Ahmedabad, As Gujarat revels in grand commercial garba celebrations during Navratri, a narrow lane in Ahmedabad’s Shahpur area on Sunday witnessed a unique ritual in which men from the Barot community donned sarees and performed the folk dance.
The ritual was part of a tradition tied to a nearly 200-year-old tale of sacrifice, remorse and atonement, said locals.
Every year, on the eighth night of Navratri, at least 40 men from the community and other believers gather at Sadu Mata Ni Pol, wearing colourful sarees and vermilion bindis on their foreheads to perform garba in honour of their clan woman ‘Sadu Mata’.
According to 60-year-old Satish Barot, one of the performers, 25-30 men from other communities, including Muslims, took part in the ritual this year.
“It is a matter of pride for me. I have been taking part in this ritual for over 40 years now,” he said.
Pintu Barot, a resident of Surendranagar, travelled to Ahmedabad with his family to participate in the event.
“My 10-year-old son, my brother and his son are taking part in the Sadu Mata na Garba for the first time,” Barot said as his wife helped him drape a saree.
The ritual, observed as an act of penance and gratitude, is linked to the belief that the community suffered a curse after Sadu Mata’s death, followed by a series of deaths among men and the decline of family lineage.
“This tradition has been followed for generations. We pray for the well-being of our community and also thank her for her blessings every year,” said Kirtibhai Barot, a local resident.
Around 9 pm on Sunday, a group of saree-clad men performed garba in a cramped courtyard of a small temple dedicated to Sadu Mata.
“The tradition dates back more than 200 years, when Sadu Mata, a woman from the Barot community, was summoned to the royal court of Ahmedabad because of her exceptional beauty,” said Tushar Barot, a resident of the pol .
The then ruler ordered that Sadu Mata be brought before him and sent a contingent of soldiers to bring her, said Tushar.
“However, members of the Barot community resisted sending her to the court against her will, leading to a clash with the soldiers,” he said.
As the threat escalated, Sadu Mata first killed her daughter, Ajuba, and then asked her husband, Hathisingh Barot, to kill her with a single stroke of his sword rather than let her be taken to the royal court, he said.
Her death left the community with a deep sense of guilt over its inability to protect her, Tushar said.
In the years that followed, the Barot community believed it was facing a curse, as family lineage dwindled and several households witnessed deaths among male members.
Seeking forgiveness, members of the Barot community gathered at the place where a shrine had been established in Sadu Mata’s honour. They expressed remorse over their failure to protect her and prayed for the survival and growth of their families, Tushar said.
As part of their vow, the men pledged to wear garments associated with ‘Sadu Baa’ as an act of atonement. The community believes that its family lineage began to flourish again after the prayers, strengthening its faith in the ritual.
Over time, men wearing sarees and performing garba on the eighth night of Navratri became an established tradition. “For the men of every age group who take part, the ritual is an expression of faith, devotion and collective vows,” he added.
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