Saturday 24 February 2018

FUGDI DANCE

Fugdi or Foogdi is the most popular folk dance of Goa, performed only by the women in the Konkan region. It is a dance performed in the praise of Lord Ganesha during Hindu religious festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and other folk celebrations.

Fugdi dance is performed by womens either in circle or by rows. It is a common art form as it is an occasion for the women to take a temporary break from their daily routine and it is usually performed in the month of Bhadrapada that is August and September.

The dance starts with a prayer to Hindu Gods at a slow speed of footwork in a circular formation by clapping their hands and very quickly to reach a fast speed in the end. They themselves sing with no musical instrument. The only music that supports the performance is a special sound made by the women with number of special Fugdi songs. At the maximum speed, the dancers match the beat of music by blowing air through the mouth that sounds like “FOO” instead of singing.

Fugdi dance is quite famous because of the energy and songs. Fugdi is a part of Dhalo festival. Before dancing Fugdi, they light a lamp before the Tulsi Vrindavan with blessings, flowers. There are many types of Fugdi dance one of the Fugdi that is Kalshi Fugdi is probably an offshoot of the Fugdi. The tapping of the bangle hands against the copper vessels known as Kalshi in Konkani.


Fugdi is better as a dance routine you have to be familiar with the folk life. The typical pattern is two women holding each other’s hand and spinning their bodies around which looks like a spinning top in the air. 

The Fugdi actually began without any plan of the dance by the women who interspersed the work of their daily life with happy moments. Fugdi is one of the dance which has music comprising of words and beats that do not need any musical instruments and songs are created by the dancers.


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