The Ahmedabad garba event ‘Parampara’ will be held on an open ground from October 12 to October 20 after the air-conditioned dome planned for the Navratri celebration collapsed at Gopal Farm on the city’s S.P. Ring Road, organiser and singer Kirtidan Gadhvi announced in a social media video.
The event had been scheduled to begin on October 11. Gadhvi said the venue would be shifted from the damaged dome to an open ground, while the sound and lighting arrangements would remain unchanged. He described the decision as a response to messages and support from attendees and said the event would continue from the second day of Navratri until Dussehra.
The dome collapsed on the evening of October 9 while work was still under way at the venue. According to the report, the structure had been built over two months and was fully prepared, with lighting and other arrangements installed. Some workers were present when it suddenly came down and sustained minor injuries.
The planned celebration covered approximately 900,000 square feet and had capacity for around 12,000 people at a time. The collapse occurred two days before the scheduled start of the garba programme. The report said the timing meant a larger loss of life was avoided, since the venue was not yet hosting the public.
In his video statement, Gadhvi said reports had circulated about damage to the dome but added that the incident had not affected the enthusiasm of him, his team or attendees. He said the open-ground format would replace the air-conditioned dome while retaining the planned sound and lighting arrangements.
The incident brings attention to the safety implications of temporary structures used for large public gatherings during Ahmedabad’s Navratri season. Such venues combine expansive temporary roofing, electrical installations, lighting, sound equipment, workers and large crowds within a limited preparation period. In this case, the collapse took place before the event opened to the public, but the structure had already reached the stage where major installations were in place.
The report does not provide details of the cause of the collapse, the contractor responsible for the dome, or any official inspection or clearance connected with the replacement open-ground venue. It also does not state whether a formal inquiry has been announced. The available information confirms the venue change and the organiser’s revised schedule, but not the technical reasons behind the structural failure.
Several Gujarati performers are scheduled to appear at Navratri events across Ahmedabad this year, including Aditya Gadhvi, Divya Chaudhary, Jignesh Kaviraj, Hardik Dave and Ishani Dave. The Parampara programme will now proceed at the open-ground venue from October 12 to October 20, according to Kirtidan Gadhvi’s announcement.
