Tribals celebrate Dandari-Gussadi festival

Adilabad: Dandari-Gussadi, a dance festival, has been celebrated by the tribals across erstwhile Adilabad district, with Deepavali festival around the corner. They are popular cultural and religious affairs for the Adivasis living in several parts of the region.

Traditionally Gonds and Kolam tribes observe courtship dance festival Dandari-Gussadi during Deepavli. They worship Yethmasarpe or god of soul. They revere Goddess Jangu Bai by placing musical instruments such as dappu, ghumela, dhol, vetti, karra, peppri and thudum in front of her.

Some of the tribals visit Padmalpri Khako shrine situated at Godirevu village in Dandepalli mandal in Mancherial district on the banks of Godavari river. They present offerings and some of them sacrifice animals.

They take a holy dip in the river before entering the shrine. They do community service during Padmalpur Khoko is the seventh daughter of Niranjan Guru, a god who is said to be born out of water.

Men transform themselves into Ghusarks of Ghusadi Tado, by performing unique rituals. They wear Gussadi Topi, a large headgear made of hundreds of peacock feathers locally known as malboora. They form a dance troupe popularly called as dandari.

The troupes visit neighbouring villages after being invited by community members, they present Gussadi dance in accompaniment with different musical instruments at the residence of patla (elder of the hamlet) upon entering habitation.

The festival provides bachelors an opportunity to draw attention of girls from village in which they exhibit their dancing skills. It is a sacred month for tribal s. “We worship our Gods and Godesses,” said Atram Seetaram a native of Salegudam village in Utnoor mandal.