Foogddi is a dance form performed by the Hindu women of
Goa. Songs of religious and social themes, in
Konkani mixed with
Marathi, are sung in accompaniment.
During the festive season of Vinayaka Chaturthi in Goa, women sing and dance the Foogddi before
Lord Ganesh. The particulars of the dance vary from caste to caste. The most popular form begins with religious invocations during improvised household activities like washing, grinding or kneading. After this the songs move on to social themes and even gossip. Soon the pace increases and the dancers move vigorously in circles, spinning and swirling in pairs, and making foo… foo… sounds, which has given the dance its name. When totally exhausted they sink down with heady satisfaction, laughing yet looking jealously at those who are still spinning.
