The melodious jingle of the ghungroos, the rhythmic drumbeats, and the graceful rendition of Lavani songs elicited thunderous applause from the enthusiastic audience during the 12-hour-long 'Lavani Dhamaka,' a prominent segment of the Pune Navratri Festival. This enthralling event took place at the Ganesh Kala Krida Manch.
MP Shriniwas Patil, speaking at the event, commended the festival's organiser, Aba Bagul. He stated, "The Navratri Festival has been celebrated for 29 consecutive years, a testament to Aba Bagul's dedication. Providing a prestigious platform for folk art forms like Lavani is a significant contribution."
Numerous accomplished Lavani performers, including Poonam Kudalkar, Mrinal Lonkar, Aarti Punekar, Samriddhi Punekar, Sonali Jalgaonkar, Shital Punekar, Maya Khutegaonkar, and Archana Javalekar, captivated the audience with their renditions of popular Lavani songs such as 'Soda soda raya ha naad khula,' 'Apsara Ali,' 'Vajle ki bara,' 'Bugdi majhi sandli ga,' 'Piklya panacha deth ki ho hirva,' 'Bai majhi karangali modli,' and many more.
Lavani maestro Surekha Punekar received resounding applause for her delightful performance of the Lavani classic 'Karbhari Daman.'
Senior Congress leader Ulhas Pawar and renowned Lavani dancer Shakuntala Nagarkar also graced the event with their presence.
