Firkal slowly decaying martial dance of ChotaNagpur of Jharkhand performed at Central Park Delhi IMG 0934 11

Firkal is a martial art folk-dance of Bhumij tribe. The main instruments of Firkal are swords, arrows, bows and shields. It can be found in ''

Potka block Potka block is a CD block that forms an administrative division in the Dhalbhum subdivision of East Singhbhum district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand. History The laying of the foundation stone of the steel plant by Tata Steel (then ...

'' of

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...

and some parts of

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

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. Older than

Kalaripayattu Kalaripayattu (), also known simply as Kalari, is an Indian martial art that originated on the southwestern coast of India, in what is now Kerala, during the 3rd century BCE. Etymology Kalaripayattu is a martial art which developed out of co ...

, and even those martial art forms that trace its origins to

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and

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, Firkal is still very much a living martial art-based dance form, performed mainly by the Bhumij tribes of Chotanagpur area in

. At first sight, Firkal appears to be like any other warrior dance performed by African tribes. The dance recitals were originally enactments of hunting scenes and self-defence, the focus being mainly of raw macho courage. Over time, however, the evolving lifestyle of the Bhumjis has led to the modification of dance movements. Over time, the dance movements have changed into a leisurely, recreational exercise rather than a ritualistic demonstration of courage. These dance steps are variously known as ''Bagh Taal'' , ''Birsa Munda Taal,'' ''Pahalbani Taal, etc.'' denotes the courageous struggle experienced by the Bhumij community. The younger generation, however, seem to be unfamiliar with these dance steps. Firkal is still alive thanks a great deal to the efforts of Kalamandir—The Celluloid Chapter Art Foundation (TCCAF), a

Jamshedpur Jamshedpur (; ), also known as Tatanagar, is a major industrial city in eastern India. It is the List of cities in Jharkhand by population, largest city in the state of Jharkhand. With a population of 629,658 in the city limits and 1.3 million ...

-based NGO. For many years now, the organisation has been tirelessly working for the revival and promotion of Firkal. Today, Firkal survives in just one obscure village, Janumdih, of

East Singhbhum district East Singhbhum is one of the 24 districts of Jharkhand, India. It was created on 16 January 1990. More than 50% of the district is covered by dense forests and mountains, where wild animals once roamed freely. It is known for being a centre of ind ...

. A group of about 25 Bhumij tribal families here still hang on to the traditions of the discipline. Experts say Firkal is, in fact, a variation of ''Kirpan Susun'' (Kirpan means sword and susun dance), a traditional dance form among the Bhumij tribes of Chhotanagpur. The dance portrayals are mostly enactments of hunting scenes and self-defence.

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References

{{Reflist Folk dances of Jharkhand Culture of Jharkhand Bhumij

See also

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References