrations and attract large crowds during the festival. While the dances have their roots in Gujarat and are traditionally linked to devotional celebrations, they have become popular cultural events in several parts of India.
The VHP’s call to restrict participation by members of the Muslim community comes as organisers prepare for this year’s festivities. The organisation has maintained that its position is linked to the religious character of the celebrations and its belief that events centred on worship of a Hindu deity should have restrictions on participation.
The proposed guidelines include three key measures: preventing Muslims from participating, checking Aadhaar cards of attendees and applying tilak to participants.
The recommendations are expected to influence discussions around the organisation and conduct of garba and dandiya events in Maharashtra ahead of Navratri. With the festival approaching, organisers will have to consider how such guidelines are implemented at individual events.
The VHP’s announcement comes in the run-up to Navratri, which begins on October 11, and places questions of identity verification and participation at the centre of preparations for garba and dandiya celebrations across Maharashtra.
