Due to a lack of time and our hectic event calendar in Delhi, we embarked on our trip to Udaipur without an itinerary. Once we reached Udaipur and settled down, we asked the hotel guys as well as locals about things to do in Udaipur. Almost everybody mentioned City Palace and Bagore ki Haveli. We had already heard so much about City Palace but Bagore ki Haveli was new to us. Initially, we thought it was just a museum but later realised it was famous for a folk dance-based programme called Dharohar.

Dharohar at Bagore ki Haveli is a colorful cultural evening of live music, dance, and puppetry. The event happens at 7 pm every day but we were asked to be there an hour before the show. They start selling tickets around 6 pm and one is advised to take the ticket and go on the terrace to get the best seats. We had just come back from Nathdwara and were tired but queued up for tickets nevertheless. This is an alfresco event and most of the people sit on the floor. Just like any live event, the closer you are to the performers the better the view. There is an extra charge for using cameras (DSLR and/or mobile) which pinched a little in the beginning but after the show, it felt worth it.

The evening started with the folk singers singing the customary “Padharo Mhare Des” and moved to several folk dance performances that included Chari, Gorbandh, and the very famous Ghoomar (After the movie Padmavat by women dancers dressed in bright colorful attires. Chari dance performance had dancers with pitchers with fire on their heads. There was another folk performance called “Terah Taali” where the whole music was created by the bells tied to dancers’ feet and arms. This was mesmerising. Another folk dance-drama Gavri showed the fight sequence between Goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasur, performed by all men cast. The puppet show broke the monotony of the dances and provided comic relief. If you have kids with you on the Udaipur trip, you must take them to this show.

The showstopper was this 70-year-old dancer who was a part of some earlier performances but flew solo in the end where she danced with her feet on a brass plate and several pots on her head. This was jaw-dropping for the audience and they had a great time which was evident from the hooting and the applause.

Dharohar at Bagore ki Haveli is all about entertainment. It’s not for puritans. The whole setup of watching live performances in a heritage haveli under the stars is surreal in itself and was one of the high points of our Udaipur trip.

We kickstarted our rented bike and left for dinner as we had to leave for Kumbalgarh Fort early the next morning.

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