Folk dances of Assam
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Folk dances of
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
include the
Bihu Bihu is a set of three important Assamese festivals in the Indian state of Assam – 'Rongali' or 'Bohag Bihu' observed in April, 'Kongali' or 'Kati Bihu' observed in October, and 'Bhogali' or 'Magh Bihu' observed in January. The Rongali Bihu i ...
and the
Bagurumba The Bagurumba () is a traditional dance of the indigenous Boro people living in the State of Assam and North East India. It is also called butterfly dance because it's personification of movements of butterflies and birds. In this occasion, onl ...
(both danced during festivals held in the spring), the Bhortal, the
Ojapali Ojapali is a traditional shamanistic type of indigenous folk dance from Assam in the northeastern region of India. Ojapali is believed to have evolved from Kathakata tradition and is performed in a group; it is believed to be one of the oldest ...
dance.
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
is home to many groups: Muslim, Indo-Aryan,
Rabha The Rabha are a Tibeto-Burman community to the Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal. They primarily inhabit the plains of Lower Assam and the Dooars, while some are found in the Garo Hills. Most of the Rabhas of Dooars refer to thems ...
,
Bodo Bodo may refer to: Ethnicity * Boro people, an ethno-linguistic group mainly from Northwest Assam, India * Bodo-Kachari people, an umbrella group from Nepal, India and Bangladesh that includes the Bodo people Culture and language * Boro cu ...
, Dimasa, Karbi, Mising,
Sonowal Kacharis The Sonowal Kachari ( as, Xonowāl Kosāree) are one of the indigenous peoples of the state of Assam in Northeast India. They are of Tibeto-Burman origin, and are closely associated with the other ethnic groups of Assam which are commonly refe ...
, Mishmi and
Tiwa (Lalung) Tiwa is an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the states of Assam and Meghalaya in northeastern India. They are also found in some areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. They are recognized as a Scheduled tribe within the State of Assam ...
etc. These cultures come together to create an
Assamese culture The culture of Assam is traditionally a hybrid one, developed due to cultural assimilation of different ethno-cultural groups under various political-economic systems in different periods of its history. Historical perspective The roots ...
. Residents of the state of Assam are known as "Axomiya" (Assamese). Most tribes have their own language, although Assamese is the primary language of the state. Many fairs and festivals are held in Assam. Nearly all tribal festivals are held in spring and celebrate cultivation or harvest. Among festivals in Assam, the Bihu is most noteworthy; it brings together all Assamese people, regardless of background.


Bihu dances

Although the origins of
Bihu dance The Bihu dance is an indigenous folk dance from the Indian state of Assam related to the Bihu festival and an important part of Assamese culture. Performed in a group, the Bihu dancers are usually young men and women, and the dancing style is cha ...
( as, বিহু নৃত্য) are unknown, the first official record of it is said to be when the Ahom king Rudra Singha invited Bihu dancers to perform at the
Rang Ghar The Rang Ghar (), ( Assamese: ৰংঘৰ, ''rong ghor'' meaning "House of Entertainment") is a two-storeyed building which once served as the royal sports-pavilion where Ahom kings and nobles were spectators at games like buffalo fights a ...
fields in about 1694 for the ''
Rongali Bihu Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu ( as, ব’হাগ বিহু বা ৰঙালী বিহু) also called ''Xaat Bihu'' ( as, সাত বিহু) (seven Bihus) is a traditional ethnic festival celebrated in the Northeastern Indian sta ...
''.


Description

The Bihu is a group dance in which males and females dance together, but maintain separate gender roles. In general, females follow stricter line or circle formations. The male dancers and musicians enter the dancing area first, maintain their lines and follow synchronized patterns. When the female dancers enter, the male dancers break up their lines to mingle with the female dancers (who maintain their stricter formation and the order of the dance). It is usually characterized by specific postures: movements of the hips, arms and wrists; twirls, squats and bends. Male and female dance movements are very similar, with only subtle differences.


Performance

The dance is performed to traditional Bihu music. The most important musicians are the drummers (''dhulia''), who play a twin-faced drum (the ''dhol'', which is hung from the neck) with one stick and a palm. There are usually more than one ''dhulia'' in a performance; each plays different rhythms at different sections of the performance. These rhythmic compositions, called ''seus'', are traditionally formal. Before entering the dancing area, the drummers play a short and brisk rhythm. The ''seu'' is changed, and the drummers usually enter the dance area in line. The ''mohor xingor pepa'' is played (usually at the beginning) by a single player, who lays out an initial plaintive motif which sets the mood for the dance. The male dancers then enter the area in formation and perform (accompanied by singing, in which all participate). Other instruments which accompany this dance are the ''taal'', a type of cymbal; the ''gogona'', a reed-and-bamboo instrument; the ''toka'', a bamboo clapper and the ''xutuli'', a clay whistle. Bamboo flutes are also often used. The songs (''bihu geet'') accompanying the dance have been handed down for generations. Subjects of the lyrics include welcoming the Assamese new year, describing the life of a farmer, history and satire. Although males and females perform Bihu dance, the female Bihu dance has more variations (including freehand, twisting, with a rhythmic ''pepa'', with a ''kahi'' (traditional metal plate) and with a ''jaapi'' (Assamese conical woven hat). The performance may be long, but is enlivened by rapid changes in rhythm, mood, movements, pace and improvisation. Dancers and musicians are given opportunities to showcase their talents.


