Gujarat: Over 37,000 women from Ahir community, clad in red, perform Maha Raas together

Over 37,000 women from the Ahir community in Gujarat came together to perform the Maha Raas dance on December 23 and 24. 

The Maha Raas, also known as the divine dance, celebrates the cosmic union of Lord Krishna and his consort Radha. Dressed in red sarees and adorned with traditional jewelry, the women transformed into a single, pulsating wave of devotion as they danced in synchronised circles around an idol of Lord Krishna.

The event, known as Raas Utsav, was organised in honor of Raas by Usha, who is the daughter of Banasur and the daughter-in-law of Lord Krishna, as reported by a regional website. 

The large-scale gathering, orchestrated by the Akhil Bharatiya Yadav Samaj and Ahirani Mahila Mandal, unfolded at the expansive Nanddham campus of the ACC Cement company. Attendees hailed not only from various parts of India but also from across the globe. The event successfully brought together over one and a half lakh members of the Ahir Yadav community, as per information provided by the local website.

According to the website, after the performance, all 37,000 participating women were honoured with the gift of a Gita.

The celebration of Raas Utsav saw participation not only from within India but also drew Ahir community members residing abroad, who actively engaged in the performance of 'Maha Raas.'

This Maha Raas took place on 800 bighas of land. On this occasion, various factions of the Ahir community came together under one banner. The dance was observed by around 1.5 lakh Ahir community members from throughout the country.

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