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Many beautiful, colorful and lively folk traditions have been preserved in the wedding rituals of rural Maharashtra. One of the most energetic, respected and eye-catching traditions is the ‘Badam Nachavane’ or ‘Badam Nritya’ performed by the bride’s brothers after the wedding. This tradition is mainly seen in rural areas as a rightful means of expressing the bravery, joy and love of the bride’s brothers for their sister.

This ritual begins after the main rituals of the wedding and the handing over of ‘Rukhwat’ (gifts and sweets to be given to the bride-in-law). The bridegroom’s brothers take the baskets of sweets, pedhas, laddu chivda and various dishes in the rukhvat on their heads with great pride. With all these baskets on their heads, all the brothers gather in a large circle-round shape in the wedding hall. To the beat of halgi, sambal or dhol and traditional wedding songs, all these brothers go round and round together.

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The highlight of this entire dance is the groom’s brother who stands in the very center of this circle. This chief mankari brother carries a copper or brass ‘kalsi’ filled to the brim with water on his head. The greatest feature and skill of this dance is that instead of holding the water-filled pot upright on the head, its ‘mouth’ is kept upside down directly on the head. Without spilling a single drop of water on his head, the young man dances wonderfully in the middle. Around his thrilling and skillful dance, all the other brothers dance the badam to the rhythm, moving in a circular motion with rukhvat baskets on their heads.

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This ritual is not only a part of entertainment, but also a deep family feeling. The brothers put all their strength and enthusiasm into this dance to celebrate this farewell moment in a joyful atmosphere as their beloved sister is now going to another home. Keeping a water urn on the head is considered to be a symbol of future responsibilities and balance of family. At rural weddings, when the halgi is played and the brothers stand up to dance the badam, the bridegrooms in the entire wedding hall join in the excitement by clapping their hands. This traditional folk art still underlines the strong interweaving of cultures and relationships in the soil of Maharashtra.