As the vibrant lights of Navratri 2025 flicker to life across India, the air is thick with the rhythmic claps of dhol beats and the swirl of colorful chaniya cholis. Garba, the traditional Gujarati folk dance performed during this nine-night Hindu festival honoring Goddess Durga, has long been a symbol of joy, community, and cultural exuberance. Yet, in recent years, these celebrations have increasingly become flashpoints for communal tension. This September, as organizers prepare for the festivities beginning October 3, a fresh wave of controversy has erupted over who gets to participate—and why.
Hindu nationalist groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have issued advisories calling for “Hindu-only” entry to Garba events, complete with identity checks, mandatory tilak (forehead markings), and even unconventional suggestions like sprinkling cow urine at entrances to deter non-Hindus. At the heart of these demands is an accusation: that Muslims (and sometimes other non-Hindus) are “deliberately infiltrating” these sacred spaces not out of cultural curiosity or neighborly goodwill, but to sow discord, target Hindu women in alleged “love jihad” schemes, or undermine Hindu traditions. Critics, however, decry these measures as exclusionary and a recipe for violence, pointing to a deeper hypocrisy in India’s secular fabric.
This article delves into the claims of deliberate provocation, unpacks the layers of alleged hypocrisy on all sides, and examines how a dance of devotion has morphed into a battleground for identity politics. Drawing from recent events, statements, and social media discourse, we aim to separate fact from fervor in this polarized debate.
The Essence of Garba: A Cultural and Religious Cornerstone
To understand the stakes, one must first grasp Garba’s significance. Rooted in Gujarat and parts of Rajasthan, Garba is more than a dance—it’s a ritualistic circumambulation around an idol or lamp representing the divine feminine energy (Shakti). Performed in concentric circles, it symbolizes the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, with participants invoking Devi through songs, claps, and intricate footwork. Dandiya Raas, a stick-wielding variant, adds a playful martial flair, evoking tales from Hindu mythology like Lord Krishna’s leelas.
Navratri, observed in the autumn (Sharad Navratri), culminates in Dussehra, celebrating good over evil. In urban India, Garba nights draw massive crowds—thousands in pandals (temporary venues) across cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, and Mumbai. Historically inclusive in spirit, these events have evolved from village gatherings to commercial spectacles, attracting diverse participants. Yet, as India’s social fabric strains under rising majoritarianism, Garba’s doors—once metaphorically open—now face literal barricades.
The 2025 Flashpoint: Restrictions, Rumors, and Real Tensions
The current uproar isn’t born in a vacuum. In 2024, similar controversies marred Navratri, with videos of scuffles at Garba venues going viral—alleged Muslim participants being heckled or ejected by self-appointed vigilantes. Fast-forward to September 2025, and the rhetoric has intensified. The VHP’s Maharashtra unit issued a circular on September 20, urging organizers to enforce “Hindu-only” policies: Aadhaar card verification, tilak application upon entry, and bowing before a Varaha (boar avatar of Vishnu) idol. In Surat, Bajrang Dal activists intervened in a Garba orchestra setup, objecting to Muslim musicians and forcing an apology from organizers.
Proponents frame this as protective: BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, speaking in Maharashtra, labeled Garba venues “epicenters of love jihad,” claiming Muslim men attend solely to lure Hindu women into relationships or conversions. Bageshwar Dham’s Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri echoed this, suggesting gomutra (cow urine) at entrances as a natural repellent, arguing, “Sanatanis don’t go on Haj; Muslims shouldn’t attend Garba.” Social media amplifies these narratives, with posts decrying “infiltration” and sharing edited clips of altercations to stoke fears.
But evidence of “deliberate entry to create tension” is scant. Searches reveal no organized Muslim campaigns to disrupt Garba; instead, incidents stem from overzealous enforcement of exclusions. In Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, Muslim clerics preemptively urged youth to skip events, citing risks to communal harmony. A BJP leader in Pune went further, stating idol worship contradicts the Quran, justifying Hindu-only access as “respecting one’s religion.” Bajrang Dal’s national convener added, “Hindus don’t enter mosques during festivals—why should others enter ours?”
Tensions have already boiled over. In Mumbai, VHP’s calls for ID checks sparked protests from opposition parties, with Union Minister Ramdas Athawale warning it could invite violence. Online, hashtags like #GarbaOnlyForHindus trend alongside counter-narratives accusing enforcers of vigilantism. Far from Muslims plotting discord, the friction appears engineered by gatekeeping, turning a festive ritual into a litmus test of faith.
Unpacking the “Deliberate Infiltration” Narrative
The query’s core claim—that Muslims are “deliberately entering Garba to create tension”—mirrors a trope in Hindutva discourse: the “outsider” as existential threat. “Love jihad,” a term popularized in the 2000s, alleges systematic conversions via interfaith romances, though courts and fact-checkers have debunked many cases as consensual or fabricated. In Garba contexts, it’s invoked to explain male participation, ignoring that women often attend in mixed groups for fun, not proselytizing.
Anecdotal videos fuel this: A 2024 clip from Indore showed a man claiming to be Muslim being confronted, leading to a brawl. Yet, broader data from police reports shows most Navratri violence tied to alcohol-fueled fights or crowd mismanagement, not religious sabotage. Muslim participation, where it occurs, often reflects India’s syncretic ethos—neighbors joining festivities, as Hindus do for Eid feasts or Christmas carols.
This narrative risks a self-fulfilling prophecy: By heightening scrutiny, organizers invite confrontations, then cite them as proof of malice. As one X user noted, “Muslims don’t play Holi → ‘radical.’ Muslims join Garba → ‘not allowed.’ Same people threw colours on Jumma namaz. Culture? No, just hypocrisy.” The “deliberate” label, lacking substantiation, serves more to consolidate in-group solidarity than reflect reality.
Exposing Hypocrisy: A Two-Way Street?
The accusation of hypocrisy cuts both ways, revealing fault lines in India’s pluralistic experiment. From the Hindu right’s vantage: Why demand access to “our” festivals while resisting Hindu processions in Muslim-majority areas? Posts lament, “Rest of the year: Why force Muslims to attend Ganesh aarti? During Garba: Why can’t they celebrate Navratri?” They point to exclusions like barring the Ashoka Chakra from mosques, yet insisting Garba remain “open.” If secularism means equal respect, why the asymmetry?
Conversely, liberal and Muslim voices highlight the enforcers’ double standards. Hindus freely join iftar during Ramzan or light diyas on Eid, yet Garba becomes a fortress. One post quips, “Majority Muslims hate us but copy our festivals… Hypocrisy ki bhi seema hoti hai.”
