Mumbai:
It's going to be a lavish Navratri this year for Roma Ashar, a 23-year-old technical writer who recently travelled to Gujarat to buy jewellery and traditional clothes for her dandiya outings in Mumbai.
"I went with two friends and between the three of us, we spent nearly Rs 20,000," says Ashar, a regular at some of the biggest dandiya events in the suburbs.
As the city gets decked up for Navratri, revellers are busy ensuring that they are well-prepared to make the most of the nine-day festival that starts on Friday.
"Shopping sprees, crash diets, dandiya classes, appointments with beauticians and hairdressers, my Navratri to-do list is running into several pages," laughs 29-year-old Neha Dalal, a software professional.
This kind of enthusiasm comes as no surprise to dandiya organisers in the city who have roped in celebrity singers and performers to regale the revellers. And that is not all -- lakhs of rupees are on offer as awards in various categories such as best male and female dancers, best costumes, best steps and so on.
While organisers are refusing to give exact figures as of now, industry insiders reveal that the prizes at Kora Kendra in Borivli and Sankalp at the Goregaon Sports Club will be anything between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh.
Other dandiya hotspots in Mumbai include Shree Krishna Sports Club, Worli, Tulip Star, Juhu, Chitrakut Grounds, Andheri, Mhada Grounds, Kandivli, Malpani Grounds, Borivli, and Hockey Grounds, Ghatkopar.
The daily entry fee at the different venues is between Rs250 and Rs500 with weekend rates being higher than usual. A season pass will cost anywhere between Rs 1,500 and Rs3,000.
"I went with two friends and between the three of us, we spent nearly Rs 20,000," says Ashar, a regular at some of the biggest dandiya events in the suburbs.
As the city gets decked up for Navratri, revellers are busy ensuring that they are well-prepared to make the most of the nine-day festival that starts on Friday.
"Shopping sprees, crash diets, dandiya classes, appointments with beauticians and hairdressers, my Navratri to-do list is running into several pages," laughs 29-year-old Neha Dalal, a software professional.
This kind of enthusiasm comes as no surprise to dandiya organisers in the city who have roped in celebrity singers and performers to regale the revellers. And that is not all -- lakhs of rupees are on offer as awards in various categories such as best male and female dancers, best costumes, best steps and so on.
While organisers are refusing to give exact figures as of now, industry insiders reveal that the prizes at Kora Kendra in Borivli and Sankalp at the Goregaon Sports Club will be anything between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh.
Other dandiya hotspots in Mumbai include Shree Krishna Sports Club, Worli, Tulip Star, Juhu, Chitrakut Grounds, Andheri, Mhada Grounds, Kandivli, Malpani Grounds, Borivli, and Hockey Grounds, Ghatkopar.
The daily entry fee at the different venues is between Rs250 and Rs500 with weekend rates being higher than usual. A season pass will cost anywhere between Rs 1,500 and Rs3,000.
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