It’s the time when the nights are going to be the new 6 pm. It’s the time when traditional wear is the new in-thing. It’s the time when pubs and clubs are going to be empty. It’s also the time when no one will be telling to come back home early! If you have already guessed it, it is the time of Navratri, the festival of dance and happiness.
If you are as observant as we are, you must be knowing these things – people (especially gujjus) are head-over-heels in love with dancing all night, dressing up in their super-expensive clothes, clicking so may photos in different poses and the most obvious, attending famous Garba concerts all over the town! And, with the deadlines pushed back, the young and the old have the freedom to celebrate the festivities worry-free! And when you celebrate a festival, you are gonna celebrate it with your loved ones. And with people around, you are going to get your car out on the road.
Tip Number 1: Make your Car as Bright as you look!
When the festive season starts, there is a subtle glow in everyone’s face. People are more cheerful, they look more vibrant than ever! The festive season makes the people be at their best. Why not making your car as vibrant as you look? There are many ways you can do that, like adding bright Head Lamps, Tail Lamps, adding bright Illuminated Scuff Plates and adding new shiny Chrome accessories. But, our personal favorite is Mood Lighting Kit. Mood lights are available in 5 colors – red, white, blue, red and yellow, which are among the 9 colors of Navratri. You can easily change the colors with your smartphone. Get eyeballs turned towards your car and make it as beautiful (or handsome) as you will look!
Tip Number 2: Feel the beats of the energetic songs before you rock the dance floor!
The best thing about Navratri is the folk songs. We are sure you would love listening to ‘Pari hoon Main’, ‘Vitthal Vitthal’ and many more songs that get us jumping up and down! Get your Gujju friends and tell them to play their favorite songs on full blast on loud Car Speakers! There are many types of speakers available in the market, ranging from cheap, almost-not-worth-the-money speakers and those expensive totally-worth-the-money speakers, and in our opinion, you should invest in the latter. Why, you ask? It’s simple, silly! Quality always trumps over cheap products. And who wouldn’t want to feel the adrenaline rush before you actually unleash your wild side!
Tip Number 3: Make your car as spotless as you would look!
It is said that Cleanness is next to Godliness. And with the festive season in full swing, we Indians make sure that everything is SPOTLESS. Right from our homes to our workspaces, we make everything super clean. While we are cleaning, why not get the car cleaned up before? You might be wondering, “Diwali to aa rahi hai, abhi bhi kyun cleaning karvaau?” The reason is really simple – you are going to have your gang with you in your car. And where there’s people, there’s mess. So, make sure your car is Garba-ready and get it deep-cleaned. Get the wrappers out from the corners. Get a Portable Car Vacuum Cleaner so that you can clean your car in case of any spilling. We dress up in such fine clothes, why not at least get our cleaned?
Tip Number 4: In a hurry? Change your clothes in the car
Every office goer who is a big fan of Garba knows the struggle of juggling between working in the office after 6, rushing to reach the venue on time and also to get Garba-ready. Because of hectic schedules, we might go in our office attire. We Indians are known to have some sort of JUGAAD if we want to get our work done. But, what if, while you are traveling to dance to Dandiya Queen Falguni Pathak’s hit numbers, you can change your clothes inside the car? We know it might sound absurd to some of you, but you can get some privacy if you install a good quality Sunshades set. Sunshades will act like a curtain while you quickly and abruptly get out of your office clothes and dress into a fine-looking pair of chaniya-choli! Trust us, these last-minute hacks are super-fun to try and save your time too!
Tip Number 5: Sweating after an awesome night? Have the essentials in your car!
Anyone who has ever attended any Dandiya night knows this – you are going to be sweaty no matter what you do! The energy in the ground is just unreal. And, when you dance, you will not stop, that’s for sure. After you are done taking photos with your dance partner, you would want to freshen up. And, it would stink (literally) if you enter your car, gloriously sweating from showing off your favorite Garba moves. So, we would recommend that you have the essentials in your car – Air Fresheners and Tissue Box. Have a good quality tissue box filled with tissues in your car and you are going to be the life-savior all asked for! There are tons of air fresheners in the market and you have the right to be confused. But, in our opinion, you should go for Japan’ finest air freshener, My Shaldan. The aroma it spreads throughout the car will make you and your co-passengers forget that you are all sweaty!
Tip Number 6: Don’t let parking problems spoil your mood!
With herds of people heading to Garba grounds to play, it is but obvious that the traffic is going to be abysmal. The roads are going to be jam-packed with cars, bikes, rickshaws and whatnot. So, if you do not leave early enough, you are going to face the menace of the nasty roads.
Now that you’ve reached the ground, the next main issue is the parking. You have arrived in style, in matching attire with your gang. With so many cars beefed up in one small parking lot, it gets very difficult for the driver. We feel bad for the poor driver in the group who has to find a parking space to park the car! But fear not (and have faith in Mataji) for you can easily park your car without bumping into the next one and then later getting into an ugly fight with the car owner – getting assistance from a buddy and also to get a parking sensor. Parking sensor helps you to not get involved in any awkward situation by assisting you to park properly. Think of all the time you saved in parking hassle-free and think about the extra time you will get to dance!
Tip Number 7: Body hurts after dancing? Add comfy car accessories in your car
Thousands of people flock to garba grounds to play. And there’s a saying that too much s is never good! There’s more than 100% chance that your back and limbs are going to be sore from all the dancing. And you don’t want to travel back to your homes with an aching body, knowing very well that you have to get up next day for office. So, buy (or rather invest) in comfortable car accessories like back rest, lumbar support, neck pillows, arm rest, seat covers, steering covers and whichever accessories you can grab your hands on so that you can at least sit in a comfortable car. The key is to go for the ones which have extra padding and are made of superior quality materials.
Tip Number 8: Hungry after hours of dancing? Have your food in your car!
During the 9 days of Navratri, you would see tons of superheroes. Don’t believe us? Any die-hard fan of Garba can dance for hours (maybe the whole night, if it is allowed) and not feel any sort of pain or hunger or thirst. But, after those beats stop, they are going to feel like they HAVEN’T HAD ANY FOOD OR DRINK IN FOREVER! And it is a well-known fact that all the restaurants are jam-packed with hungry Navratrians. Well, what if you can have your food and chilled drinks in your car? This is possible, with a Portable Fridge in your car. A portable fridge keeps your drinks chilled for hours, so you wouldn’t have to rely on anybody and chill like a boss with your own supplies in your own car! Now that’s what we call SARAS idea!
Tip Number 9: And lastly, have your Garba Gang with you at all times
Especially after you have shown off some cool steps and are too tired to drive back to your home all by yourself. You can count on your friends like 1…2…3! After you have danced all night, you will obviously be dead-tired. It is in your best interest that your gang stays with you, especially the ones who know how to drive! They will give you company while you are driving by singing their favorite dandiya songs. They will keep an eye out on the road for any speed-breakers, keep you alerted at all times and you can have the best Navrati ever!
So, what are you waiting for? Keep going on and play Dandiya all night long!
