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TRIBAL HOLI · GHER FAIR · COLOURKawant Holi
The most spectacular tribal Holi — at Kawant, the days after Holi explode into a riot of colour, costume and the swirling Gher dance, as Rathwa and Bhil villagers gather for one of Gujarat's great tribal fairs.
Gujarat's great tribal Holi fair
The Kawant Holi (often called the Kawant or Gher fair) is one of the most spectacular tribal festivals in Gujarat — a riot of colour, costume and dance that fills the days following Holi in the town of Kawant, in the tribal heartland of Chhota Udaipur. As Holi passes, thousands of Rathwa, Bhil and other Adivasi people converge on Kawant in extraordinary finery — men and women in vivid traditional dress and dramatic costume, faces painted, adorned with feathers, mirrors, jewellery and flowers. The highlight is the Gher dance: groups of dancers (gher) move in swirling, rhythmic circles to the beat of drums and the wail of folk instruments, performing through the day in a vibrant, intoxicating spectacle. The fair is also a great social occasion — a time for the tribal communities to gather, celebrate, court and trade. The sheer colour, energy and authenticity of Kawant Holi make it a magnet for photographers and culture-lovers, and one of the most vivid expressions of living tribal culture in India. For the visitor, Kawant Holi is an unforgettable spectacle of tribal Gujarat — best experienced in the days right after Holi, with respect and sensitivity. (A great tribal Holi fair at Kawant; Gher dance, colour and costume; in the days after Holi (March); experience respectfully.)
The regalia is the fair’s astonishment: dancers painted head to foot in white and ochre dots, headdresses of peacock feathers and paper flowers, cowrie-shell belts, anklet bells by the kilo and silver at every joint — costume assembled over days for a performance whose audience is first of all the community itself and its gods. The Gher circles move like weather systems through the streets, drummers at each eye, and the trading fair around them does the season’s serious business in silver, cloth, arrows and sweets.
For visitors the rules are simple and worth honouring: the fair follows Holi by a few days each March, reachable from Chhota Udaipur town or Vadodara (about two hours); arrive early, park where directed, and photograph crowds freely but individuals with a word and a smile. Guides through Tejgadh’s Adivasi Academy or Chhota Udaipur’s operators add context worth their fee, and the same trip collects the district’s haat markets and the Kusumbhar terracotta villages.
Kawant Holi, Chhota Udaipur. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Colour, costume and the Gher
Kawant Holi. Wikimedia Commons.
The days after Holi belong to Kawant's great fair.
Rathwa and Bhil villages converge in full ceremonial dress.
Gher dance circles wheel through the town for hours.
The fair now draws photographers from across the world.
Why come
Colour
Body paint, pigment and costume turn the town kaleidoscopic.
Costume
Peacock plumes, silver and cowrie belts crown the dancers.
Gher dance
Circles form, dissolve and reform around the drummers.
Drums
Dhol and pihwo drive the dance from morning to dark.
Tribal
The communities dance for themselves, not the cameras.
Spectacle
Nothing here is staged — the fair is the real calendar.
What to see
THE FAIRKawant Holi
Colour and dance in the days after Holi.
THE PEOPLERathwa & Bhil
Tribal culture.
How it's celebrated
See the Gher dance
Swirling circles.
Take in the costume
Dramatic finery.
Feel the colour
A riot of hues.
Hear the drums
Driving rhythm.
Meet the communities
A tribal gathering.
Go right after Holi
The fair days.
Kawant Holi. Wikimedia Commons.
A spectacular tribal Holi
The Kawant (Gher) fair, in the days after Holi, is one of Gujarat’s most spectacular tribal festivals — thousands of Rathwa, Bhil and other Adivasi people gather at Kawant in vivid costume, faces painted and adorned with feathers and mirrors, for the swirling Gher dance to drums and folk instruments. A riot of colour, energy and living tribal culture. (A great tribal Holi fair at Kawant; Gher dance, colour and costume; in the days after Holi (March); experience respectfully.)
It sits within Chhota Udaipur district — browse more places to visit in Chhota Udaipur.
One of Gujarat’s most spectacular tribal fairs
Held in the days after Holi at Kawant
The swirling Gher dance in dramatic costume
Rathwa, Bhil and Adivasi communities gather
Timing
The fair days.
Around Holi.
Time it to Holi.
⏰ In the days right after Holi (March); time your visit to the festival.
Getting there
By Air
Vadodara (~105 km).
By Rail
Chhota Udaipur station.
By Road
From Vadodara via NH.
More in Chhota Udaipur
RATHWA ART
Pithora Painting
Sacred horse-paintings adorning village walls. Explore →
DANCE
Tribal Dances
The rhythm of the Adivasi heartland — the tribal dances of Chhota Udaipur, performed to drums and folk pipes at fairs and festivals, are the joyous, communal heartbeat of Rathwa and Bhil culture. Explore →
MARKET
Weekly Haats
Where the tribal week turns — the weekly haats of Chhota Udaipur gather Adivasi villagers to trade, meet and celebrate, vibrant rural markets that are the social hub of tribal life. Explore →
HERITAGE
Adivasi Museum
The story of a people, kept — the Adivasi museum and academy near Chhota Udaipur preserve and celebrate the art, language and life of Gujarat’s tribal communities, a centre of living heritage. Explore →
What to eat
TRIBALTribal food
Maize, rice & forest produce.
MAIZEMakai Rotlo
Maize flatbread.
THALIGujarati Thali
Comfort cooking.
FORESTMahuda
A forest-flower delicacy.
Kawant Holi FAQ
What is Kawant Holi?
A spectacular tribal Holi fair at Kawant in Chhota Udaipur.
When is it?
In the days following Holi (March).
What is the Gher dance?
A swirling circular tribal dance performed to drums.
Who takes part?
Rathwa, Bhil and other Adivasi communities.
Why is it famous?
For its riot of colour, costume and authentic tribal culture.
Any advice?
Time it to Holi; engage respectfully.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026