📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Bilal Nibraas
Religion
Bhopal Mufti Declares Muslim Youth Participation in Garba as Haram
✍️ Dainik Jagran MP CG
🗓 09 Oct 2026, 05:46 PM
👁 16
The chief religious authority in Bhopal has labeled the involvement of Muslim youngsters in the traditional Garba dance as haram, according to Dainik Jagran MP CG.
Bhopal's senior Islamic scholar, the city’s Mufti, announced that Muslim youth taking part in Garba—a folk dance associated with the Navratri festival—are committing a haram act. The statement was reported by Dainik Jagran MP CG, which cited the Mufti’s religious ruling without providing a detailed sermon.
Garba, traditionally performed in open spaces and community halls, draws large crowds across India during the nine-night Navratri celebrations. While the event is largely cultural, the Mufti’s pronouncement reflects a conservative interpretation of religious participation in non‑Islamic festivities.
The declaration may influence community attitudes in Bhopal, where a sizable Muslim population coexists with broader participation in regional festivals. No official response from local authorities or community organisations has been recorded at the time of reporting.
Garba, traditionally performed in open spaces and community halls, draws large crowds across India during the nine-night Navratri celebrations. While the event is largely cultural, the Mufti’s pronouncement reflects a conservative interpretation of religious participation in non‑Islamic festivities.
The declaration may influence community attitudes in Bhopal, where a sizable Muslim population coexists with broader participation in regional festivals. No official response from local authorities or community organisations has been recorded at the time of reporting.