Every year, Navratri gets a little bigger. The music gets louder, the outfits get more elaborate, and honestly, the accessories people show up with have started to matter just as much as the dance moves. If you've been to a big Garba ground recently, you've probably noticed it — it's not just about dancing well anymore, it's about the whole look, the whole energy of the night.
So I put together a list of the accessories that are actually worth having this Navratri, whether you're going as a dancer or running the event yourself. Some of these are small personal buys, others make more sense if you're organising something for a crowd. Either way, here's what's worth picking up before the festival starts.
1. LED Dandiya Sticks — The Must-Have of 2026
Let's start with the obvious one. If there's a single accessory that's completely changed how Garba grounds look at night, it's LED Dandiya sticks. Instead of plain wooden sticks, these glow and shift colour as you dance, and when a whole crowd is holding them, the entire ground turns into a moving wave of light.
They're not just for looks either — most are still sized and weighted close enough to regular Dandiya that you can use them for actual Raas play too. And if you're organising an event rather than just attending one, buying these in bulk is honestly one of the easiest ways to make a plain lawn or society ground look like a proper production, without spending on a full lighting rig.
What's nice about them is how well they work across the board. Women pair them easily with their chaniya choli and bangles without it clashing with the whole look — if anything, the glow adds to it. Men carry them just as comfortably with a kediyu or plain kurta, no fuss involved. And kids genuinely love these — for a lot of families, handing a child a glowing stick instead of a wooden one is also just the safer option, since there's nothing sharp or heavy about them.
For event planners, this is really where the value shows up. Whether it's a housing society Garba in Pune, a college fest in Bengaluru, or a full-scale ground like GMDC in Ahmedabad or United Way Garba in Vadodara, handing out LED Dandiya sticks to a large crowd is one of the simplest ways to create a unified, camera-ready look across the entire event — without hiring a separate lighting team. Gujarat's big commercial grounds in particular have been quick to adopt this, given the sheer scale of crowds they pull every night of Navratri, but the same trick works just as well for a mid-sized event anywhere else in India.
Hookaba's LED Dandiya sticks for Navratri are a solid option here — decent battery life, one-button colour switching, and bulk pricing if you're buying for a group, whether that's a family of four or a few thousand dancers on a big Gujarat ground.
2. Glow Necklaces
These are the easy, low-effort win. Glow necklaces don't need much explanation — you snap them, they glow, they last the night. For big events with hundreds of guests, they're an easy way to give everyone something festive without the cost of bigger LED props. Kids especially love them, which makes them a good fit if your Navratri event has families attending.
3. LED Wristbands
If you've ever been to a concert or a big stadium event, you've probably seen the sea of LED wristbands lighting up in sync. The same idea works surprisingly well at Garba nights, especially during the slower, more atmospheric songs. They're comfortable enough to wear the whole evening, and unlike sticks, they don't take up your hands — so you can still dance freely.
4. Glow Face Tattoos and Body Stickers
This one's more of a personal styling accessory than an event prop, but it's become genuinely popular over the last couple of Navratri seasons. Glow-in-the-dark tattoos — small moons, mandalas, or festive patterns — catch the black lights that a lot of bigger events now use on stage. They photograph really well too, which matters if half your night is going straight to Instagram anyway.
5. LED Foam Sticks (Non-Dandiya Style)
Slightly different from Dandiya sticks, these are the simpler glow batons you'll often see at concerts and big stage shows. Some Navratri organisers hand these out as freebies or throw them into the crowd during high-energy songs. They're cheaper than Dandiya-style LED sticks and work well as a bulk giveaway item if budget is tight.
6. Glow Bangles and Bracelets
Small, easy to wear, and genuinely popular with the younger crowd. Glow bangles work especially well layered with traditional jewellery — you get the usual chaniya choli look during the day parts of the event, and then things light up once it gets dark. They're also cheap enough that event organisers often use them as entry giveaways.
7. LED Party Glasses
A bit more of a novelty item, but LED glasses with glowing frames have become a common sight at bigger, more entertainment-focused Dandiya nights — especially in cities like Mumbai and Pune where the events lean more toward a party atmosphere than a purely traditional one. Not every Navratri crowd will go for these, but for younger, more urban events, they add a fun visual element.
8. Glow Headbands and Hair Accessories
For a festival that's this much about traditional styling, glow headbands are a nice middle ground — you still get to wear your usual festive hair accessories, but with a glowing element added in. Works well for people who want to stand out in photos without going full costume with LED props.
9. LED Balloons and Décor Props
These aren't something you wear, but they matter a lot if you're the one organising the event rather than just attending. LED balloons and light-up décor pieces are an easy way to extend that same glowing theme from the crowd to the venue itself — entrance arches, photo booth corners, stage backdrops, that sort of thing.
10. Portable Glow Sticks (Classic Style)
And finally, the classic ones — simple, cheap, snap-and-glow sticks that have been a party staple for years. They're not flashy, but for large events on a budget, they're still one of the most cost-effective ways to add a bit of glow to a big crowd without spending much per person.
Which of These Should You Actually Buy?
Honestly, it depends on what kind of Navratri you're planning for.
If you're attending as an individual, a pair of LED Dandiya sticks and maybe a glow necklace or wristband covers most of what you need — comfortable, festive, and good for photos.
If you're organising something bigger, a mix works better. LED Dandiya sticks for the main crowd, cheaper glow sticks or bangles as giveaways for a larger guest count, and décor props like LED balloons to tie the whole venue together.
Either way, Navratri 2026 runs from 11 to 19 October this year, with Dussehra on the 20th. If you're buying in bulk or want anything customised, it's worth ordering a couple of weeks ahead rather than waiting for the last minute — bulk and branded orders always take longer than people expect.