15 October,2010 07:22 AM IST | | Dharam Dhutia
Boys, stay out of this one if you're above the age of 12
If you're tired of getting the glad eye on garba grounds, then ladies, you have a place to tap your feet without attracting any unwanted attention from the opposite sex.
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The Navratri celebrations at Shantinagar in Mira Road are held exclusively for women. Any male above the age of 12 is not allowed.
The celebration, started by the Nav Durga Mitra Mandal in 2007, ensures the ladies have a carefree time while they dance and celebrate.
The exclusivity has struck a chord with women and children in the area who say they couldn't enjoy the festival fully when this celebration was not there.
The founder of the mandal, Manoj Dubey, got the brainwave after women in the area complained of eve teasing and misbehaviour.
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So he decided to slick up the ground at Sector 10, Shantinagar and throw the venue open for women and children to come and rejoice during Navratri.
"Most people in the adjoining areas are Gujaratis and they didn't have a proper place to celebrate Navratri. So we started a special garba for women and children only," said Dubey.
Residents are only too content with the arrangement. "There were no decent celebrations for Navratri in our vicinity. But now we can enjoy the festival," said Kirtiben Jolapara, a dandiya enthusiast from the area.
The crowd is mostly from Mira Road and Bhayander, but the residents' kin visit the place as well, to get a feel of its unique concept.
No man's land
The security arrangements to check on wistful men make sure no errant incidents come to pass. The ground is flanked by a bamboo fence, and manned by volunteers and private security agents.
"We have hired 10 to 12 guards. Though, we have put up instructions on large hoardings and men comply," said Dubey.
With interactive contests like fancy dress, aarti competition and so on, the mandal hopes to rope in as many people as it can. The mandal is enrolling women in the organising committee to make it more participative.
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The celebrations usually culminate in a collective ceremony called Samuh Aarti on the ninth day, when all lights are switched off and women light candles to pray to the goddesses.
Figures
1,000: Number of women and children who visit the exclusive garba venue daily
2,500: Number expected in the last two days of Navratriu00a0
Elsewhere
The Mumbai Police has formed anti-pressing squads to keep an eye on mischief makers on garba grounds across the city.
They would be dressed in traditional Navratri attire and mix in with the crowd to check miscreants.
Recently eight people were remanded to police custody from a dandiya celebration at Malad for allegedly assaulting two people and misbehaving with a girl.
