Non-Hindus should not be allowed at Navratri festival Garba: VHP

Nagpur, Oct 1 (PTI) The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Tuesday appealed to the organisers of Garba events not to allow non-Hindus to participate in the celebrations.

Entry should be allowed at Garba dance events during the Navratri festival only after checking Aadhaar cards, said VHP Maharashtra-Goa `prant' (region) secretary Govind Shende here.

The VHP has been demanding for many years that a person who does not have faith in the Goddess should not be allowed at Garba events, he told reporters.

The nine-day Navratri festival starts from October 3.

Garba is a form of worship and not just a dance program or even a cultural event, the VHP leader said.

"Hence, people who do not have faith in Goddess Bhagwati should not go to such programmes. They go there with a certain mindset which causes trouble for our sisters and hurts our religious sentiments. Hence, for the last few years, we have been appealing to Garba organisers that such people should not be allowed," Shende said.

Entry should be allowed after checking a person's Aadhaar card to ascertain that he is Hindu, and a `tilak' should be put on his forehead, he said.

Every participant must also be asked to bow before the Goddess' picture kept at the entrance, he said.

Several Garba organisers have been following this system for the last several years, the VHP leader claimed. PTI