This is a very unique way of celebrating the dussehra festival in the small hillock village of Dhangarwada, Jangamhatti.

They call it शिवलग्न/Shivalagna, And all the people wear their ceremonial झगे/zage or white gowns with their पगडी/pagdi. Then they gather at the ceremonial grounds and start their rituals with the beating of a drum called धोल/dhol and डफ/daf and a plate shaped gong, sometimes being accompanied by a मुरली/murali or सुरपवा/surpawa, starting the night before every other dindi or tribe arrives from the neighboring villages and starts offering their prayers and dindis in the ceremonial grounds. They dance throughout the night and throughout the next day until they go and pluck leaves from the आपटा/aapta tree, also known as सोनं लुटणं/sona lutna, meaning looting gold, wherein they consider the leaves of this tree to be likw gold.

This whole music and dance experience creates a very trance inducing vibe with its simple yet aesthetic rhythms. This unique dance is called चपई न्रत्य/chapaee nrutya.

I am indeed blessed and forever grateful to have experienced this gathering of the tribes in such a unique way that i was immersed in the whole experience and became one with all of my surroundings, and had a chance to experience God.

I am forever grateful to the wonderful people of the Dhangar Wada community of Jagamhatti for hosting us and making us a part of this amazing experience, and last but not at all the least to my friend, brother and fellow artist Divesh Gadekar for making this dream come true.

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