Applause for Lavani dancers at parade

NEW DELHI - Lavani dancers from Maharashtra put up a colourful and vibrant show at the Republic Day parade here Wednesday, drawing applause from spectators.

The state tableau displayed Marathi folk art. Women dressed in traditional silk saris danced to the tune of folk songs.

Rural Development Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, a former Maharashtra chief minister, cheered loudly as the tableau depicted ‘Lavani artists travelling by a bullock cart.

Kristiani Yudhoyono, wife of Indonesian President President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the chief guest, watched the spectacle with enthusiasm.