Indian folk and tribal dances are simple and are performed to express joy during the arrival of seasons, childbirth, weddings, and festivals. Folk art is the common possession of a group of people or a particular locality. Each folk dance has a specific culture and rhythms, and some costumes are very colorful with extensive jewels and designs. Indian folk dances typically consist of a few simple steps and are performed worldwide. In some folk dances, men and women perform separately, in others they dance together. On most occasions, the dancers sing accompanied by the musicians. Listed below are a few of the most prominent and popular folk dances of India :
1. Garba, Gujarat, India
source DNA India
Garba is a Gujarati dance which is performed predominantly during the
festival of ‘ Navratri’ ( Navratri
is a Hindu festival that spans nine nights and is celebrated every year in the
autumn, in remembrance of one of nine aspects of the Shakti goddess) in
Gujarat.
The name Garba is derived from the Sanskrit word Garbha ( womb) and Deep
( an earthenware lamp).
Many traditional Garbhas are performed around a centrally lit lamp or a picture of
Goddess Shakti. The prayers are dedicated to a symbolic clay pot called garbo,
as a remembrance of the womb of the family and the universe. The clay pot is lit; this is believed to represent the one Soul. It is a folk dance where
people of different backgrounds and skills join and form concentric circles. The
circles can grow or shrink, reaching sizes of hundreds, sometimes thousands of
people, dancing and clapping in circular moves, in their traditional costumes, in
one step in sync. Post dancing, the group and the audience socialize and
feast together.
Garba dance is performed around the image of Goddess Durga or ‘Amba’ in
circles as the time cycle of the time revolves from birth to life to death and again
rebirth, the only thing constant is the Goddess. The dance symbolizes that
God, represented in the feminine form, as in this case, is the only thing that
remains unchanging in a constantly changing world.
Both men and women wear colorful clothes while performing Garba. The
girls wear Chaniya Choli, also known as Lehnga Choli ( Chaniya is a long flared
skirt-like bottom with intricate work), a three-piece dress with a choli ( a
blouse-like embroidered upper garment) and dupatta ( a shawl traditionally worn
by women in the Indian subcontinent. Chaniya Cholis are red, yellow, pink, orange, and bandhani (tie-dye) dresses decorated with beads, shells, mirrors, stars, and
embroidery work, and heavy jewellery such as 2 to 3 necklaces, sparkling
bangles, waist bells, etc. Traditionally, men wear ethnic Kedia and a pajama or
dhoti, with iodized bracelets and necklaces.
Modern-day Garba is also heavily influenced by Dandiya Raas. Often called the "stick dance" because it uses polished sticks (dandiya), it represents a mock fight between the goddess Durga and the demon king Mahishasura.
2. Bhangra, Punjab, India
Bhangra refers to
several forms of folk dance and music that originated in the Punjab region of
India. The word Bhangra originates from the word ‘bhang’ or hemp, which used to
be a major product. The dance is generally performed during the Vaisakhi festival, which celebrates the harvest. Bhangra has a very energetic and lively
tone, and the dance is equally vivacious. The festival is celebrated with much
pomp and fervor, and the dresses worn by the male and female dancers are quite
different, although both reflect the joyous
celebrations.
The
Bhangra is said to have started by Punjabi farmers in the 14th or
15th century to celebrate the harvest season. With time, the Bhangra became used in almost all major celebrations in Punjab, such as weddings or festivals. The Bhangra is danced to the rhythm of a drum,
known as the dhol.
The
dresses worn during a Bhangra performance are very bright, bold, and
colorful to symbolize the joyful and celebratory nature of the occasion. The
dresses worn by dancers are loose-fitting to ensure that the body moves
freely, because there is a lot of movement associated with this dance form.
Bright shades generally mean different things. For example, Yellow symbolizes sarson or mustard, green symbolizes prosperity, and
red/saffron symbolizes the auspicious occasion itself.
The wearing
of the turban by male dancers is very important as it represents the
pride and honor of the people of Punjab.
Women wear
long flowing clothes and fine jewelry for elegance and grace. When wearing a Salwar Kameez, the
Kameez is usually of a contrasting color from the dupatta and
the salwar. They also like to adorn themselves with a lot of jewelry when
performing the dance.
