Themes
tribal dance
Gedi Nritya, chhattisgarh
Gedi Nritya is a lively tribal dance form of the Gond people. Gonds are one of the largest tribal groups that are spread all over Chhattishgarh and Madhya Pradesh in India. The main attraction of this dance is its use of "gedi" which means a pair of bamboo stilts with footrests. The dancers strike these stilts against the ground while moving and thus produce some simple yet engaging rhythmic beats to accompany their performances.
Especially in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, the Maria Gaur (Mudia tribe) people, a subsection of the Gonds, are famous for their exuberance while performing the Gedi dance. It is exhibited especially during the month of Sawan, the rain or monsoon month.
A distinctive belt of cowries hanging on the waist adorns the Gedi dancers. Music continues to play on varied traditional instruments, including mandar (a kind of drum), shehnai (an Indian oboe), chalkula (a kind of percussion instrument), duff (a frame drum), timki (a little kettle drum), and singh basa (a brass instrument). Such a bevy of instruments creates a lively ambiance to encourage the Gedi Nritya.