Lavani - A combination of traditional songs and dances

Originating from the state of Maharashtra the word Lavanya meaning Beauty which tries to put the various social aspects in an entertaining form. The Lavani Dance form is a combination of traditional songs and dances. It worked as a morale booster for the war soldiers in the 18th century.Usually Lavani Dance form is performed by Dhangars or shepherdsof Sholapur district of Maharashtra.

Lavani is the poetry written by Dhangras who gets the inspiration by nature. The Lavani dance from contains the tales of Birth of their Diety called Biruba. In general in the Lavani Songs there are meaningless chants which are used to fill the gaps within the musical sounds. Lavani the musical drama goes on for the entire night and at the end of the Lavani performance, a replica of Manmathas mount is burnt. Maharashtra long years ago was a battle torn state and Lavani dance form served as mode of entertainment and morale booster tothe tired soldiers during the period of 18th and 19th century. The dance reached peak popularity during the Peshwai rule which was the dynasty seated in Pune, during this period the dance was givenroyal support by the ruling elite. The great Marathi poets like Honaji Bala, Ramjoshi, Prabhakar, etc. took Lavani Dance forms to newheights. In the recent times, Lavani has become confined to sensual entertainment often presented in a stereotyped and cheap form in Marathi films. Lavani constitutes the beautiful combination of traditional song and dance, which particulary performed to the enchanting beats of ‘Dholak’, and drum like instrument. The Dance is performed by attractive women wearing nine-yard saries who sing in a quick tempo.

The Lavani music form is popular in Maharashtra which has two types the Nirguni Lavani which includes philosophy and the Shringari Lavani which had the shades to erocity which is popular in Madhya Pradesh.The Lavani Dancers are dressed in bright colored saries and bedecked in golden jewelry; the Lavani dancers usually get dressed graciously swayed their bodies to the beat of the dholaks enticing the audience.

Lavani : A brief description

Folk Media is the creative dissemination of information through cultural and performance arts. In traditional societies, folk media: drama, skits, poems, stories, riddles, songs and dance have been popularly and successfully used to disseminate messages and even to pass on wisdom of older generations to the youth. Lavani is one of the most important folk dance forms of Maharashtra.

The word Lavani is derived from "lavanya" which means beauty. Charming women dressed in bright costumes and embellished with golden jewelleries perform this dance form that is accompanied with traditional songs.

The history of Lavani dance dates back to 18th century when it was performed to encourage the soldiers going out for battles. The songs of lavani are based on multiple themes like social awareness, love and romance. Some of the songs are also religious or politics-based. Marathi poets played a major role in popularizing these songs. Honai Bala, Prabhakar and Ramjoshi are a few examples in this regard. The performers of Lavani dance usually dance to the beats of a "dholak". Women's pulsating dances to beats of drums are captivating and enthrall the audience. The Costumes wore by performers consist of nine yard long saris that are silky and gaudy. The breathtaking dance movements that are played by women wearing such huge attires are worth applauding. The performances by the artists are full of fervor and zest. The love songs of Naik Banjara and Ranubai are quite famous. There are two forms of lavanis: A philosophical lavani that is called Nirgun Lavani and an erotic one which is called Shringari Lavani. The nirguni style is famous all over Malwa. The Shringari lavani is a love saga that is played by a woman and the lyrics are written by a male. Both music and dance go hand in hand as both the art forms are inseparable. The musical part of Lavani dance is known as Maanch; it consists of dialogues in the form of music and is punctuated by several meaningless chants. Lavani is performed differently depending upon the occasion. In villages, it is played while performing rituals and sacrifices. The breathtaking performance by the stage artists last for a whole night and generally are applauded by the whistles and cheers of the audience.