The Kolhati are an Indian nomadic community that form a subgroup of the Banjara people. They belong to central India and Maharashtra. They traditionally are professional entertainers and acrobats. They are classified as a nomadic tribe by the government of Maharashtra. They have also been employed with tamasha troupes. The kolhati language is spoken in considerable numbers in Pune district. Kolhati lavani-tamasha performers have got social prestige from the patronage of the art form by the Maharashtra state government, and is vital to their identity as performing artists according to Morcom.
References
- Satya, Laxman D. (1997). "Colonial Sedentarization and Subjugation: The Case of Banjaras of Berar, 1850-1900". The Journal of Peasant Studies. 24 (4): 317–318. doi:10.1080/03066159708438653.
- Phillips, David J. (2001-01-01). Peoples on the Move: Introducing the Nomads of the World. William Carey Library. ISBN 9780878083527.
- Ratnam, Dhamini (2016-11-29). "Know your Lavani". Livemint. Retrieved 2016-12-19.
- "Tune into the world of traditional Lavani". mid-day. Retrieved 2016-12-19.
- Kakodkar, Priyanka. "Dancing on the fringes: the shadowy world of courtesans". The Hindu. Retrieved 2016-12-19.
- Morcom, Anna (2014-02-07). Courtesans, Bar Girls & Dancing Boys: The Illicit Worlds of Indian Dance. Hachette India. ISBN 9789350097939.