A vivid burst of South Gujarat's tribal soul lit up Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Paatil's residence in Surat on Sunday, 18 October 2026, as performers of the ancient Gheriya Nritya brought the folk tradition of the Halpati and Dhodia communities to his doorstep — a reminder that India's cultural inheritance lives not in museums but in the ring of ankle bells and the collective cry of 'Haan re haan bhai.'

Minister Paatil shared the moment on X, offering a detailed tribute to the dance form in Gujarati. He wrote that the performance revealed 'the richness of our folk culture and love for our traditions,' noting that Gheriya Nritya is 'a popular, ancient, and traditional folk dance of the tribal and local communities of South Gujarat, especially the Halpati and Dhodia societies.'

What makes Gheriya Nritya unlike any other

The dance's most striking feature is deliberate gender inversion. Male performers dress as women — wearing a saree draped dhoti-style below the waist, a kabjo (blouse) on top, and a phento (turban) on the head. In one hand they carry a dandiya stick; in the other, a cluster of peacock feathers. The percussion of ghunghroo (ankle bells) and the rhythmic chorus of 'Haan re haan bhai' fill the performance with what Paatil describes as 'vigour and enthusiasm.'

The tradition runs deepest in Surat, Navsari, Tapi, and Valsad districts, and is performed most prominently during Navratri and Diwali. But reaching the stage takes months of rigorous preparation. Traditionally, performers observe a strict one-month discipline before the festival — celibacy, abstinence from meat and alcohol, and daily worship, prayer, and meditation dedicated to Mataji (the mother goddess).

Belief, legend, and the blessing of Mataji

Folk belief holds that any household at whose threshold the Gheriyas dance receives Mataji's grace and 'a year filled with happiness and prosperity.' The dance's origins are woven into multiple local legends, including stories connecting it to the fall of Pavagadh — the storied hilltop fortress in Gujarat — and to the histories of ancient regional rulers.

Paatil closed his post with warm recognition: 'Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the artists who preserve this priceless heritage. May Mataji's blessings remain on all.' The message reflects a recurring pattern among BJP leaders from Gujarat of publicly amplifying indigenous art forms tied to the festival calendar — weaving cultural pride into political visibility during Navratri season.

Gheriya Nritya is more than spectacle. It is a living covenant between generations — and as long as the ghunghroo ring out in the courtyards of South Gujarat, that covenant holds.