Digital Garba: Creator Celebrates Navratri with Photos of NRI Friends

As Navratri festivities sweep across India, Mumbai-based digital creator and actor Viraj Ghelani has captured hearts with a unique celebration dubbed “Digital Garba”. Understanding the longing many Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) feel for the vibrant festival, Ghelani, who boasts over a million Instagram followers, devised a heartfelt way to include his friends living abroad. By dancing with life-sized cutouts of two NRI friends during a garba event, he symbolically bridged the distance, allowing them to join the revelry despite being oceans away.

Navratri, a nine-night Hindu festival celebrated with traditional garba and dandiya dances, holds deep cultural significance, particularly in Gujarat and among Indian communities worldwide. For NRIs, missing these communal celebrations can evoke a sense of disconnection. Ghelani’s innovative gesture involved printing large photos of his friends and incorporating them into his garba performance, creating a poignant blend of tradition and technology. He shared the touching moment in a viral Instagram video, captioned in Hindi, urging followers to “tag someone you’d want to organise a digital Garba for, because they’re missing the real fun.”

The video struck a chord online, amassing widespread praise for its emotional resonance. Many netizens lauded Ghelani’s creativity in fostering inclusivity during the festival season. However, reactions were mixed, with some comments reflecting humour and others gentle critique. One user quipped, “All these schemes are available only in this country; India is not for beginners.” Another, from California, noted, “We play garba for months, not just nine days, and in person, not digitally. But thank you for your kindness,” highlighting the global reach of Navratri celebrations.

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Ghelani’s “Digital Garba” underscores the power of social media to connect communities, especially during festivals that thrive on togetherness. As Navratri continues, his gesture serves as a reminder of the enduring bonds that festivals nurture, even across continents, blending tradition with modern innovation to keep the festive spirit alive.

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