Mumbai: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has triggered a fresh controversy by issuing a stringent checklist for garba participants and organisers during Navratri, insisting that entry be restricted only to Hindus and made conditional upon Aadhaar verification and ritual compliance. The advisory, circulated across several states including Maharashtra, prescribes that participants at garba pandals must first undergo identity checks, apply tilak on their foreheads, and perform puja before entering the venue.
VHP leaders said the measures were necessary to preserve the sanctity of the festival. “Garba is not merely a dance but a form of worship to please the goddess. They (apparent reference to Muslims) do not believe in idol worship. Only those having faith in the rituals must be allowed to participate,” VHP national spokesperson Shriraj Nair told PTI.
The directives go further than simple identity checks. According to VHP Vidarbha general secretary Prashant Titre, cow urine or gau mutra would also be sprinkled on participants as a form of ritual purification. He added that VHP and Bajrang Dal volunteers would be deployed at major garba pandals to ensure that the instructions are strictly followed. Vidarbha convenor Navin Jain added that those entering must bow before the goddess’s image at the entrance, declaring that “those who do not have faith in idol worship should not be permitted to participate.” The guidelines also prohibit intoxication and smoking at the events.
The advisory has explicitly barred non-Hindus from attending garba programmes, a move that the VHP defends as a safeguard against what it terms “love jihad.” The group has frequently alleged that such festivals are misused by men from other faiths to lure Hindu women into relationships, a claim that has been repeatedly challenged by critics. By instituting Aadhaar-based checks and ritual protocols, the organisation says it is “protecting both the religious purity of the festival and the safety of Hindu women.”
The diktat has quickly become a political flashpoint. While some voices in Maharashtra have supported the VHP’s position as an organiser’s prerogative, others have condemned it as divisive and discriminatory. Critics argue that the guidelines amount to policing of faith in public spaces and undermine the spirit of inclusivity in cultural celebrations. Civil liberties activists have also questioned whether mandatory Aadhaar checks for entry to community events pass constitutional muster.
“Navratri is the time of worship of Maa Shakti and Garba is a way of worshipping Her. Since it is not aligned with Muslim faith, there is no means of participating in it. Hence, it is an appeal to the Muslims to maintain a distance from Garba… It is not just a dance, but a worship and those who have faith would only respect the stage… This results in conflicts…”Dr Salim Raj, Chhattisgarh Waqf Board chairman, told ANI.
Despite the backlash, the VHP has stood firm, declaring that it will continue to enforce these measures wherever possible. Organisers across Maharashtra and other states now face mounting pressure to either adopt the checklist, which includes biometric-style checks, tilak, puja, and ritual sprinkling, or reject it in favour of a more inclusive approach.
