Dangs Darbar is a colourful festival that is celebrated in the Dang district, located in the Saputara Hills in Gujarat. The festival is a three-day annual cultural show corresponding with the Holi festivities. The Dangs Darbar fair exhibits the interesting art and culture of the local tribes of the Dang area which is located in the Satpura hills. Dang Darbar is celebrated just few days before Holi.
The festival is exactly celebrated in Ahwa near Saputara. The name of the festival has been derived from the Ahwa Darbar, an old assembly (Darbar) venue for English ministers and mandarins during the Raj era. Now, the name has been changed to Jamabandi Durbar and the District Collector officiates at it. The Dang area still bears the fragrance of the British era.
A large number of tribal inhabitants and tourists come from distant places to attend one of the most colourful and attractive festivals of the Dangs. A galore of men and women adorn themselves in different colours of attires and are seen agog with festivities during the Darbar. Nomad tribes carry different types of instruments like shehnai with them while coming to attend the festival.
All the men put on lion clothes which are complimented with a waistcoat and coloured turban. Women adorn thenselves in saree and blouses. They also wear heavy silver jewellery. The carnival ground can be seen buzz with activities and merchants who come to sell their products. Dangs Darbar at Gujarat displays a panorama of musical programmes, dances and folk arts. The three day festival, witnesses many activities like folk dances, Raas, Garba programs, songs and dramas. The fair also provides a platform to search for brides and grooms. Visitors can enjoy the folk music from the tribal instruments like Kahalia and Tadpur accompanied by the folk dances. Tribal dances of the region are spectacular to watch. People move in concentric circles holding each other by the waist, dancing to the beat of percussion and wind instruments. Dangs Darbar fair is the perfect venue to witness the cultural and social life of the local tribes of Gujarat.
An exhibition of local culture, tribal development schemes and forest environment is also inaugurated on the occasion during the festival. During the festival, the customs instituted earlier still continues like giving pensions to the Tribals such as Daher, Gadhvi, Linga, Pimpri and Vasurna were awarded pensions in 2009). The Dangs Darbar in Gujarat thus attracts thousands of tourists every year from all across the globe.
