Prajwal Naik

               GOAN FOLK DANCES

The state Goa is rich with many folk dances with its own ways of praising god and the “Rakhonkar”. Well, you won’t feel the energy if you haven’t watched any one among this folk dances. The instruments mostly used are Taso, Dhol, and Kasale. This are main instruments excluding it Ghumat and Shamel is also used. The energy of every person while performing the dance is just of another level. Looking at them you also feel energetic too. I have seen some dance forms personally about which I would like to share more information to you all who will be reading my blog. So the first one is:

Ghode Modni

This folk dance is performed in some parts of the talukas of Goa, which lie near the northern boundaries of Goa. It represents the horse (ghode) mounted cavalier, setting off to war.

Ghode Modni (‘Ghode’ means ‘horse’ and ‘Modni’ means ‘gyrations and dance-like movements’) is literally a dance involving horse-like movements.

It is a spectacular warrior-dance commemorating the victory of the Ranes, the Maratha rulers of the Sattari taluka in Goa, over the Portuguese.

The costume is like that of a Rajput chieftain but the head dress used is a Peshwai pungee worn by the Maratha rulers. The kshatriya dancers also wear head gears made of colourful flowers, don in full traditional livery, fix at the waist effigy of a wooden horse beautifully bridled and decorated with colourful clothes, and carry ghungurs in the anklets.

Holding the bridle in one hand and brandishing a naked sword with the other hand, the dancers move forward and backward to the beat of drums – Dhol, Tasha and Cymbals – to recreate the prancing of war horses.

Two or eight dancers, fastened inside hobby-horses below their waist, brandishing swords, execute their war like dance to the beat of the dholak and tasha. There is no accompanying son.  The influence behind this seems to be entirely northern. This dance is popular in Bicholim, Pernem and Sattari talukas once ruled by the Marathas. It is mostly performed during the Shigmo festival.

 Romta Mel

   

This thanks-giving ceremonial dance-cum-procession performed during the Shigmo festival is known as Romat in the northern Goa and Mell in the central Goa. It is an extremely crowded, noisy and colourful affair.

Romtam Mel is a marching procession cum ceremonial thanks giving, dance. It is crowded, and colorful, with banners and umbrellas of ceremonial build, festoons, sticks and battens with team of dancers from various sectors of the village population, with the biggest banner in the lead called Gudhi.

The dance and march is accompanied with nerve-wracking beats of huge percussions. The whole procession marches towards the temple of the presiding deity of the village.

Teams of dancers drawn from different sections of the village dance and march martially with huge banners, ceremonial umbrellas, festooned sticks and batons towards the temple of the presiding deity or to the house of the landlord.

The cacophony emanating from deafening beats of huge 'Dhols' and 'Tashas' and a prolonged, vigorous dancing procession displaying colourful dresses leave the spectators spell-bound.

The Next is Goff

Goff is an exotic confluence of colourful cultural strands. The weaving of the plait - Goff - represents the quite but conscious assimilation of the impressions left behind by several dynasties, which ruled over Goa during The dance is annually presented by the peasant community in Canacona, Sanguem and Quepem taluka in the Shigmo festival which is the most popular folk festival of Goa. It is a folk dance with cords, manifesting joy and happiness of Goan peasants after a bountiful harvest. It is performed during the Shigmo Festival in the Hindu Phalgun month. Each dancer holds a colourful cord hanging at the centre point of the 'mand' - the place of  Performance – and starts dancing intricately with the others, forming a beautiful, colourful, intricate braid at the end of the first movement. The music starts again and the dancers reverse the pattern of dancing so skillfully that the braid gets unravelled and at the end of the second movement, all the cords are loose and single once again. There are 4 different braids of Goff. The songs sung are devoted to Lord Krishna. Ghumat, Simel and other melodic instruments accompany the dance. Goff has an affinity with tribal dance forms of Gujarat.

   I hope you all would have also got inspired by reading about the more info of the folk dances of Goa. This state is already known for its peace among each others regardless of person to person or human being with nature. So I would  like to share my opinion on recent condition about youngsters that don’t feel shy to participate in folk dances infect the joy, happiness and energy you get while performing is much more than how much you get while watching others. Thanks for reading it with patience and hope you all watch folk dances at the time of Shigmo at least.

Source:http://www.indiantravelportal.com/goa/dances/folk-dances-of-goa.html