Address:
AMDAVAD HAAT VASTRAPUR AHMEDABAD GUJARAT STATE, AHMADABAD ,GUJARAT - 380015
About type of art
Name of Tribal Dance Rathwa Dance
Name of Tribe Rathwa, Bhil
Name of Performers with mobile Numbers Mr. RangubhaiRathwa Team Leader, Mobile No.
Meaning Significance
Rathwa tribe lives in Chotaudepur district of the state. Her Holi dance is a traditional dance. It is also known as Rathwa dance. The people of the Rathwa tribe call this dance as Holi dance, which is specially performed to celebrate the festival of Holi. From 10 days before the arrival of Holi festival, the atmosphere of celebrating the festival of Holi begins at Rathwa tribal areas. At night, the sound of big drums and thali resounds late into the night and preparations for the Holi festival can be seen from village to village. Generally in the tribal areas of the state Holi festival has significance among all the tribes. But among the Rathwa tribes, along with festival of holi , women and men celebrates Holi through dance.
According to the belief of the Rathwa tribes, during the festival of Holi Mata, Holi Mata is worshiped in a special way by remembering Holi Mata and her traditional deities by singing and dancing with instruments. The deities are mostly worshiped by performing holi dance during Holi. According to the belief among Rathwa tribe, the Rathwa tribes performs Holi dance with the auspicious intention of having prosperity in their family throughout the year, good health of all the family members, good progress in their farming business and peace and security throughout the year. They perform this dance wearing their traditional cloth , traditional instruments. Holi dance is a kind of spiritual experience and therefore women and men perform this dance with the spirit of worshiping the traditional gods and goddesses. This tradition, which has been going on for years and from generation to generation, is still intact among the Rathwa tribes. They celebrate the traditional festival of Holi with the whole village gathering in a group, with a communal spirit.
Performance Context
Holi dance is performed for 10 days before Holi. In the earlier days, the occasion of Holi is celebrated only by playing traditional instruments and then as the days of on festival of holi aprroach people gather and dances. Usually the Rathwa tribes gather at one place in their respective neighborhoods at night to dance with the sound of traditional instruments and sing Holi songs. Which is their traditional method. On the eve of Holi, people gather in groups and dress up in new traditional clothes. Men, women and children also gather at the place of Holi. This dance are performed in several groups. Along with dancing they sing their traditional songs. The rhythms of the instruments are usually different from the rhythms played on wedding occasions. which inspires spiritual expression. According to their belief, by participating in this celebrations with joy and spiritual spirit, the gods and goddesses are pleased on them and their wishes are fulfilled. So all people join Holi dance with great enthusiasm. Relatives and family participate in this dance and greet each other with good wishes for Holi. Today, various types of fairs are also held among the Rathwa tribal areas during the festival period of Holi. Which makes this dance very energetic and joyful. Along with the Holi festival, the Rathwa tribe also enjoy the fair. Especially young men and women get an life opportunity to choose a partner in fair held during Holi. In this way Holi festival in Rathwa tribe, Holi dance creates a double atmosphere of joy and happiness for the people. This traditional dance is still intact today. Holi dance is an important source of joy and enthusiasm for the people for their socio-cultural and spiritual spirit.
Costumes and Jewellery
In the Holi dance of the Rathwa tribe, people dress up in their traditional costumes and dance. Men wear colourful turbans on their heads and on body wears a dark coloured yellow, green shirt. A Bharatdar heavily emboriederd ties an embroidered handkerchief on the waist and hangs coloruful puffs on the waist and wears a white coloured dhoti in a traditional manner. Also men wear silver bracelets on both hands. Large intricate belts tie at the waist so that her voice captivates the atmosphere while dancing. A dance troupe features one or two actors especially in the garb of their gods and goddesses. Women wear dark coloured clothes. They also carry especially yellow, red and colourful handkerchiefs on their hands. Women wear a traditional silver ornament i.e. Vedla on forehead. A chain or collar is worn around the neck. Rathwa tribal women wear traditional bangles, bangles on both hands. they wears specially designed anklets on their feet. Also in the Holi dance, they tie small jingling bells with small anklets for melodious sound.
Among the dance artists who dance in the guise of special gods and goddesses play a special role in this entire dance. Generally the men and women dresses for all these dances are made of cotton fabric and are colourful and have traditional designs that evoke the traditional cultural identity of the Rathwa tribe. Their dress is their distinguishing feature. At the same time, it has its pride. Rathwa Holi dance has been a special attraction among the new generation. Because this dance is performed not only on Holi. it is performed on wedding occasions and various auspicious occasions so the value of preserving one's traditional cultural diversity new generation is seen among. As traditional costumes form the identity of one's society and caste, a proud heritage is of particular importance for the people. Although there have been many changes occurred vamong today's modern era, there has been no significant change in the cultural makeup of the Rathwa tribes, so it can be safely said that despite many economic changes, the cultural heritage of the Rathwa tribe remains intact. Which explains the importance of cultural heritage.
Music and Instruments
Total of 03 of their traditional instruments are used and played during the Holi dance of the Rathwa caste.
1. Big drum 2. Thali kind a gong bell alike 3.Trumphet
The Tribal areas are always nearest to forest areas and all tribal people use forest wood to make their daily necessities and useful tools from various trees of the forests. Similarly, people of Rathwa tribe also make big dhol from teak wood, mahuda wood, mango wood, bea wood available in the forest to make big dhol used in Holi dance. There is no special skill or technique required to prepare this dhol, but the people of Rathwa tribe make the dhol by themselves with simple and easy technique. Traditional drum making work has been done by artisans from the tribal community. Based on one's own experience identifying a particular type of wood and verifying whether it is suitable for making a dhol or not based on traditional knowledge, the wood is selected and used for making the dhol.
According to the religious beliefs of the Rathwa caste, the wood used for making the drum is ritually purified and proccesed made from it. The leather used on the drum is mostly made from goat skin. Which is usually prepared by local tanners. There is a tradition among the Rathwa tribes of inaugrating the prepared dhol on a certain day, an auspicious beginning and using it as an instrument according to their religious belief.
The thali used in this dance is usually made of brass or bronze metal. It is played in dance by from sticks made teak wood. Along with that, sharnais are also traditionally made from bamboo by the people of the Rathwa tribal community. Such sharnais are made by selecting a specific type of bamboo and carving artistically appropriate designs from it. Now a days traditional instruments are available in the local markets and the people of the Rathwa tribe purchase such ready made instruments from the markets and use them for this dance. In short, the instruments used in Holi dance are very simple and easy technique instruments made from locally available materials and produced at a very nominal cost which is played in this dance.
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