Udaipur’s festive season witnessed a vibrant celebration of Gujarati culture as Navrang Navratri 2026 concluded after ten days of traditional Garba, music and devotion at Fatehbagh Garden. Held from October 10 to 20, the festival returned for its second edition, attracting an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 visitors daily. With its focus on authentic Gujarati Garba, traditional decor and cultural participation, Navrang offered an experience rooted in the traditional spirit of Navratri.
The festival began in 2025 when a group of friends associated with event management came together with the idea of introducing authentic Gujarati Garba to Udaipur. Their vision was to create a grand celebration while retaining the cultural and devotional essence of the dance form, rather than turning it into a DJ-driven or contemporary fusion event.
“Navrang was started by US, a group of friends who wanted to bring something grand yet authentic and traditional for Navratri to Udaipur.”
– Nisha (Navrang Navratri organizing team)
Traditional decor remained one of the defining features of Navrang. Hand-painted elements, bamboo, laccha, moli, swastik motifs, traditional lamps, lighting and pardahs came together to create an ambience inspired by Gujarati festive aesthetics.
At the heart of the celebration was Mandli Garba, performed to the rhythmic beats of the dhol and shehnai. What distinguished this year’s edition was the organisers’ effort to familiarise audiences with this traditional form and encourage them to participate in it.
According to the organisers, one of the biggest achievements was sustaining audience participation even when the music shifted from high-energy DJ tracks to the more traditional rhythms of dhol and shehnai. Many attendees were initially unfamiliar with Mandli Garba, but the organisers made a conscious effort to teach participants the steps and help them perform the dance form correctly. The response exceeded their expectations, with large crowds continuing to participate in the traditional format.
Learning Garba Through Raas Rasiya
Adding another dimension to the celebrations was the collaboration with Raas Rasiya, which organised a Garba workshop ahead of Navratri. The workshop introduced participants to authentic Gujarati Garba forms, including Dodhiya, Do Taali and Teen Taali.
“We brought an authentic Gujarati Garba workshop to Udaipur for the first time, and more than 200 people joined us. We taught traditional forms such as Dodhiya, Do Taali and Teen Taali so that people could truly dance in devotion to Mata.”
– Nimisha Bhati ( Raas Rasiya Team)
The collaboration also provided participants with a platform to practise and perform the forms they had learnt during Navrang’s celebrations, connecting cultural learning with the festive experience.
For the organising team, Navrang is an effort to preserve and share the traditional character of Gujarati Garba while creating a memorable community
With its second edition concluded, Navrang Navratri has furthered its vision of bringing traditional Gujarati Garba to Udaipur. Through its emphasis on authentic music, cultural learning and collective participation, the festival offered a celebration that went beyond dancing, introducing audiences to the traditions and spirit behind Garba.
