The Geendad folk dance is a popular dance form of the locals in Rajasthan – a North Western Indian state. This dance is a member of the Ghoomar dances that are a part of all the communities in Rajasthan. Geendad is a form of Ghoomar from the Shekhawati district of Rajasthan.  It is also influenced by the culture of the Bhil tribes that are prominent in the region.

It is performed during the Hindu festival of Holi that is also called the ‘festival of spring’. The dance is performed by the men and women of the community. The main attraction of the Geendad dances is the trance inducing effect that the women’s attire has on the audience, since the long and flowing skirts of the female and the male dancers are colorful with elaborate and symmetric designs. The most important feature of the Geendad dance is that the male dancers also carry a ‘Daf’ in their hands that is a traditional folk instrument if North West region of India. The female dancers are graceful while the men have more energetic movements.

Dance Form

The Geendad dance is very similar to the Gair dance of Rajasthan, in terms of formation and dance steps. The men and women form a ca couple of circular arrangements and then while spinning continuously in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions, the dancers follow intricate dance movements to change the formation. For example there are two concentric circles of dancers that shuffle places with the help of complex steps and varying patterns. Great coordination between all dancers and musicians is required for a proper performance of Geendad.

Musical Instruments

The local and traditional instruments are used along with singing of folk songs to accompany the Geendad dances.

Daf: it is the principal musical instrument that is mandatory for Geendad. It is a drum that resembles a large tambourine.

Sarangi: It is a resonant, string instrument that sounds like a violin and is also bowed similarly.

Significance

The significance of the Geendad dance stems out of the importance of the Holi festival in the typical Hindu life. It is a time of celebration of life and its rejuvenation due to the arrival of spring.

Variations

There are many variations of Geendad, based on the location in Rajasthan, some of the more prominent are:

Dandia Gair of Jodhpur: This is very similar to the Gujrati folk dance called the Raas Dandiya but many times weapons like swords are used instead of sticks.

Gair of Mewar: It is a similar dance form to the Geendad of Shekhawati.