Video Editor: Ashish MacCune
After Ganesh Chaturthi, COVID-19 has cast a pall over Navratri celebrations in Mumbai this year. The Maharashtra government has issued a 16-point circular, advising against conducting events like Garba, dandiya and other gatherings this year.
While organisers of cultural events and the artists that perform every year agree that the current health crisis calls for low-key celebrations, they also, however, cannot deny the impact it will have on business.
“At this time, all artists and musicians are so busy that we have no time to eat or even breathe. Rehearsals start at around 9-9:30 am and go on till 10:30 in the night. We discuss the songs that we will be performing, what’s new and how to pull it off. But this year, everyone is free and sitting at home,” says musician Mehul Ganggar.
The three months prior to Navratri and the festival itself are the busiest for Garba artists across India. With big-ticket events being halted this year, however, the industry braces for losses worth thousands of crores.
Ganggar adds that even the smallest of musicians earn anywhere between Rs 25,000-Rs 50,000 during Navratri. Big scale organisers even rake in up to over Rs 5 crore, he says.
A huge chunk of dance instructor Kiran Shah’s earnings depends solely on Navratri. He helps hundreds of people hone their Garba skills before festivities begin each year. This year, however, there have hardly been any inquiries.
“We conduct classes in Kandivali, Andheri, Malad, Borivali and Ghatkopar. Every year, 300-350 students come to learn from us. Each course is priced differently, if they want to learn the basics, it costs Rs 2,500, advanced course costs Rs 3,000, pro-level course costs Rs 3,500. This year, there have been only 10 percent inquiries. That is, hardly 30-35 students, because everyone is sure that there won’t be any Navratri (events) this time so, obviously, no one would want to come learn Garba,” says Shah.
Shah’s revenue has dipped by 90 percent because of the pandemic this year.
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