Nagpur: About 111 youths, from the Shiv Garjana Dhol Tasha Pathak — a traditional drummers group in the city — will be performing in Ayodhya on January 25, on a special invitation by the temple trust.
The trust was willing to have the dhol tasha performance on January 22, but it won’t be possible due to the rush. Hence, the trust secretary Champat Rai has invited the Nagpur-based group on January 25.

“Our team was in Ayodhya last year on November 20 and we had given performances at five important locations in the town. People and trust members had all praise for our performance,” said group leader Pratik Tete while speaking to TOI.
“It’s a great honor for us. We will represent Maharashtra’s traditional percussion style, which is considered as a celebration of the victory of good over evil,” he said.
As per the letter sent by the temple trust, the group has to reach Ayodhya at their expense. The trust will be providing only accommodation and food for the group. However, this is enough, said Tete.
“We will leave on January 23 and reach Ayodhya on January 24. We have been asked to give performances on January 25. We will leave on January 25 night after having blessings and darshan in the new temple,” he added. The trust will finalize the venues for the performances. But, the young boys and girls of ‘Shiv Garjana’ are expecting that they will get a chance to perform in the open space right in front of the new temple.
The group will start their fresh rehearsals soon after Makar Sankranti.
“Apart from our regular presentations, we will be serving some surprises too. Apart from dhol (drums), we have Conch (shankha), bells (ghanta), and a separate group of young performers unfurling the saffron flags. Overall, it will be an electrifying experience for the visitors,” said a senior member of the group.
“We consider ourselves blessed to get this invite. Being cultural ambassadors of this art, we will be representing Maharashtra state and Marathi art,” said another member.
The Shiv Garjana Dhol Tasha Pathak was founded in 2004 by a group of friends who wanted to keep the tradition of dhol tasha alive. The group has since grown to include people of all ages. The group has performed at many prestigious occasions earlier too including in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Dhol tasha is a Marathi folk music and dance tradition that is often performed during celebrations. The music is made up of drums and cymbals, and the dancers move in time to the music. Dhol tasha is a way to celebrate victory and bring people together.