The rich folk traditions of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Goa were showcased at an ‘At Home’ programme organised by the South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), Nagpur, under the Union Ministry of Culture, at Rashtrapati Bhavan from August 15 to 17. Under the guidance of SCZCC Director Astha Karlekar, around 120 artists presented folk dances, musical traditions and traditional art forms representing the cultural diversity of the South Central region. Maharashtra was represented through ‘Lavani’, ‘Koli’ dance, ‘Lezim’, ‘Dhangari Gaja’, ‘Dhol-Tasha’, and ‘Dashavatar’.

 

Madhya Pradesh featured ‘Bhagoriya’, ‘Gangaur’, ‘Baiga Karma’ and ‘Badhaai’ dances, while Chhattisgarh presented ‘Muria’, ‘Gedi’, ‘Gaur Maria’ and ‘Kaksar’ dances. Goa’s traditions included ‘Samai’, ‘Ghummat’ and ‘Ghode Modani’. Traditional decorations from Maharashtra, including rangoli, sky lanterns, banana-leaf entrances and gates made from date-palm and coconut leaves, were also created at the venue. The programme aimed to present the region’s folk heritage and artistic traditions on a national platform. Music arrangements were by Ashwin Dalvi, Director, West Zone Cultural Centre, Udaipur, while dance direction was by Maitri Bapat of Pune.