Dalkhai is a popular folk dance of the

Adivasi The Adivasi (also transliterated as Adibasi) are heterogeneous tribal groups across the Indian subcontinent. The term is a recent invention from the 20th century and is now widely used as a self-designation by groups classified as Scheduled Tr ...

s of

Odisha, India Odisha (), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is a state located in Eastern India. It is the eighth-largest state by area, and the eleventh-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the third ...

Etymology

The dance originates in the

Sambalpur Sambalpur () is the fifth largest city in the Indian State of Odisha. It is located on the banks of river Mahanadi, with a population of 335,761 (as per 2011 census). Prehistoric settlements have been recorded there. It is the home of the Samb ...

district of Odisha. The name is derived from dancers shouting ''‘Dalkhai Bo!''’ at the beginning and end of each stanza sung in the dance.

Description

The dance normally corresponds to the

Hindu epics Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called ''Kavya'' (or ''Kāvya''; Sanskrit: काव्य, IAST: ''kāvyá''). The ''Ramayana'' and the '' Mahabharata'', which were originally composed i ...

such as the love story of Radha and Krishna. It is performed in various festivals such as Bhaijiuntia, Phagun Puni and Nuakhai. The dance is popular among the Binjhal, Kuda, Mirdha, Sama and other tribes of Western Odisha. Male dancers address their female counterparts during the performance and flirt with them. The dance is accompanied by a rich orchestra of folk music played by a number of instruments known as ''dhol'', ''nisan'' (typically a giant drum made of iron case), ''tamki'' (a tiny one sided drum 6" in diameter played by two sticks), ''tasa'' (a one sided drum) and ''mahuri''. The dhol player controls the tempo of the performance. Women wear a colorful printed Sambalpuri saree. They also tie a scarf on their shoulders holding the ends in both the hands. Various traditional pieces of jewelry are worn by the performers to complete the look.

References

Culture of Odisha Indian folk dances {{india-dance-stub