Folk Dances of Gujarat

Folk dances of Gujarat include famousdance forms like Garba, Dandiya, Bhavai,Tippani, Hudo, among others. These danceforms are very energetic, colourful andsoulful and truly reflect the essence ofvibrant Gujarat.

Palli Jag Garbo:-

ManiaroRaas:-Maniaro is one of them mainly performed by “Mer” community of Sorath. “Mer” being Warrior community, their Ras depicts the movements of swards in the battlefield and is full of gusto. Even the Tal is also very different and of five and half matras known as Maniaro.

KanabiRaas:-Kanbi in Gujarati (local language) means “Farmer”. This particular form belongs to the farmers of Jamnagar district (Halar). Ras is another extremely popular dance form of Gujarat. This Ras, the dance of hard working, toiling farmers has the imprint of their work, their day-to-day life. Men and women dance together with their dandiyas (wooden stick) in their hands. The swift sitting movements “Besni” and circular movement “Chakkars” are the specialty of their dance. Of course the colour of the costumes are eye-catching.

Hudo:-Hudo is the folk dance form of Bharwad, Gujarat’s shepherd community.

In the Matki dance, the women of the tribes carry the matkis balanced on their heads.

Vinchhudo:-This theme dance is the story of simple Indian folk. It depicts their plain hearts and strong belief in superstition. In the age of advance computers, the story presented in this dance, is a true story of each and every village of India.

Tippani:-Sorath, a prominent one among the five regions of Saurastra of Gujarat has long coastline. Kharvas and Kolis are the habitats of this coastal region. Koli men are sailors and are usually at sea. Their women folk are engaged in the laborious task of making the floor and ceiling of houses. Stamping the surface with the tool called Tippani does this. To reduce the monotony of this hard work, women sing and dance with their Tippani with the rhythm of the work process of stamping. This has resulted in to a dance “Tippani”.

Graba:-Garbā is customarily performed by women; the dance involves circular patterns of movement and rhythmic clapping. It popularly performed during navarātri. The word comes from ‘garbhādīpa’ which is translated as either light in the inner sanctum of the temple or lamp inside a perforated earthen pot which is often used in the dance.

Bhavai:-Bhavai is one folk theatre form of Gujarat meant for worshipping. The Nayak community is known to perform the ancient Bhavai form, the most widely used form for mass communication travelling from village to village.

DangiNritya (Kahalya):-The popular DangiNritya a popular tribal of Dang in Sothern Gujarat. The dance is usually performed by kokans, warlis and bhil tribe in order to mark celebration for auspicious occasions like Diwali, Holi or a wedding ceremony. Here the men and women hold their hand forming a chain, which is the main style of DangiNritya. As the leader Kahalya (sharnai) changes their tune, so does the dance movement (chala) changes along with it.

DandiyaNritya :-Dāndiyā is an energetic, vibrant folk dance originating in the state of Gujarat. The dancers use polished sticks. It represents a mock fight between the goddess Durgā and the mighty demon-king Mahiśāsura.

GopRas:-Ras is popularly known as DandiyaRas. “HarivanshPuran” (epic) has noted this dance as “Hallisak”, in which Gopis (women) in pair, perform with great grace and later Krishna and other Yadavas join them. Ras is perform by a group of dancers who move in a circle to measured steps, marking time by striking wooden stick know as Dandiya. There were 36 types of Ras in Gujarat. Some are performed only by men while in other men and women dance in unison. Circular movements with speed and grace are the salient features of Ras. The roar of the Dhol, the colorful costumes together with speed, vigor and gusto leaves viewers spellbound. The songs are usually related to lord Krishna or have social themes.

MerRas:-Mer is a Community from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in India. They are also called Maher or Mehr.Mer is a Community from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in India. They are also called Maher or Mehr.

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