Designer Garba Matkas By ‘Special’ Kids For Navratri
The festival season has arrived. After the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, devotees are gearing up for the upcoming Navratri celebration. People are busy shopping the traditional attire of garba outfits which these days have become more glittery and spectacular. Besides, the customary colourful dandiyas have also undergone a sea change. Another highlight of the Navratri festival is the Garba Matka, which is an embellished clay pot creatively decorated with conventional multi-coloured glass pieces and brilliantly designed handiwork. This Garba Matka has a key role in the Navratri festival. In short, in Mulund, everybody is getting into the groove of the festival mood.
Interestingly, to add glitter and gleam to the Navratri festival, the ‘special’ mentally challenged students of Bhartiya Tatvagyan Vishwast Mandal at Neelam Nagar in Mulund East are busying giving final touches to the wonderful Garba Matkas that they make each year.
Kashmira Bhatt, the Founder of Bhartiya Tatvagyan Vishwast Mandal told Home Times, “The idea behind indulging the students in making these Garba Matka is not only to enhance their creative talent but to make them earn while they learn.” She informed, “There are 10 ‘special’ students engaged making the Garba Matkas and we have set a target of making 300 Garba Matkas. Each year, the Garba Matkas are made by these students and are sold in the market and the money collected is distributed amongst the students.”
Kashmira Bhatt also said, “These children do not need our sympathy, but they need people who appreciate their talent and lend a helping hand to give them work so that they become independent and are not a burden on society.” “These children have overpowered their disability by their sheer determination and courage but, regrettably, they do not get a platform to display their talent to the world. The need of the hour is that our society should come forward, encourage them and applaud their talent by purchasing the Garba Matkas made by them. This will send a positive signal to make the Navratri festival more special and joyous,” Bhatt urged Mulund devotees.”
