Dhan Nach () / ''Yalang'' (

Limbu Limbu may refer to: * Limbu people, an indigenous tribe living in Nepal, Sikkim (India) and Bhutan ** Limbu language, their Sino-Tibetan language *** Limbu script **** Limbu (Unicode block) * Rambahadur Limbu Rambahadur Limbu, (; 8 July 1939 � ...

: Yalang) or ( English: Paddy dance) is a traditional

folk dance, which originated in the

Limbuwan Limbuwan is an area of the Himalayan region historically made up of 10 Limbu kingdoms, now part of eastern Nepal. Limbuwan means "Yakthung Laaje" or "Land of the Limbu speaking people". Limbuwan was incorporated into the Kingdom of Nepal by mea ...

region of

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. It is performed by people from Limbu (Yakthung) communities, native to

Eastern Nepal The Eastern Development Region ( Nepali: पुर्वाञ्चल विकास क्षेत्र, ''Purwānchal Bikās Kshetra'') was one of Nepal's five development regions. It is also known as Kirata region. It was located at the ...

as well as

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...

Kalimpong Kalimpong is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The region comes under Gorkhaland Territo ...

and

Sikkim Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...

regions of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The dance is accompanied by a folk song known as '' Palam''.

Etymology

''Dhan Nach'' in Nepali translates to paddy dance (''Dhan'' translates to paddy, ''nach'' translates to dance). The dance is also commonly known as ''Yalang.'' It is known by multiple names in Limbu communities according to their languages. In Chhathare Limbu language, it is known as ''Chalakma''. In Panthare Limbu language, it is known as ''Yalakma''. In every language, the name of the dance translates to paddy dance.

Origin mythology

According to local legend, there was a drought in a village and people were dying of starvation. Then ''Makcharepu'' (Limbu: ; ), a bird brought some seeds of ''Khaiya'' type of paddy and gave it to the villager to cultivate it. The villager did so and received a fruitful harvest. But the birds started eating most of the harvest. The villagers tried to shoo the bird away but the birds demanded the harvest since they were the ones who brought the seed. The villagers were unable to refute to that claim and agreed. The birds would directly eat the rice as soon as it was thrashed. So, the people started to loudly shout " ''Ha... Ha... Ha..''." to scare away the birds, which later became the rhythmic ''Palam'' song. While singing Palam, the people would hold hand dance over the paddy harvest which would separate the husk away from the rice. After which, the people started performing ''Dhan Nach'' every year during the month of

Mangsir Mangsir () is the eighth month in the Bikram Samwat, the official Nepali calendar. This month coincides with the mid-November to mid-December of the Gregorian calendar. Important events during this month include: *Mangshir purnima (Full Moon), U ...

Tradition

The dance is performed during multiple occasions such as marriage, festivals such as

Udhauli Udhauli () is a festival of the Kirat communities of Kirati people specially celebrated by Sunuwar, Limbu, Yakkha, Khambu Rai etc. of Nepal, India and other different countries around the world where these indigenous people (Kirati People) res ...

, carnivals and celebrations. It can be performed in pairs or in groups. It is performed by men and women without any blood relations holding hands and dancing either in a straight line or a circulus. Historically, the dance was performed for seven days and seven nights. In recent days, the dance is on the verge of extinction with young people's lack of participation. However, various cultural organizations are raising awareness for preservation and promotion of this dance form.

In popular media

In 2021, a short film titled ''Kheda'' was released to raise awareness about the dance form.

References

{{Reflist Dance in Nepal Nepalese folk dances Limbu culture Culture of Sikkim Culture of Koshi Province

Etymology

Origin mythology

Tradition

In popular media

See also

References