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.