Folk artistes to perform ‘Thoda’ dance at UP fest

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 20

Two teams from Rajana and Ghood villages in the Theog area of Shimla district will perform Thoda dance to bring “Mahabharata” alive on stage at Chitrakoot Lok Utsava at Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh. It is being organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts from February 24 to 27.

The two groups of folk artistes will perform the Thoda dance, a mix of acts of war and dance at rhythm of traditional orchestra, with folk dancers portraying them as “Pandavas” and “Kaurvas”.

The groups are named as Pashi (Panch Dal) and Sathi (Shat Dal) representing five Pandvas and 100 Kaurvas, respectively.

The teams leaving for the Chitrakoot festival are from Rajana and Ghood villages in the Theog area of Shimla district, said Dr Tulsi Raman, a scholar who is accompanying the team.

He added that these groups had also performed at “Mahabharat Utasv” in February 2011 in Delhi and impressed by their martial art and dance, the teams have been invited for Chitrakoot Lok Utsava.

Dr Raman had also presented a research paper at the seminar held during the “Mahabharata festival” about the original history and background of the traditional Thoda.