The venue is the Vaccine Institute at Old Padra Road, one of the most popular garba grounds.

Organised by the District Tourism Development Committee in association with the Hotel Owners' Association and the Vadodara Municipal Corporation, the nine-day festival bonanza, which began from September 22, is sponsored by the Nirma group of industries. The entry fee is Rs 5. Being organised for the second year in succession, the arena can accommodate nearly 2,000 people.

And if listening and watching artistes perform to the tune of madi mahisagarni aare dhol wage chhe -- a garba with the participants carrying mandavdi on their heads -- puts you off, you could either eat to your heart's content at the food stalls, or make a purchase.

Hot kachoris, undhiyu, pizzas, burgers, bhel-puri, pani-puri, bakery items and a whole range of delicacies, besides ice creams, are among the eatables bring sold here. Selling between Rs 5 to Rs 40, even Thai and Mexican dishes are served, besides tea, coffee and cold drinks.

Just one precaution needs to be taken i.e to leave the left-over food or packaging material in the dust bins, which are aplenty.

While the craftsman offer a wide range of items to select from, the ground has been set up by Karan Grover and Associates, which adds to the ambience.

Lalji Patel, of Swaminarayan Hast Kala Mandal, Surendranagar has set up a stall under the auspices of Gurjari, selling cushion covers, bedsheets and kotis, made by village women, who earn anything between Rs 300 and Rs 500 per month.

Similarly, Suresh Narayan and his wife Gita, hailing from Rajasthan, have put up a stall selling puppets, which include raja-rani, warrior on a horse, among others. While the smaller puppets cost about Rs 35, the large ones are for Rs 150. Narayan, who learnt the art from his father, says it takes about a fortnight to make 50 small puppets. Claiming that he earns about Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per month, depending upon the demand, he says he sells the puppets to Gurjari. Also on sale are silk patolas from Surendranagar.

According to artisan Pankaj Makwana, the range of the sarees is from Rs 3,000 to Rs 25,000. He says it takes 10 to 15 days to prepare the patolas, and the involvement of the entire family. Discounts are also offered at many shops.

Shawls from Kutch, hand-made decoration strips, leather purses, dress materials and, wooden and oxidised jewellery are also on being sold.

Among the artistes, who are performing at the festival, include troupes from Chhotaudepur, Dahod, Bharatiya Lok Kala, West Zone Culture Centre (Maharashtra and Rajasthan), students of the Faculty of Performing Arts, M S University and students of local schools.