Gujarat: 15,000 Ahir women at Rajkot Maha Raas, about 60 g of gold each
Published
The Ahir Maha Raas in Rajkot drew more than 15,000 women wearing a reported 900 kg of gold, valued by AajTak at Rs 1,300 crore. Nobody has said how the gold was counted.
Original report
More than 15,000 Ahirani women danced the Ahir Maha Raas in Rajkot on the seventh day of Navratri, wearing about 900 kg of gold jewellery between them, GSTV and AajTak reported on 18 October 2026. AajTak put the jewellery's value at more than Rs 1,300 crore.
Shared out, that is about 60 g of gold per dancer. Neither outlet said how the 900 kg was counted, so it is a reported figure, not a measured one.
A Maha Raas on Rajkot's Ring Road
The dance was held in Rajkot's Ring Road area, GSTV reported (GSTV, 2026). The organiser, Ahir Sena, runs the Ahir Garba for all nine nights of Navratri, and a Krishna aarti was held, GSTV and AajTak reported (AajTak, 2026).
Ahir Sena chief Bhavesh Lokhil told AajTak that traditional attire and gold ornaments "showcase cultural heritage" (translated).
The gold is what made the evening travel online, so the numbers deserve a closer look.
The numbers, made human
Both outlets reported about 900 kg of gold worn by more than 15,000 women. Divided evenly, 900,000 g across 15,000 women is about 60 g each.
AajTak's value of more than Rs 1,300 crore works out to about Rs 8.7 lakh of jewellery per woman (Rs 1,300 crore divided by 15,000). It also implies a price of about Rs 14,400 per gram of gold (Rs 1,300 crore divided by 900,000 g).
We could not check that implied price against a gold rate for 18 October, and neither outlet said whose estimate the 900 kg was.
What was not reported
The reports we read did not give the exact date of the dance, any security arrangements, or any claim that the event set a record.
How the coverage split
GSTV led on the spectacle of gold-clad Ahirani women filling the ground. AajTak led on the numbers, 15,000 women and Rs 1,300 crore of jewellery, and on the tradition behind the dance. Neither explained how the gold total was reached.
What happens next
No next date was given in the reports we read. Ahir Sena's Ahir Garba runs for the nine nights of Navratri, GSTV and AajTak reported.
Questions people are asking
How much is 900 kg of gold worth?
AajTak put the jewellery's value at more than Rs 1,300 crore, about Rs 8.7 lakh per woman on our arithmetic.
How many women took part in the Ahir Maha Raas?
More than 15,000, GSTV and AajTak reported.
Who organised the Maha Raas in Rajkot?
Ahir Sena, in Rajkot's Ring Road area.
Is it a record?
Not known yet: no record claim appeared in the reports we read.
References
- AajTak (2026) 15 हजार महिलाएं, 1300 करोड़ के गहने और पुरानी परंपरा... अहीर समाज के रास गरबा की कहानी. AajTak. Available at: 15 हजार महिलाएं, 1300 करोड़ के गहने और पुरानी परंपरा (Accessed: 18 October 2026).
- GSTV (2026) રાજકોટમાં સોનાનાં ઘરેણાંથી સજ્જ 15 હજાર આહીરાણીઓનો મહારાસ, મેદાનમાં સર્જાયો અદ્ભુત નજારો. GSTV Gujarati news. Available at: રાજકોટમાં 15 હજાર આહીરાણીઓનો મહારાસ (Accessed: 18 October 2026).
How we did this
We read the Gujarati report from GSTV and the Hindi report from AajTak, both dated 18 October 2026, and compared what each said. The 60 g per woman, Rs 8.7 lakh per woman and Rs 14,400 per gram figures are our own arithmetic on their reported numbers. The photo shows Garba dancers in traditional dress, not the Rajkot event.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 2 outlets across the spectrum: 0% left, 0% center, 100% right.