| Stage Art- Bhavai
A typical folk drama of Gujarat called Bhavai is performed in village
and temple grounds by professional communities of North Gujarat- the Taragalas,
Bhojakas, etc. The word Bhavai is derived from the Sanskrit word "Bhava"
meaning expression of emotion. The Bhavai drama is a continuous performance
lasting the whole night in which many "veshas" are performed
in the open without any stage equipment. These Veshas depict episodes
from the social life of communities in the countryside, focusing in a
satirical or farcical way the characteristics of certain sections- Banias,
Bohras, wandering tribes, etc. Continuous playing on the Bhungal, a very
long wind brass instrument, before and during the performance calls the
rural patrons to the scene of the Bhavai. Women are strictly tabooed from
taking part in the Bhavai. Their role is performed by the male artists
which makes the entire drama more ridiculous. The repertoire of the Bhavai
is limited to about three dozen veshas, the authorship of which is attributed
to Asait.
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