Vadodara: During the nine days of the Navratri festival, Vadodara city comes alive with Garba music. However, on Thursday night, there was another center of attraction for the people as 150 drones simultaneously flew over the historical Navlakhi Maidan to create various figures themed around Navratri.

Meanwhile, in the state capital of Gandhinagar, a grand Mahaarati of 51,000 lamps was performed during the Kesaria Garba at Ramkatha Maidan in Sector-11, where a figure of ‘Adiyogi’ was created. Similarly, the face of Mahadurga was formed with thousands of lamps at the Garba organized by the Gandhinagar Cultural Forum in Sector-12.

First of Its Kind Drone Show in Vadodara

A team comprising experts from IIT Delhi was in the city to organize a drone show featuring 150 drones for the first time in Vadodara, mesmerizing thousands of spectators on the grounds. The highlight of this drone show was the depiction of Mataji’s face. In addition to this, the 150 drones created displays featuring different themes, including a couple dancing during Navratri, the sponsors’ names, and a lamp. Large crowds gathered at Navlakhi Ground and the surrounding areas to witness this spectacle.

Regarding this event, drone pilot Amitabh Goyal stated that 150 drones performed at the Navratri festival at Navlakhi Ground. “We are from Delhi, and we specialize in drone shows across India. This is the first time 150 drones have been flown together in a show in Vadodara. Our team of 10 people worked hard for 20 days to prepare for this drone show. Given that it is the Navratri festival, we have created figures related to the celebration, which requires a lot of effort. We hope to organize similar drone shows in Vadodara in the future,” he said.

He further explained that obtaining permission for the show is quite challenging due to airport radar and the surrounding areas being under surveillance. This permission was sought over the past week. “According to government regulations, we adhere to specific height restrictions while flying drones for shows. Our record was set by flying around 5,500 drones at Anant Ambani’s pre-wedding function in Jamnagar, Gujarat.”

Mahadurga’s Face Formed with Thousands of Lamps

At the garba event organized by the Gandhinagar Cultural Forum, the face of Mahadurga was formed with thousands of lamps. This tradition, which began in 2006, has spread across Gujarat, with the practice of creating figures from lamps starting in 2011. On the eighth night, thousands of lamps formed the face of Mahadurga, creating an atmosphere of great curiosity and devotion.

Watch | Thousands of people gather at Gandhinagar Cultural Forum garba ground in Gujarat to create a figure of Goddess Amba’s face using oil lamps. This is tradition on this Garba ground for last many years. Religious figure is formed using oil lamps here on 8th night of Navratri pic.twitter.com/uYBQpDpgH0

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) October 10, 2024

Formation of the ‘Adiyogi’ Figure in Kesaria Garba

The Kesaria Garba, organized by Gandhinagar North Legislative Assembly MLA Ritaben Patel, featured a grand Mahaarati of 51,000 lamps, as is tradition on the eighth day of Navratri. All the devotees present participated in the Mahaarati with immense faith and devotion and created a figure of ‘Adiyogi’ by standing in a pattern with lamps in their hands.

The Golden Cheers Orchestra performed a Kesaria Garbani Aarti, filling the atmosphere with a devotional spirit. A large crowd at the Kesaria Garba premises celebrated the wonderful moment as a lamp-made replica of ‘Adiyogi’ was projected on the screen. Notable attendees included International Cricket Council Chairman and BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, Rajya Sabha MP Mayank Nayak, and Municipal Commissioner J. N. Vaghela.

Additionally, a Mahaarati for Ma Jagdamba with 21,000 lamps was performed at the Thanganat Navratri Mahotsav in Sector-6, where the figure was made in solidarity with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Clean India” mission.