SURAT: One of the 65 forms of Krishna
Leela raas — the Dori-Raas — a 500-year-old tradition, has been kept alive by a group of youngsters from Prajapati community in Gandevi town of Navsari.
Originally performed during Gokul Ashtami, the potter community has continued the tradition of performing it during Navratri since the past five centuries. Apart from Gandevi , this form of raas is not even performed in Mathura — the birthplace of Lord Krishna — but is seen being performed in Porbandar.
Dori-Raas is an epitome of shringar of Radha’s hair done by Lord Krishna with the help of Gopis. Though presently strings and sticks are used to perform different movements in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction by gyration, hopping and even clapping with the partner. A wonderful circular movement of a group of 12 dancers weaves it into plaits.
Thousands still flock Kumbharvad, Hanuman Temple to see members of Prajapati Yuvak Mandal perform these movements in synchrony. First tying the plait and then untying it on music beats. There are nine players who perform on tabla, drum, manjira, harmonium and few other instruments.
It takes about 30 minutes to tie it and another 30 minutes to untie it. It is thrill to watch this amazing dance form.
President of Prajapati Yuvak Mandal and chief accountant in a bank Mahendra Tailor said, “We have nine boys and nine girls in the group who substitute each other during the one-hour performance that we do all nine days.”
Dori-Raas is a combination of modern and ancient form as boys perform wearing jeans and shirt and girls wear ghagra-choli. All the performers, aged between 20 and 35 years, work in the day and practise raas in the evenings. The dance requires rigorous practise.
“For us, keeping our community tradition alive is more important than dancing at a garba venue where filmy songs are played,” one of the group members and performer Neepa Mistry said.
This is the fifth generation families of Prajapatis that has mastered the art of Dori-Raas as they don’t want this dance form to get extinct.