Lavani is a genre of music and dance that originated in Maharashtra, India in the 18th and 19th century. It is a combination of traditional song and dance, which is performed to the beats of Dholki, a percussion instrument. Lavani is noted for its powerful rhythm and is traditionally performed by women dancers wearing nine-yard-long sarees in bright colors, make-up, and ghunghroos. Lavani has contributed substantially to the development of Marathi folk theatre.

Lavani is a folk music-dance that is close to the Marathi culture and is mostly performed by the female performers wearing nine-yard long saris. The songs are sung in a quick tempo and are mostly emotional in sentiment, with dialogues that tend to be pungent in socio-political satire. Lavani deals with different and varied subject matters such as society, religion, politics, and romance. The Lavani songs, which are sung along with dance, are usually naughty and erotic in nature. There are several sub-genres of Lavani, of which the most popular is the Shringarik (erotic) kind, in which the lyrics are often teasing, with sensuous dance steps and delicate gestures employed to convey erotic meaning.

Lavani dancers were patronized by Maratha Lords and Kings and were generally performed by Dhangars or Shepherds living in the Solapur district of Maharashtra. Lavani was originally used as a form of entertainment and morale booster to the tired soldiers. Lavani has a history going back several centuries, and it attained particular popularity in the Peshwa era in the 18th century. Traditionally, performances were held in front of kings or lords, and for the entertainment of tired soldiers resting during breaks in fighting.

Lavani has been criticized for its sensual component, which has long been frowned upon. However, over the years, Lavani has gained more acceptability among the people, even though certain taboos around it continue. Lavani became well known outside Maharashtra, throughout India and even outside the country, following its use in popular media such as cinema. A younger generation of women dancers is accused of vulgarizing the traditional folk art form wit...