Types

The dance takes several forms in the different northeastern Indian groups (e.g. the Deori Bihu dance, Mising Bihu dance or Rati Bihu celebrated by Morans). However, the underlying goal of the dance remains the same: to express the desire to feel both pain and happiness.


Bagurumba Dance

''
Bagurumba The Bagurumba () is a traditional dance of the indigenous Boro people living in the State of Assam and North East India. It is also called butterfly dance because it's personification of movements of butterflies and birds. In this occasion, onl ...
'' is a folk dance in Assam which is performed by the
Bodos Boro (बर'/बड़ो ), also called Bodo, is the largest ethnolinguistic group in the Assam state of India. They are a part of the greater Bodo-Kachari family of ethnolinguistic groups and are spread across northeastern India. They are ...
. It is the usually practiced during Bwisagu, a Bodo festival in the
Vishuva Sankranti Pana Sankranti, ( or, ପଣା ସଙ୍କ୍ରାନ୍ତି) also known as Maha Bishuba Sankranti ( or, ମହା ବିଷୁବ ସଙ୍କ୍ରାନ୍ତି), is the traditional new year day festival of Odia people in Odisha, India. ...
(mid-April). ''Bwisagu'' begins with cow worship; then, young people reverentially bow down to their parents and elders. After that, Bathow is worshiped by offering the deity chicken and ''zou'' (rice beer). Bodo women wearing colourful ''dokhna'' and ''aronai'' perform the Bagurumba dance (also known as the Bardwisikhla dance). It is accompanied by instruments such as the ''serja'' (a bowed instrument), ''sifung'' (flute), ''tharkha'' (split bamboo), ''kham'' or ''madal'' (long drum, made of wood and goatskin). The festival ends with a community prayer at Garjasali. This dance is performed in the Bodo-inhabited areas of Udalguri, Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Nalbari, Darrang and Sonitpur Districts.


Bhortal dance

Bhortal Nritya is known to have developed by Narahari Burha Bhakat. He was a well-known Satriya artist. This Bhortal Nritya of Barpeta district is said to have derived from the classical dance form of the state. This is one of the most popular dances in the state of Assam. Performance— this dance is performed in a group. Six or seven dancers generally present the Bhortal dance of Assam together. This dance can be performed in larger groups as well. It is performed to a very fast beat. This beat is known as ‘Zhiya Nom’. The dancers are equipped with cymbals while performing this dance. The use of the cymbals makes the dance presentation appear very colorful. The dance movements are designed as such that they can produce some very colorful patters. This is the uniqueness of this dance from Assam.


Jhumur dance

Jhumur Jhumair or Jhumar is an Indian folk dance from the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and West Bengal. It is folk dance of Sadan, the Indo-Aryan ethnic groups of Chotanagpur. It is mainly performed during harvest season. ...
is a traditional dance form of "Adivasi" or
Tea tribes The Tea-garden community are multi ethnic groups of tea garden workers and their descendants in Assam. They are officially referred to as ''Tea-tribes'' by Government of Assam. They are the descendants of peoples brought by the British colonial pl ...
community of Assam. The dance is performed by young girls and boys together. The male members wear long traditional dresses and keep the rhythm with few traditional musical instruments, generally a
Dhol Dhol (IPA: ) can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan primarily includes nort ...
or Mandar, hung on shoulders, a flute and a pair of "Taal" (two metallic discs). The girls mostly perform the dancing part, holding each other's waist and moving hands and legs forward and backward synchronously. The dance has a huge following in the "Tea tribe" dominated districts of Assam, like
Udalguri Odalguri (; also spelt Udalguri) is a town and the headquarters of Udalguri district under the jurisdiction of Bodoland Territorial Council which controls the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts in the state of Assam. Geography Odalguri is l ...
,
Sonitpur Sonitpur district ron: ˌsə(ʊ)nɪtˈpʊə or ˌʃə(ʊ)nɪtˈpʊəis an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters is located at Tezpur. Etymology The name of the is derived from a mythological story fo ...
,
Golaghat Golaghat ( ''Gʊlaɡʱat'' ) one of the largest subdivisions of the Indian state of Assam, later elevated to the position of a full–fledged district headquarter on 5 October 1987, is a city and a municipality and the seat of administrative ...
,
Jorhat Jorhat ( ) is one of the important cities and a growing urban centre in the state of Assam in India. Etymology Jorhat ("jor" means twin and "hat" means market) means two hats or mandis - "Masorhaat" and "Sowkihat" which existed on the opposite ...
,
Sivasagar Sivasagar (Pron: or ) ("the sea of Shiva"), is a city in and headquarters of the Sivasagar district, Assam. Sivasagar is situated about 360 kilometers (224 mi) northeast of Guwahati. It is well known for its Ahom palaces and monuments. Si ...
,
Dibrugarh Dibrugarh (pron: ˌdɪbru:ˈgɑ:) is an industrial city in Upper Assam with sprawling tea gardens. It is located 435 kms East from the state capital of Dispur. It serves as the headquarters of Dibrugarh district in the state of Assam in ...
and
Tinsukia Tinsukia (Pron: ˌtɪnˈsʊkiə) is an industrial town. It is situated north-east of Guwahati and away from the border with Arunachal Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Tinsukia District of Assam, India. History During th ...
.


References

{{Assam