Demand for garba-dandiya outfits doubled since last year, say Bengaluru shopkeepers

The rental demand for traditional garba and dandiya outfits has doubled since last year, shopkeepers told Metrolife. They attribute the spike to the rising popularity of garba-dandiya nights among youngsters.

The nine-day festival of Navratri will kick off on October 3 and garba-dandiya dance events will follow shortly after.

While garba-dandiya is traditionally performed among Gujarati and Rajasthani communities, thanks to social media, the folk dance has become popular with people from other states too.

“Navratri has become a cultural melting pot. People from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are also renting these outfits,” said an owner of a boutique on Church Street.The rental cost of basic outfits for both women (ghaghra-choli) and men (kediya-dhoti) starts from Rs 250 per day. The cost of heavily embellished outfits can go up to Rs 1,400. These rental shops feature a variety of outfits — from cotton textiles featuring simple mirror work to silk attire with intricate embroidered designs and kundan and zardozi work.

“We mostly get orders from women in their mid-20s,” said Meena Sharma, a boutique owner in Ashok Nagar. She said the heavier sets got hired a month in advance, by women who want to participate in dance competitions at the venue. “Particularly by those who are going to  Jayamahal Palace,” she remarks about the popular venue.

Most customers visit the garba-dandiya venue one time and hence, rent only one set. However, a quarter of their customers order nine different sets for nine days, the two shop owners said.

A manager of a clothing store in Cubbonpete said that this season, they have been renting out nearly 200 sets a day. More venues, including apartment complexes, are hosting garba-dandiya nights when compared to previous years, he said about the surge in demand.