VHP and Bajrang Dal seek ID checks for Garba entry in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri
In a joint application to the district administration, the groups asked for Aadhaar or other ID checks so that only "Sanatani devotees" enter Garba pandals.
- Free Press Journal
In a joint application to the district administration, the groups asked for Aadhaar or other ID checks so that only "Sanatani devotees" enter Garba pandals. They also asked that intoxicated people be kept out, that only devotional and Garba music be played and that meat shops near religious places stay shut during Navarātri.
The administration had not decided.
Why it matters
Similar demands for entry control are likely in other states this Navarātri, along with administrative and legal pushback.
GK: did you know?
"Garba" comes from the Sanskrit garbha, womb, after the perforated lamp-pot danced around. UNESCO inscribed Gujarat's Garba on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December 2023.
