India, Maharashtra, Mumbai: A social media influencer found a creative way to celebrate Navratri with friends living abroad by dancing with their photos, bringing a digital twist to the traditional festivities.

Indians residing overseas often miss the lively spirit and cultural essence of festivals like Navratri. The bright decorations, rhythmic music, group dances, and collective enthusiasm that mark these occasions in India are hard to experience from afar. Recognising this, Mumbai-based actor and digital creator Viraj Ghelani came up with a heartwarming idea to include his NRI friends in the celebrations.

Ghelani, who has more than a million followers on Instagram, chose to mark this Navratri in a unique way. He arranged life-size cutouts of two of his friends living abroad and performed a “digital garba,” dancing alongside the printed images during the festival. The photos symbolised their presence, creating a sense of connection despite the physical distance.

He posted the video on Instagram with a caption in Hindi, which translates to: “Tag someone you’d want to organise a digital Garba for, especially if they’re missing the real celebrations.”

The video quickly gained attention on social media, striking a chord with many who understand the sentiment of being away from home during festivals. The post, however, received mixed responses in the comments.

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A post shared by Viraj Ghelani (@viraj_ghelani)

One user remarked, “All these celebrations are unique to this country; India is not for beginners.”

Another commented, “In California, we celebrate garba for months, not just nine days—and it’s always in person, not digital. Haha, but thanks for your thoughtfulness.”

A third user added, “We’d love to see more of your garba videos!”