“Most Unique Folk Dance Of India: Chaiti Ghoda Nacha”
Introduction:
One of India’s most well-known folk dances is chaiti ghoda nacha ( ଚଇତି ଘୋଡା ନାଚ) . Tribes of indigenous fishermen, such as the Keuta/Kaibarta ( କେଉଟ / କୈବର୍ତ୍ତ ), perform the dance. Chaiti is the Hindu year’s chaitra (ଚୈତ୍ର) month. That runs from March to April and ends with the full moon in Baisakh ( ବୈଶାଖ) . Ghoda (ଘୋଡ଼ା ) means horse in Odia and Hindi .
The Chaiti Ghoda ( ଚଇତି ଘୋଡ଼ା) festival is celebrated from Chaitra Purnima (ଚୈତ୍ର ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା) to Baisakh Purnima ( ବୈଶାଖ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା March-May). It begins with the making of a dummy horse frame made of bamboo, which is then painted with red clay and decorated with a wooden horse head and a garland of hibiscus flowers ( ମନ୍ଦାର ଫୁଲ) . The frame is worshipped for eight days and then used for dancing. Black, white and red horses are made to represent the three goddesses of Puri. i.e. Jhadeswari ( ଝାଡେଶ୍ୱରି), Basuli ( ବାସୁଳୀ )and Mangala( ମଙ୍ଗଳା).
Historical Background
A story in the epic legend Ramayana says that when lord Rama crossed the Saraju river with the help of aboriginal Keuta fishermen and in return, lord Rama had presented a horse to the fishermen.
Another mythological story says…Baseli/Basuli , a form of Mother Goddess who was earlier formless evolved during the tenth century. According to legend, when the world was completely inundated under water, Bhagabaan Vishnu could not find a place to rest and hence reduced his form and rested on a floating banyan leaf. That leaf was swaying in the stormy sea waves and to keep it still and balanced, Bhagabaan Vishnu created a man using His ear wax . But soon Bhagabaan Vishnu fell into deep slumber and a huge fish named ‘Raghab’ swallowed the man. When the leaf again dwindled and Vishnu’s sleep was disturbed, Bhagabaan Vishnu woke up and His intuition led him to the man who had gone missing. He killed the “Raghab” right away and freed the man. In the meantime Bhagabaan Vishnu transformed the banyan leaf into a horse and also summoned Biswakarma and asked him to build a boat . Then Bhagabaan Vishnu said to the man that you and your community will be known as Kaibarta/ Keuta ( କୈବର୍ତ୍ତ/ କେଉଟ) which means fishermen community and you would be the king among them, make this horse as your carrier and use this boat for trading. As you were swallowed and almost got killed by a fish, so generation by generation you would kill the species and live on them. Since God instructed man to worship Baseli/ Basuli as a guardian deity on the full moon day of Chaitra ( ଚୈତ୍ର ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା ), it is believed that the custom of Baseli puja has continued from there onwards. Baseli became the name of the horse and God ordered man to worship Baseli as guardian deity on the full moon day of Chaitra.
Literary Evidence
The famous 15th century Odia poet Achyutananda Das has mentioned the worship of Baseli/Basuli Devi in detail in his book *Kaivart Gita*, which shows that this worship practice has been going on since the 10th century.During India’s freedom struggle, this dance form was used by the entire fishermen community ( ସମଗ୍ର କୈବର୍ତ୍ତ ସମାଜ) to protest against British colonial rule.
Structural Framework of Technicalities
The dance involves two dancers: Raut (a male dancer) and Rautani (a male dancer in a female costume), who dance to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments such as the mahuri and dhol ( ମହୁରୀ ଏବଂ ଢୋଲ) . At the end of the festival, the horse’s head is placed in a temple near the village for the coming year.
Image: wikipedia
Image: Rajeshwar
Dr Manoj Mishra
lunarsecstasy@gmail.com
