Fun, fasting & festivities

The economic slump and the recent swine flu scare haven’t deterred youngsters from enjoying nine nights of dandiya and garba like every year.

The economic slump and the recent swine flu scare haven’t deterred youngsters from enjoying nine nights of dandiya and garba like every year.

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But when it comes to styling, they certainly have started giving precedence to comfort over heavy traditional costumes “Unless there is a dandiya or garba competition, I do not go out of my way to buy traditional costumes,” said Ankita Gawde (20), a student.

But Mumbaikars have their own way of adding a local touch to their outfits. “A spaghetti top paired with a long skirt and a colourful dupatta studded with traditional mirror work is an ideal choice this Navratri. It also helps beat the Mumbai heat,” said Kadambari Gupte (21).

Indo western style also seems the flavour of this season. For the men, it is a traditional kurta and jazzy duppattas with jeans.

However, there are people who take dressing up for the occasion very seriously. Every year, a week before Navratri, Kairav Mehta (30), a businessman, goes to Ahmedabad to shop. “You get exquisite costumes for garba at a reasonable price in Ahmedabad,” said Mehta.

While the costumes may have altered a bit to keep pace with fashion, attending classes to perfect your dandiya and garba moves are still popular. “From four year old kids to 60 year olds, I have students wanting to be trained in garba and dandiya,” said Jigar Soni (36) who has been teaching dandiya for the past 10 years.