Raut Nacha
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
A vigorous folk dance of the Yadav (Raut) cattle-herding community, performed with sticks and dohas after Diwali.
FolkWhere: ChhattisgarhOccasion: Deothan (Dev Uthani Ekadashi) after Diwali, through the following weeks
| Performed by | Men of the Raut (Yadav) community, in groups |
|---|---|
| Costume | Colourful clothes with jackets decorated with cowries, peacock feathers and bright headgear; dancers carry sticks and shields |
| Music and instruments | Gadwa baja band with drums such as the dafda and nagara, the mohri (wind instrument) and other instruments |
How it is performed
- Dancers gather in a group with sticks and shields, led by the band.
- A dancer calls out a doha, a short rhyming couplet, and the music stops for it.
- The band starts again and the men dance with leaps, spins and mock fights with sticks.
- The group moves through the village, visiting the homes of the families whose cattle they tend.
Significance
The dance honours Krishna, the divine cowherd, and celebrates the bond between herders and the farming families they work for. Bilaspur holds a large annual Raut Nacha festival.