Maharashtra’s Lezim dancers to perform at Republic Day parade in Delhi

Kolhapur: Around 20 dancers, mainly with rural roots in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts, are set to perform Maharashtra's traditional folk dance, Lezim, on Kartavyapath in New Delhi at the Republic Day parade on Monday.Friends and relatives of the dancers associated with the Kolhapur-based Shreeja Loksanskruti Foundation will watch the performance on television. Choreographer Chandrakant Patil runs the foundation from Kalamba village, near Kolhapur city. It trains youths in folk performances, and performs mainly at govt functions. "Based on our showcasing of talent at such functions across Maharashtra, our team was selected to perform alongside the tableau of Ganeshotsav during the Republic Day parade. We got the call on Dec 26, 2025, and, for the past 10 days, we have rehearsed in Delhi. On Jan 26, we will showcase Maharashtra's folk performances such as Lezim, flag dance and Abdagiri-Tutari dance," Patil told TOI.Patil said Vibhishan Choure, the director of Maharashtra's cultural dept, had composed the lyrics and music of a 45-second song, which will be played on a loop during the passage of the tableau along Kartavyapath. "Some of our dancers will perform Lezim, and a few will be on the tableau, showcasing the traditional Ganeshotsav in Maharashtra. Our team will wear traditional attire," said Patil.The dancers associated with the group are Sana Revankar, Akanksha Patil, Nishigandha Tonpe, Rajendra Sankpal, Aishwarya Tonpe, Ankita Dange, Akanksha Jadhav, Sudhir Dengre, Amrin Inamdar, Vaishnavi Muthalwad, Sarvesh Sawant, Saurabh Jadhav, Aditya Randive, Aditya Waghmare, Shivam Magdum, Vijay Alase, Prachi Jadhav, Tushar Pradhan, Sajana Revankar and Saurabh Chougale.Lezim is performed by dancers using a small musical instrument with jingling cymbals. According to experts, the dance originated during the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and it was primarily performed to enhance the stamina and quick movements required by soldiers on the battlefield. During the last Republic Day Parade, 25 participants, comprising former and current students of Sangli Shikshan Sanstha, performed the Lezim dance on Kartavyapth.