One
characteristic feature of the Giddha dance is the paranda, a tassel
that is woven into the braid.
The Bhangra has caught attention worldwide and was performed at 10 Downing Street at the behest of the British Prime Minister.
3. Lavani,
Maharashtra, India
Maharashtra
was a battle porn state and Lavani dance served as a mode of entertainment and
morale booster for the tired soldiers during the 19th century.
The word
Lavani is derived from the word ‘Lavanaya’, meaning beauty, and is a combination
of dance and music which deals with different and varied topics such as society, religion, politics, romance, etc. Lavani is known for its powerful
rhythm and has contributed substantially to the development of Maharashtra folk
theatre.
Attractive
women wearing 9-yard saris typically perform the dance with the captivating rhythm
of ‘dholak’. Apart from the long saris, they form a bun (juda in Hindi) with
their hair. They wear heavy jewellery that includes a necklace, earrings,
kamarpatta( a belt at the waist), and bangles etc. They usually put a large bindi
or dark red colour on their forehead. The sari they wear is called ‘nauvari’.
The main
subject of the Lavani is the love between man & woman in various forms. Sexual
union between husband & wife, wife bidding farewell to husband who is going
to war, pangs of separation are different themes of Lavani.
There are
men also who dance in the Lavani with ladies; they are called ‘nat’ (male dancers),
usually kinnars, but they dance in support of the lead dancer.
4. Kalbelia( Kalbeliya) Dance, Rajasthan,India
Kalbelia, also known as Kalbeliya, is a traditional form of Rajasthani dance and an integral
Kalbelia culture. Kalbeliya dance, or the ‘Snake dance’ of Rajasthan, is
performed by the Kalbeliya tribe, hence the name. It is performed by the
Kalbeliya
The word
Kalbelia is a combination of two words: ‘ Kal’ means snake, and ‘Beliya’ means
friends; hence, the word Kalbeliya all together means ‘ Snake’s friends’
Kalbeliyas
are also known as ‘ Saperas’ from the gypsy caste, who perform the ‘snake dance’.
It is one of the most sensuous dances of Rajasthan, performed by men and women
in the tribe to celebrate joyful occasions. Also known as ‘Sapera Dance’ or ‘Snake
Charmer Dance’. The traditional occupation of the Kalbeliya tribe is catching snakes
and trading venom, hence the dance movements and the costumes of their
community resemble those of serpents.
Males play
very traditional instruments and women perform dance. Musical instruments are
traditional ‘poongi’ or ‘been’; it is a kind of woodwind musical instrument used by the Kalbeliya tribe during catching snakes. Other musical instruments
include dufli, dhol, khanjari, and khuralio.
Main
dancers are female dancers who dance and swirl, replicating the movements of a
serpent. They wear traditional Kalbeliya dress: on the upper body, the women
dancers wear Angarkhi, on the head they wear Odhani, and a long skirt on the
lower body, which has a wide circumference, called Lehnga or Ghagra. The dress is black with red decorative laces and embroidered
with silver thread in various patterns, like a snake. They also wear a lot of
jewellery.
Traditionally, Kalbeliya men carried cobras in cane baskets from door to door in the village
while their women sang and danced and begged for alms.
The popularity of this dance is so worldwide that Rajasthan’s Kalbeliya dance & songs are now in UNESCO’s representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010.
5. Matki
Dance, Madhya Pradesh, India
In the Hindi
language, ‘Matki’ means a small pitcher or a small earthenware pot.
Mostly
performed in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is a solo dance
performed by ladies on special occasions.
Performed
by ladies dressed in traditional attire: sarees or lehngas decorated with many
ornaments, Matki Dance is quite difficult and technical as the women dance
while balancing a matki or earthenware pot on their heads. Despite the movement
of hands and legs, the dancer skillfully balances the pitcher on her head.
The dancers work very hard to bring their balance to such finesse.
Matki
dance is basically performed as a solo dance at the time of a wedding or any
significant occasion. The main musical instrument used in the dance is the ‘dhol’.
Developed
by nomadic tribes of the state, women often had to carry the pots of water on
their heads, thus they converted this daily chore into a dance form.
Friends, all I can say is that India is Incredible and it is a land with immensely rich & diverse cultures and traditions.
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