More than 30,000 people gathered at the Kankaria Lakefront in Ahmedabad on 24 October for the inaugural 'Kankaria Na Garba' festival, organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), where differently-abled persons joined the broader public in celebrating the traditional Gujarati folk dance. The event marked the first time this format of inclusive garba was held at the historic lakefront.

An Inclusive Celebration at the Lakefront

The highlight of the evening was the Divyang Garba — performances featuring differently-abled participants — alongside traditional stick garba, which drew enthusiastic crowds. The AMC designed the event specifically to ensure that differently-abled persons, often excluded from large public cultural gatherings, could participate alongside other citizens in a shared celebration.

Entry was free for all attendees through designated gates at the lakefront, and the festival ran from 7:30 pm until midnight. Residents from across the city joined in, making it one of the larger community garba events of the Navratri season in Ahmedabad.

Senior Officials and Elected Representatives Attend

Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot, State BJP President and MLA Jagdish Vishwakarma, and Minister of State for Urban Development and Urban Housing Darshana Vaghela were among the senior figures present at the event.

Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani, MPs Hasmukh Patel and Dinesh Makwana, Deputy Mayor Anju Shah, Standing Committee Chairman Kamlesh Patel, ruling party leader Jashu Thakor, and whip Atul Mishra also attended, along with other MLAs and elected representatives.

Security and Safety Arrangements

The civic body put in place comprehensive safety measures ahead of the event, including CCTV surveillance, rescue boats on the lake, and medical teams stationed at the venue. The arrangements reflected the scale of the gathering and the AMC's intent to ensure a safe environment for all participants, including those with disabilities.

Kankaria Lakefront: A Redeveloped City Landmark

Kankaria Lake is one of Ahmedabad's most recognised historic landmarks. The lakefront redevelopment project, completed in 2009, transformed the site into a public recreational space featuring a pedestrian promenade and visitor facilities. Hosting a large-scale inclusive cultural event at this venue underscores the AMC's broader push to activate the lakefront as a community hub beyond routine recreation.

The success of this inaugural format is likely to inform whether the AMC scales up or replicates the inclusive garba model at other civic venues in future festive seasons.