Chaos erupts in Vadodara for United Way Garba passes, several injured

With just a day left for Navratri, chaos erupted in Vadodara as thousands of garba enthusiasts rushed to get passes for the famous United Way Garba (UWay). 

Many participants had still not received their passes due to heavy rain in the city just ahead of Navratri. Organisers instructed people to collect them directly from Alkapuri Club.

This year, the pass price was set at ₹5,500 for a 9-day pass for male participants, with an additional ₹100 courier charge for home delivery. However, despite paying the courier fee, participants were still asked to pick up their passes from the counter.

Following this announcement, a massive crowd rushed to the club to collect passes. The overwhelming turnout disrupted the distribution process, leading to pushing and shoving, during which some people suffered minor injuries.

Police arrived at the spot to control the crowd, eventually stopping the distribution of passes and instructing people to leave, which further angered the attendees.

Organisers later assured that those who had not received their passes would still be allowed entry to the garba grounds on all days by scanning their QR codes. Despite this assurance, many participants expressed doubts about being granted entry without physical passes and demanded that the passes be issued. 

Meanwhile, the organisers are also reportedly considering alternative options to resume pass distribution directly at the garba ground.