Rathwa ni gher: tribal dance of Gujarat

Domain:Performing arts

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Description:

The video is a documentary on the Rathwa ni Gher dance of the Rathwa tribe of Gujarat which is performed to celebrate the festival of Holi. The Rathwas are found in the hilly region of southern Gujarat and they are known for their vibrant culture. The film looks at the Rathwa ni Gher performances in the villages of Raisinghpura and Nakhal at Vadodara and the village of Gamani at Panchmahal. The dance is performed for five days as part of Holi celebrations and the dancers observe fasting during this period. The Gher dance is performed by both males and females. The male dancers are called gherriyas while the female dancers are called gheranis. This vigorous dance form is accompanied by the bansuri (flute), harnai/shehnai, dholak (small drum), thali (bronze plate), ram dhol (big drum), kundi/tutadi (small drum) and ghughra patta (metal ball belt).