COLORS OF INDIA

Much like the folk dances of North India, South Indian folk dances too, have historical and cultural significances. In fact, many of the dances practiced in the Southern part of the country resemble folk dances that are practiced in the North. For instance, ‘Mayil Attam’ of Tamil Nadu is similar to ‘Mayur Nritya’ of Uttar Pradesh and ‘Puliyattam’ is the Southern equivalent of ‘Baagh Naach’ of Odisha. Having said that, there are manydistinctive dance forms and those can only be seen in South India. Parai’ is a percussion instrument which is played using two wooden sticks. Since it is easy to carry, men folks perform acrobatic dance moves while playing the instrument. Performed in festivals and rituals, Parai Attam is one of the oldest folk dances of India and hence is considered important by the people of Tamil Nadu. Performed by women during certain festivals and rituals, Kummi is a unique dance form as it does not require the support of any musical instrument. Women form a circ...

Folk dances of  Assam , include the Bihu dance and the Bagurumba (both danced during festivals held in the spring), the Bhortal danceetc These cultures come together to create an  Assamese culture .                                                 Bagurumba Bagurumba is a folk dance in Assam which is performed by the  Bodos . It is the usually practiced during  Bwisagu , a Bodo festival in the  Vishuva Sankranti  (mid-April).  Bwisagu  begins with  cow worship ; then, young people reverentially bow down to their parents and elders.                                               BHORTAL DANCE Bhortal Nritya is known to have developed by Narahari Burha Bhakat. He was a we...

1 . The dalo  is an ancient Goan folk dance performed predominantly by women which combines dance, drama and music. Women dressed in colourful traditional saris stand in two rows, facing each other and dance to the tune of melodious folk songs. Once the harvest is cut and stored, the dalo is held at the village maand (sacred ground) on moonlit nights in winter (in the Hindu month of paush). 2.  Diwli Nach  is a dance performed during shigmo (spring festival celebrated close to holi) while balancing an oil-lamp with five lit wicks on the head without any support. The trick is not to tilt or topple the lamp during the dance. Though a great amount of concentration is required to perform this task, the dancers go about it very naturally and gracefully. 3.  Ghode Modni  is a war dance performed in North Goa. The dance is held during shigmo by men brandishing swords and wearing a hobbyhorse which gives them the appearance of riding horses. The dance is sai...

India is a land of varied cultures and traditions. Diversities in all spheres make the Indian culture quite unique. Indian folk and tribal dances are product of different socio-economic set up and traditions evolved over ages. In India, we have festivals and celebrations virtually every day, and dances are performed to express joy and festivity. This has added to the richness of Indian culture. Since every festival is accompanied by celebration, folk dances have become an integral part of our social milieu. There are numerous folk and tribal dances, and almost all of them have continuously evolved and improvised. Folk dances are performed for every possible occasion - to celebrate the arrival of seasons, birth of a child, a wedding and festivals, which are a plenty. So here I present to you folk dances in India