Journalism of Courage
The Gondhali community,known for their unique dance form and name identification trait,recently visited Pune with the Bhimthadi Jatra rural fair
The past week brought a wholesome treat for all Puneites. Bhimthadi Jatra 2011 attracted not just food-lovers from the city but also gave them many glimpses into rural Maharshtra’s culture,dressing,music and dance. This five-day fair featured around 170 stalls set up by self-help groups,while 220 kiosks were put in place by entrepreneurs,NGOs and other organisations. Up for sale were food items,hand-loom products and much more. If the foodies were kept busy at the stalls,there were many groups of entertainers who made sure the evenings resonated with rustic beats and songs.
This group belongs to the Nath Panthi Dawari Gosawi community,which can trace its origins to the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. We have got this traditional dance form and the art of identifying the names from our forefathers. We were the soldiers in the army of Shivaji Maharaj and would help him through our unique art by going into the enemy’s camp for information, said Rahul Pawar,one of the members of the group.
Gondhal dance is usually performed at Maharashtrian weddings as a gesture of goodwill towards the bride and groom. Members of this group often perform as a hobby,while at the same time managing day jobs. They also participated in the ‘Dhinadhin Dha’ show on Marathi Doordarshan in December 2010,and presented their dance at the Lavasa Festival recently.
