Dang Darbar

The Dang Darbar is one of the most distinctive festivals in all of Gujarat — a unique ceremonial fair held at Ahwa, the headquarters of the Dangs, in the days before Holi, that keeps alive a remarkable historical tradition. The Dangs, a heavily forested and tribal district, was historically ruled by tribal kings (rajas) of the Bhil and Konkana communities. When the British came, rather than annex the forests outright, they entered into agreements with these tribal rulers, paying them an annual political pension (salami / jamabandi) for their forest rights. After independence, the Government of India continued this unique arrangement — and the Dang Darbar is the occasion when the rajas and naiks (chiefs) are formally honoured and paid their pension, the only such surviving practice in India. Around this ceremony, a great fair unfolds: thousands of Dangi Adivasis gather in their finest, and the days fill with tribal dance, music (the famous tur and drums), folk performances, stalls and festivity. It is at once a living historical ritual and a vibrant celebration of Dangi tribal culture. For the visitor, the Dang Darbar is a fascinating and colourful event found nowhere else — best experienced in the days before Holi at Ahwa. (The unique pre-Holi fair honouring the Dangs’ tribal kings at Ahwa; pension ceremony and great tribal fair; experience respectfully.)