The Odisha’s traditional folk song and dance during the yearly Dola festival ‘ laudi Khela’ is fast losing its popularity due to lack of enthusiasm among Gopal community.
With changing times, it stands to lose its originality and the Gopal youths are not evincing interest to perform laudi due to lack of any monetary benefit.
laudi Khela is performed during Dola festival as a tradition in groups comprising 10 to 20 members each. They dance and sing song to recitations from Krushna lila and myths associated with lord Krushna and His attachments to the Gopis.
The laudi songs were composed by Mahapurusha Achutyananda Das but many new composers of laudi lyrics came up later. According to the Gopal community, the 15 th century poet Achutyananda had written eight epics popularly known as ‘Gopalanka Ogala’ for ‘laudi Khela.’ The lyrics are divided into two parts as laudi songs and ‘Ogala’, questions and answers, relating to the different mythologies.
The laudi Khela is recognized as one of the folk dances of Odisha, mainly seen in the coastal districts. It has its unique style of presentation. The laudi groups perform from Dola Purnima to Chaitra Purnima; also the performance is held as part of family function. This is also performed during Kumar Purnima, Rasa Purnima, Samba Dasami and Ratha Yatra.
Researchers have opined that laudi Khela is similar to Dandiya Nrutya of Gujarat, Garba Nrutya of Utar Pradesh, Kolan dance of Andhra Pradesh and labani Nrutya of Bihar. However, while laudi Khela is losing poularity in Odisha, the folk songs of other States are thriving due to patronage, informed secretary Odisha Yadav Mahasava Shyama Sundar Das.
Basu Behera, an octogenarian laudi exponent, informed that once the laudi Khela used to be compulsory for every male member of Gopal family. Those who defied the rules were punished severely by the community people. Ironically, the rules no longer exist today and it is tough searching for artists on the Dola festival to perform laudi, he said.
laudi singer Bula Behera said that earlier the laudi performers used to tour villages displaying their arts and were being rewarded in return with cash, rice, vegetables and cocoanuts but the custom seems to be fading away these days.
For rejuvenating laudi Khela in the State, the Yadav Mahasabha has been organizing a State level laudi Utsava at Nemal in Kendrapada district , the holy birth place of Mahapurusha Achutyananda Das, during each year Dola festival since 1993. Similar laudi performances are also held at Dhyanakuda Pitha in Biridi block of Jagatsinghpur district each year. Moreover, the Yadav Mahasabha has asked its community people to establish laudi troupe in every village where Gopal people are living and take steps to impress young generations towards the art.