Irshad Mansuri (Right) takes garba classes
For Mohammad Irshad Mansuri, 43, the big day is fast approaching. With nine nights of Navratri festivities ahead, he is dishing out last-minute Garba dancing tips to his students.
Irshad was 14 when he started taking part in Garba dancing events and for over two decades now, he has been holding the classes himself. After all these years, he doesn't like being told that as a Muslim Garba enthusiast, he is an oddity.
Threats this year by right-wing groups such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, directing organizers to keep Muslims away from Garba venues, have angered Irshad and others like him.
The diktat is part of a campaign against "love jihad" or what these groups describe as an Islamist agenda to seduce and convert Hindu girls.
"Garbas represent the country's rich cultural heritage. If the country's youth don't participate in it, who will? If we dance together, it binds us even further. I am running classes since 27 years and there have been no harassment or anything with my girl students,'' says Irshad.
Around 300 boys and girls from different communities, learn garba from Irshad, who is considered an expert in the different steps associated with the Ras Garbas.
For garba revelers, talk of love jihad is pointless.
"Our teacher is a Muslim. There are students here who are from different communities, some Hindu, some Christian, some Jains. So why single out Muslims? There is no truth in love jihad. We have been dancing together since years. Why create an issue now?" said Siddhi Patel.
Her friend Darshana Gandhi agreed.
"I don't think there should be discrimination on the basis of religion. Whether Muslims, Jains, Khojas, Jains - all should be allowed to participate in the festival," she said.
Most of the organizers have so far resisted the "diktat". At the same time, some of them have made identification cards mandatory for participants, though they maintain that it's only for security. With just a day left for the festival, the message from garba lovers is loud and clear -- it's time to dance and flow with the spirit of Navratri.