Dress-makers in demand this garba season

Some wing it while others rent it. This year, Sunita Nayak decided to go the whole six yards and buy a traditional chaniya choli in fetching yellow and blue. The reason? Ever since she started garba lessons in Ghatkopar, she is more confident of doing the twists and swirls in the fast-paced popat-style of dancing. "I feel like dressing up and being one of them," says Nayak, a Malayali Mumbaikar.

Of course, the circumference of the skirt matters, especially when you spin. "It looks good," laughs the 43-year-old. Earlier, she used to design her own skirts, inspired by the South Indian 'half-sari'. This year also, a few have been readied for dancing away at the Somaiya College grounds and elsewhere. But for the big day, the grand piece will be unveiled.

With many Mumbaikars like Nayak getting ready to stand out this Navratri with evenings of garba and dandiya, shops across the city are ready with colourful ghaghras, kediyas and chunky jewellery. "People are asking for Rowdy and Ramleela styles this year," says Harshad Mehta of Rabaran Gavthi Collection in Ghatkopar. In the 'rowdy' style, skirts come with extra flare just like the punch lines of the 'Singham' hero. 'Ramleela' closely follows heroine Deepika Padukone's single- shade costumes with minimal embroidery. The pieces cost from Rs 2,000 onwards and also come in bright neon colours with aari or kutchi badla embroidery. Finding buyers is not a problem in places like Ghatkopar with a considerable Gujarati population, says Mehta who set up the shop in 1990 after seeing the number of those celebrating the festival go up. "It wasn't just Gujaratis anymore. Maharashtrians and South Indians also started going for dandiya and garba about 10 years ago," says Mehta.

But not everyone wants to buy the heavily embroidered dresses. "Yesterday, one gentleman came and booked eight different kediyas for the season," says Alka Shah of Popin Wedding Designer in Kandivli. Their two outlets get 3,000-4,000 bookings every season, especially on weekends and on the last day of Navratri celebrations. You can pick up a dress for as low as Rs 300. "It doesn't make sense for a Maharashtrian like me to buy a costly dress," says Rashmi Nath. Plus, she can wear different costumes every year, says Nath, who is planning to head to the local outpost in Chembur to be ready for a garba contest on Tuesday.

To dancer and teacher Rajesh Joshi from Ghatkopar, getting a kediya with traditional Kutchi embroidery for Rs 15,000 was a matter of staying true to his art. "I have completed 25 years as a teacher now and wanted to celebrate it," says Joshi.

Outside Gujarati pockets like Ghatkopar, Kandivli, Borivli and Mulund, the demand for traditional costumes seems to be slipping. "Now, you have to stop music by 10pm and because of that many people are dropping out," says Suresh Harilal Dresswala of Maganlal Bhagwanji Dresswala, who exports costumes to UK's Gujarati community. The time limit has put a dampener but 68-year-old Dresswala will go for his society's garba, dressed in the traditional costume. As he puts it: "Where is the charm in garba if you are not dressed for it?"

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