Mumbai festival: Best places to enjoy dandiya, durga puja and ram leela

NavratriRuparel Navratri Utsav7 pm onwards Those who cannot imagine Navratri without Falguni Pathak the singer will be performing live for 10 consecutive days at the Ruparel Navratri Utsav A two lakh sq foot wooden floor space has been created for the dance within the 13acre area Therersquos a parking space that can accommodate 1000 vehicles Add to this there will be 150 bouncers and 50 female security guards and ambulance services deployed over 10 nights More than 35000 people are expected at this venue that will also host a garba competition where the winning couple can bag a 10day holiday to SpainWhere Late Shri Pramod Mahajan Sports Complex Next to Vasant Complex Mahavir Nagar Borivli WestEntry Rs 700 onwardsCall 9920204028Rangilo Re6 pm onwards Catch singer Parthiv Gohil live in action for the first time at a Navratri function Gohil who shot to fame as a playback singer in Sanjay Leela Bhansalirsquos Devdas and Saawariya will be belting out dandiya favourites Other performances will include Sheri Garba Marwari folk music and even some Punjabi bhangra Each night Gohil will showcase a different conceptWhere Nesco Center Western Express Highway Goregaon EastEntry Rs 300 onwardsCall 66450123Korakendra Navratri720 pm onwards Over the past 13 years the Naidu Club has been organising garba nights at the same venue This is the only Navratri event in India that has not changed the venue and management in 13 years With 30000 footfalls a day the crowds go up to two lakh over the 10 days A temporary temple is made within the 100000 square feet space which also has a 90000 square feet wooden platform for dancers Therersquos a seating area for the audience besides an AC VIP lounge Key attractions include a surprise Bollywood guest besides a chance to play garba for a prize money of 1 croreWhere Korakendra Ground 1 RM Bhattad Rd Haridas Nagar Borivli WestEntry Rs 360 onwardsCall 9769752063Raas Rang Navratri6 pm onwards Held on a comparatively smaller scale than its Western Line counterparts this venue is highly sought after in the vicinity Around 6000 attendees are expected to attend this dandiya function that will feature a performance by dandiya king Naitik Nagda Nagda whose tryst with live shows began when he was all of 10 has performed with Kailash Kher Sona Mohapatra Hard Kaur and Farhan Akhtar He shot to fame at the Commonwealth Games when he matched tunes with AR RahmanWhere Modella Mill CompoundLal Bahadur Shastri MargThane WestEntry Rs 250 onwardsRadiance Dandiya830 pm onwards If you want to add a fivestar touch to the festivities head to Radiance Dandiya organised by Purple Blue Events Taking you through the beats will be an orchestra headed by Manish Parekhrsquos Drumbeats one of the top end dandiya orchestra troupes in the city The luxury fivestar is also offering streetstyle dishes with a gourmet touch in keeping with the festive moodWhere Hotel Sahara Star Opposite Domestic Airport Vile Parle EastEntry Rs 800 onwardsCall 39895000Dandiya Festival7 pm to 12 am This indoor stadium is one of the hottest venues to catch all the dandiya action this season at the Dandiya Festival The experience is one of a kind given the view of the Arabian Sea from within the Domersquos walls The pillarless space ensures a hasslefree time for garba dancers And because itrsquos indoors the music can go on well beyond midnight There will be a fusion of traditional garba and Bollywood dandiya with South Mumbairsquos famous Ramzat GroupWhere DomeNSCI SVP Stadium WorliEntry Rs 400Rs 3500Call 24906000Durga PujaFollowing the DeviFor those who cannot be Bengalbound this Durga Puja the island city has enough to ensure you donrsquot feel homesickPowai Durga PujaFrom Sept 25 to Oct 3 Organised by the Powai Bengali Welfare Association this yearrsquos Durga puja will have a theme of the pagoda The saree draped on the idol wonrsquot be of cloth but made of mud On the entertainment front there will be Bengali theatre live performances a drawing competition a photo exhibition besides several food stalls offering the best delicacies from BengalWhere Hiranandani Gardens PowaiCall 40024361North Bombay Sarbojonin PujaFrom Sept 30 to Oct 3 This puja will be celebrating its 70th year with a 17 feet tall idol that will be draped in a designer sari The entire set up will be done aboard a boat The puja rituals will be followed through all five days in a fully air conditioned pandal Bhog will be served to devotees And for those looking for more options a massive food court is the answer Adding to the festivities will be live performances by Usha Uthup and Shaan among othersWhere Tulip Star Hotel Vaikunthalal Mehta Road JuhuCall 26770013Shivaji Park DurgotsavFrom Sept 30 to Oct 3 Entering its 82nd year is the Shivaji Park Durgotsav one of the few pandals in the city to retain the authentic puja flavour minus the frills One highlight of this puja is the spread of food and handicraft stalls that travel all the way from Kolkata Whether you are looking for that perfect Bengali egg roll or a handloom saree this is the place to head toWhere Bengal Club Shivaji Park Dadar WestCall 24451538Ram Krishna Mission PujaSept 25 to Oct 3 630 am onwards A far cry from the festive noise is this quiet puja that is thronged by thousands of devotees yet stands apart for its peaceful ambience and discipline For those seeking an authentic temple flavour of pujo festivities this is the place to go Donrsquot miss the sandhi puja a customary Ashtami ritual where 108 diyas are lit For foodies the bhog served here is arguably the best in Mumbai Small wonder that people around the city visit this venue to experience the bhogWhere Ramakrishna Mission Marg 12th Road Khar WestCall 6181 8000New Bengal Club PujaSept 25 to Oct 3 Known to draw no less than two lakh visitors this puja is one of the most popular ones in Thane Known for its fine artistry the idol in this puja is one to watch out for The details have been kept under wraps until now but this 16year old puja is known to live up to its hypeWhere Mullabaug in front of Nilkanth Woods behind Happy Valley Complex Manpada Thane WKalbadevi Durga PujaSept 25 to Oct 3 Established in 1930 by the jewellers of Zaveri Bazar Kalbadevi Sarvajanin Durga Puja is the cityrsquos oldest In its 88th year this puja still retains its quaint charm even as the idol is adorned with dazzling pieces of real gold and diamonds The background ornamentation made of white thermocol called ldquodaaker shaajrdquo comes from KolkataWhere Madhav Baug CP Tank CALL 98215 74468Entry Rs 0Call 98215 74468RamleelaWatch the LeelaLose yourself in stories from the Ramayana that come alive on the cityrsquos open groundsGirgaum ChowpattyDonrsquot miss the spectacle as a towering effigy of Ravan is set on fire by the beach on September 30 the 10th day of NavratriAzad MaidanTouted as the cityrsquos oldest Ramleela ground this is the only one of its kind where the effigy of Ravan is not burnt A group of 25 performers from Ayodhya will be enacting stories from the epic across 10 daysWhere Mahapalika Marg Dhobi TalaoWhen Till Sept 30 7pm to 10 pmShivaji Raje Sports GroundThe Ramlila Prachar Samiti has been organising this Ramleela since 1982 The gigantic stage on which the troupe of Shri Rajesh Rastogi perform is one of the main attractionsWhere Haji Zakaria Road Malad WestWhen Till Sept 30 7 to 10 pm