After a hiatus of 30 years, Thangaat made a spectacular return, reminding Kolkata about the magic of Gujarat’s folk dances. Thousands of people thronged Kala Mandir on October 1 and 2 to witness 90 performers breathe life into 10 unique dance forms. The evening was a tribute to Hemanshu Dave, one of the pioneers of Kolkata’s Raas Garba scene, who passed away during the pandemic. “In Gujarati, ‘thangaat’ is when a peacock opens its feathers and begins dancing during the first rain. This is a metaphor for how kids in Gujarat begin dancing after grasping the very first beat,” said Nishant Dave, one of the core organisers and Hemanshu’s son
Photos: Amit Datta