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Ahmedabad Viral Video: When Navratri lights up Ahmedabad, the city’s old quarters turn into a hub of traditions and one of the most unique takes place in Sadu Mata Ni Pol. On the eighth night of the festival, men from the Barot community dress in sarees and dance Garba, a ritual known as Saduma na Garba. This age-old practice has been carried forward for nearly 200 years and is deeply tied to devotion and repentance.

The story behind it is just as powerful. It is said that a woman named Saduben once asked the Barot men for help when a Mughal noble tried to force her into becoming his mistress. When they did not come to her aid, tragedy struck and she lost her child. In grief, she cursed the community, saying their future generations would be cowards. Saduben is believed to have later performed sati. Since then, the men of the community observe this ritual every year, considering it a way to honour her sacrifice and seek forgiveness.

Watch The Viral Video:

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This year, a clip of the ritual shared by @awesome.amdavad on Instagram has taken the internet by storm, clocking nearly 2 million views. People online have praised the men’s faith, calling the practice a reminder of respect for women, cultural continuity and the values that still bind communities together in Ahmedabad’s old city.

"A unique tradition in the heart of Ahmedabad's old city draws everyone's attention. In Sadu Mata Ni Pol, a 200-year-old ritual unfolds each year on the eighth night of Navratri, when men from the Barot community wear sarees and perform Garba to honour an ancient curse," a user wrote. "They all look like rishi munis, gop, gopi and devta who wore saree to witness Maharass," a second user wrote.

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"It is said that once upon a time, in a Rawal residence in Ahmedabad, women were playing Garba, when a subhedar of the emperor molested a woman named Saduba and other women playing Garba. So Saduba taunted the Rawal youth that our sisters and daughters are being molested in front of your eyes and how can you people watch? You sit at home wearing bangles and sarees. Then all the men got together and dressed up as women and fought with the emperor's soldiers and killed the molesting soldiers and the subedar. In which many Rawal youths were martyred, since then, on the eighth day of Aso Sud, to pay homage to those martyrs, all the men dress up as women," a third user explained the ritual.