That sensuous twirl of the foot or the casual swinging of hands, have enthralled the audiences over the years in the form of folk dances which are known to have every element of entertainment along with some pulsating folk music. Folk dances of Maharashtra, which are known to reflect the societal values and traditions, can be dated

to a period of time that existed 2,000 years ago. Some cultural scholars say that Maharashtra is probably the only state to have over 500 types of folk dances. Sadanand Rane, a folk dance expert and scholar says, “Any form of folk art is dated back to the evolution of mankind. We don’t exactly know the original form they would have existed in as many of these form have refined over the years.” Rane has been doing an extensive study of folk arts, especially, folk dance and has travelled widely across Maharashtra on foot.
The extremely popular folk dances of Maharashtra — Lavani, Koli, Dhangari Gaja, Dindi and many others, which could be categorised into dance-drama, are known for their foot tapping music and varied costumes. “Maharashtra is unique because every district ends up having a different type of folk dance. And the most interesting aspect is their costumes. Every form of folk dance has a different costume. Take Bharud or Dhangari Gaja, each of them have such different styles of wearing the dhoti,” says Rane.
Lavani, probably the most popular of folk dances in Maharashtra, is relatively the latest among the others. “It basically became quite popular during the regime of Peshwas. Before that, the Moghuls had popularised the culture of mujras (a young and beautiful girl dancing to entertain the kings and his ministers). Lavani, known for its sensuality and expression of eroticism, easily rose to popularity,” explains Rane. He says that there are approximately 27 types of Lavani out of which the most popular ones are baithaki (sitting postures), shringar (beauty) and ada (expression) are some of the common one. It is actually a part of the Tamasha where instruments used are the Dholki drum, Tuntuni (a single string instrument), Manjeera cymbals, Daf (a tambourine-like instrument with a single leather surface), Halgi (smaller daf), the metal triangle called kade, the lejim (an instrument with a jangling sound), the harmonium and ghunghroos (ankle bells). Tamasha is associated with two of the communities of Maharashtra which are Kolhati and Mahar.
Koli is another popular form, which has been glamourised through different films. Men and women stand in a single row or in pairs and usually depict the movement of rowing a boat. They also portray the movements of waves and the casting of nets to catch the fish.
While most of the folk dances feature both, men and women, there are some dances that are only danced by men. Dhangari Gaja comes from Dhangar, which means a shepherd or someone who tends to the sheep is one such form. Shepherds would usually reside in the hilly regions and wear woolen clothes. “They would normally dance with a dhol, while their sheep would graze and this would be a form of recreation for them,” says Rane. Most of the folk dances have emanated out of the concept of entertainment.
“In those days people didn’t have any other form of entertainment and would have to come together for want of companionship. They lived together as one family celebrating their good times and giving each other solace in times of despair. Folk arts made people come closer and defined the concept of a society,” explains Rane. Various festivals would have people dancing to celebrate their joy. “Dindi is a religious devotional dance. It describes the playful attitude of Lord Krishna. Dindi is a small drum, like a tamate,” says Rane. Tadpa, Mangala Gaur, Gondhal, Tipri, Jakdi are some of the other different forms of folk dance which have a spiritual association in some ways.
“Most of them are about how people worship the various elements in nature that they are afraid of. God-fearing attitudes reflected in many of these dances. Nature worship is one of the core elements of the adivasi people. Folk dances not only reflect the nature, but also the thoughts and beliefs of a society,” adds Rane. The unfortunate story is that folk forms are now aspiring to be in the league of other dance forms and hence, giving up on their authenticity. “We need to keep them alive in their truest form and ensure that the artists get their financial dues, which will stop them from becoming commercial,” says Rane.