Nagpur: As the Orange City Crafts Mela came to an end on January 17, 2016, the organizers had organized Lavani Dance performance for the Folk Art lovers of the city.
After a young boy Ramanand dressed in traditional Maharashtrian attire sang the Gajanan Strot, the Lavani dancers entered the stage and then pin-drop silence reigned with the audience.
Chhaya and Maya Khutegaonkar’s Lavani had enamored the audience and folk art lovers of the city. The open air stadium at SCZCC was packed to the brims. So much so that people chose to even sit on the mat in front near the stage. Soon whistling to cheer the dancers was heard.
Almost every Maharashtrian or residents of Maharashtra love and adore Lavani, a combination of traditional song and dance, performed to the beats of Dholki, a percussion instrument. The songs sung during the ‘Lavani’ dance elicited sentiments which were naughty and erotic in nature.
The Handicrafts, curios, hand-made jewellery, pottery, metal (copper, iron, silver) curios and jewelry received very good response from the citizens of Nagpur. The foot-fall on the past two-weekends was over 1500 to 2000 visitors. The traditional food offered by people from various parts of the country including Rajasthan, Gujarat, UP, Bihar, MP etc received very good response. The food court was practically full in the evening hours.
With the Director of SCZCC Piyush Kumar’s able guidance, even school children were exposed to the folk arts, artisans and folk dance and music performances.
The Management of SCZCC ensured impeccable levels of organizational skills and almost every visitor went home with folk art in his or her heart besides the goodies they tasted and took back home.
By Samuel Gunasekharan.
Pics by Vinay Nimgade.
