Baredi or Yadav Dance

About:

Baredi is an important folk dance of the Gwalior district. Staring from Diwali, the dance is performed till the day of ‘Karthik Purnima‘. A host of musical instruments like dholak, jhanz, manjira, mridang and daphli imparts the tribal beat as the dancers perform and move around in circles. Folk songs are also sung that follows a question and answer format. The performers are clad in dhotis and accessorized with peacock feathers.

This dance has been associated with the biggest Hindu festival “Diwali“. On the night of Diwali people worship Laxmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth (after all no body can live without money), and cattle. Next day on the occasion of “Padva” or “Parva” cattle are sent to jungles or ranches after being decorated with flowers and garlands. They are given special dishes as food. Yadav dance is performed on the same occasion.

Dancers dance in a circular path while singing songs. Sometimes they sit or lie down on earth and suddenly they restart their dance. Rhythm of the song is very low in starting and increases with time. Music instruments are started only when two lines of the song are finished. Primarily these are two line couplets. Sometimes these are in form of questions and answers. This dance continues till Kartik Purnima.

Dress:

Dress Dancers, instrument beaters and their associates wear a clean turban on head. Some people like to put on Dhoti up to knees (long cloth wore by men enwrapping their waist). Some people specially dancers wear colorful shorts. Dancers also keep bunch of peacock feathers.

Music Instruments Mradang, Dholak, Ramtula, Dhapli, Manzira, Jhanz etc. are used in this dance.

Image Gallery of Music and Dance in Madhya Pradesh-Baredi or Yadav Dance