Bhikhudan Govindbhai Gadhvi is a proponent of which folk tradition?

Bhikhudan Govindbhai Gadhvi (born 1948) is a Gujarati folk artist from Junagadh district, Gujarat, known as one of the leading performers of Dayro. He received the Padma Shri in 2016 for his contribution to Gujarati folk literature and performance.

Dayro (from "dayra", meaning a circle) is a traditional form of folk entertainment in Gujarat, especially in the Saurashtra region. In a Dayro, an artist sits in front of an audience, usually at night, and combines storytelling, folk songs (lok geet), poetry, humour and moral lessons. Accompanied by instruments such as the harmonium, tabla and manjira, the performer narrates tales of saints, warriors, kings and heroes, as well as stories from Gujarati folklore and devotional bhajans. Dayros are performed at religious gatherings, weddings and community events, and some are held to raise money for social causes.

Bhikhudan Gadhvi belongs to the Charan (Gadhvi) community, which has a long tradition of oral poetry, genealogy and storytelling in Gujarat and Rajasthan. He has performed thousands of Dayros in India and abroad, has recorded many albums, and is known for his knowledge of the Charani literature and folk tales of Saurashtra.

Other notable Gujarati folk forms:

• Garba and Dandiya Raas, dances performed during Navratri.
• Bhavai, a folk theatre form.
• Duha and Chhand, forms of folk poetry.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Lavani is a folk song and dance form of Maharashtra.
• ✗Pandavani is a folk ballad of Chhattisgarh telling the story of the Pandavas, made famous by Teejan Bai.
• ✗Jagar is a ritual singing tradition of Uttarakhand.