The Kolhati are an Indian nomadic community that form a subgroup of the Banjara people. [1] They belong to central India and Maharashtra. They traditionally are professional entertainers and acrobats. They are classified as a nomadic tribe by the government of Maharashtra. [2] They have also been employed with tamasha troupes. [3] [4] The kolhati language is spoken in considerable numbers in Pune district. Kolhati lavani-tamasha performers have got social prestige from the patronage of the art form by the Maharashtra state government, [5] and is vital to their identity as performing artists according to Morcom. [6]
Lavani is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra, India. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the beats of Dholki, a percussion instrument. Lavani is noted for its powerful rhythm. Lavani has contributed substantially to the development of Marathi folk theatre. In Maharashtra and southern Madhya Pradesh, it is performed by the female performers wearing nine-yard long sarees. The songs are sung in a quick tempo.
Indian folk music is diverse because of India's vast cultural diversity. It is sung in various languages and dialects throughout the length and breath of this vast nation and exported to different parts of the world owing to migration.
Tamasha is a traditional form of Marathi theatre, often with singing and dancing, widely performed by local or travelling theatre groups within the state of Maharashtra, India. It has also been the subject of several Marathi films. Some Hindi movies have also included Tamasha-themed songs, known as Lavanis, in the past.
Banjara, - are a historically nomadic trading tribe who may have origins in the Mewar region of what is now Rajasthan. They are now found throughout Northwestern, Western and Southern India.
The Kaashtha sari is a style of sari draping is very similar to the way the Maharashtrian dhoti is worn. The word Kaashtha refers to the sari being tucked at the back. Since this sari is usually worn by using a single nine yard cloth, it is also referred to as Nauvari which means Nine Yards. Sakachcha sari is another term commonly used to refer to this style of sari. It is referred to as Akanda Vastra, which means it doesn't need any other attire to support it. In fact, this attire holds utmost importance as women across different walks of life have worn it. It is not just worn at religious and cultural events, but women have fought wars in the past and still work in farmlands wearing this.
Maharashtra is the third largest state of India. It has a long history of Marathi saints of Varakari religious movement, such as Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Chokhamela, Eknath and Tukaram which forms the one of bases of the culture of Maharashtra or Marathi culture. Maharashtra had huge influence over India under the 17th-century king Shivaji of the Maratha Empire and his concept of Hindavi Swarajya which translates to self-rule of people.
Patthe Bapurao was a Marathi singer-poet in the Tamasha musical theatre genre. He also composed severals Vags, dramatic and humorous skits, which were also popular.
Lambadi or Gor-boli, also called Banjari, is a language spoken by the once nomadic Banjara people across India and it belongs to Indo-Aryan group of languages. The language does not have a native script.
The Banjara Hound, also known as the Vanjari Hound, is a breed of dog found in India. It is a sighthound-type dog bred and used for hunting by the nomadic Banjara of Maharashtra. The Banjara Hound is a rough coated breed of sighthound usually brindle or solid coloured, it resembles a large Saluki, standing around 28 in (71 cm), and is famed for its stamina and ability to pull down deer.
Kishor Shantabai Kale (1970–2007) was a Marathi writer and social worker from Maharashtra, India. He was the son of a Kolhati tamasha artist. He studied at the Grant Medical College to become a medical doctor. Kale died at age 37 in a car accident on February 21, 2007. He was closely related to Madhu Kambikar an Indian film artist.
Natarang, also spelled Natrang, is a 2010 Indian Marathi-language drama film directed by debutant Ravi Jadhav and starring Atul Kulkarni and Sonalee Kulkarni. Composer duo Ajay−Atul composed the original score and songs of the film.
Tukaram Bhaurao Sathe, popularly known as Annabhau Sathe, was a social reformer, folk poet, and writer from Maharashtra, India. Sathe was a Dalit born into the untouchable Mang community, and his upbringing and identity were central to his writing and political activism. Sathe was a Marxist-Ambedkarite mosaic, initially influenced by the communists but he later became an Ambedkarite. He is credited as a founding father of 'Dalit Literature'.
Marathi theatre is theatre in the Marathi language, mostly originating or based in the state Maharashtra in India, and elsewhere with Marathi diaspora. Starting in the middle of the 19th century, it flourished in the 1950s and 1960s, and includes forms like Sangeet Natak and Tamasha. Today, it continues to have a marked presence in the State of Maharashtra with a loyal audience base, when most theatre in other parts of India have had tough time facing the onslaught of cinema and television. Its repertoire ranges from humorous social plays, farces, historical plays, musical, to experimental plays and serious drama of the 1970s onwards, by Vijay Tendulkar, P. L. Deshpande, Mahesh Elkunchwar and Satish Alekar, which have influenced theatre throughout India. In the post-independence era, Bengali theatre, and Marathi theatre have been at the forefront of innovations and significant dramaturgy in Indian theatre.
Ek Hota Vidushak is a 1992 Marathi film directed by Jabbar Patel and produced by National Film Development Corporation of India. The film stars Laxmikant Berde, Madhu Kambikar, Nilu Phule, Varsha Usgaonkar in lead roles and Mohan Agashe and Dilip Prabhavalkar in supporting roles.
Vithabai Bhau Mang Narayangaonkar was an Indian dancer, singer and Tamasha artist.
Ram Kadam (August 1916 – 19 February 1997 was a noted Indian lavani composer and film score composer, who worked in Marathi cinema, during the 1940s to the 1990s, composing for nearly 200 films. He is most known for composing Lavani songs, a folk form of Maharashtra, and popular Lavani-based songs of hit film, Pinjra, directed by V. Shantaram. He also composed music of plays.
Kavathe Yamai is a village located in Shirur Taluka of the Pune district of Maharashtra state. In earlier times, this village was once located on the banks of the Ghod River. The village later moved to its current location when Maratha General Anand Rao I Pawar, of the Dhar State, built a walled city there. Cultural and historical landmarks include the palace built by the Pawar dynasty in the 18th century, as well as various temples in Hemadpanthi architectural style. The city was once walled, but the expansion of the village borders to allow for increased habitation has caused the surrounding walls, and huge gates to crumble. The village is famous for the Yemai Temple, Fatteshwar Temple, and Sayamba Temple. The temples' land and trust are owned by the Gore Patil family, who were Patil of the village for some time. They manage all economic affairs of the trust. Many followers visit the Kavathe seeking blessings, and to participate in the annual anniversary (Yatra.)
Yamunabai Waikar, née Yamunabai Vikram Jawle was an Indian folk artist, known for her expertise in the Marathi folk traditions of Lavani and Tamasha, folk art forms involving music and dance and reported to be one of the leading exponents of the art genres. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, she was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Rajashree Nagarkar is a performing artist and award winning film actress from Maharashtra an Indian state. She is a shishya of Babasaheb Mirajkar of Kolhapur. She runs a school: Kalika Kala Kendra for the training of artists in the Lavani-Tamasha art form and a theater at Supa in Ahmednagar district. She belongs to the Kolhati community.
Madhu Kambikar is an Indian performing folk art artist, theatre actor and film and TV personality, who belongs to the state of Maharashtra.