Finally, VNF secures venue for Navratri

Vadodara: Having faced uncertainty over venue for last few weeks, the Vadodara Navratri Festival (VNF) has finally decided to organize garba at an open plot behind Reliance Mega Mall on the Old Padra Road.
VNF chairman Dilip Shah said that the venue belongs to a private individual and they will soon start preparations for the nine-night revelry.
“This the same plot where United Way of Baroda used to host garba years ago,” Shah told TOI.VNF had been in the centre of controversy over last few days after it decided to hire the union pavilion ground in M S University. MSU’s syndicate members had decided to give the pavilion ground to VNF for organizing garba.
But some MSU senate members and two government nominated syndicate members opposed the decision stating that the ground shouldn’t be given for any commercial activity. They had also argued that students undergoing rigorous training for Khel Mahakumbh 2018 will suffer as the ground won’t be available during Navratri. As the controversy blew up, VNF officials submitted a letter seeking cancellation of the permission.
The letter also stated that VNF won’t be conducting Navratri this year. It was a blow for the VNF management that had to vacate the Navlakhi Grounds this year as another garba mentored by BJP Akota MLA Seema Mohile wanted the same venue. VNF and Kala Nagri Garba Mahotsav were to organize garba jointly but they fell out due to difference of opinion on several issues.