A land of diverse tradition and culture, India is a beautiful country to be a part of! Every state in India is known for its unique culture that is evident in different art forms of the region. When it comes to music and dance, almost every region of India offers us something specific and unique. The dance and music of the region can very well be said to be the beautiful expression of the many communities and their traditions.
One very beautiful example of the richness and diversity of culture and varied ethnicity in India happens to be the folk dances, which have beautifully survived the taste of time; and in spite of the touch of modernization into every single thing, it has continued to withstand over the years. Different regions in India takes pride in different forms of folk dances each of which bears a special significance. Like the other parts in India, Eastern India has been home to some hundred years old tradition of folk dances. The Folk Dances of Eastern India reflects the tradition of the region. The essence of these folk dances is the rawness present in them. Be it the Chhau of Bihar, Bihu of Assam, Dalkhai of Orissa or Brita Dance of West Bengal, each of the eastern India folk dances takes you to the deep sited traditions and beliefs of the diverse cultural groups. So with Folk Dances of Eastern India: Unfold the mystical charm!
Chhau (Bihar)
Among the popular folk dances in Bihar, Chhau dance portrays virility and vitality. Derived from the Sanskrit term ‘Chhaya’ that means shade, Chhau means mask. Masks play an important role in this dance form of India that makes extemsive use of steps from a system of exercise known as ‘Pharikhanda’. Chhau performers are seen holding shields and swords as they perform.
That which forms a major aspect of this folk dance in India is the 3 important elements from classical dance, Raga (melody), Tala (rhythmic timing) and Bhava (mood). The dance form portrays the animal world and nature that are confirmed with different forms like Sarpa Nritya (serpent dance), Sagara Nritya (ocean dance) and Mayura Nritya. Themes from everyday life and mythology also form a part of the Chhau dance.
Unlike many other forms of Indian dances, Chhau dance is about vitality and robustness. Powerful and poetic happens to be the body language. People believe that on the 25th day of the month of Chaitra, Lord Shiva invoked this dance and that is how the dance form began. The leading exponents of this mostly men dominated form of art, Chhau are royal princes in Mayurbhanj, the rabble and Purulia farmers, tillers etc.
The main base to the Chhau tunes is provided by the Hindustani ragas of music. The musical instruments that accompany the dance are Nagara, Dhol and Sehnais. The dance lasts for about 7-10 minutes.
Brita Dance (West Bengal)
The abode of thinkers, poets and artists, West Bengal also happens to be the home of traditional folk dances. Vrita or Brita dance happens to be among the important folk dances in Bengal. Usually performed by women in rural areas, the dance takes place at the temple premises for appeasing the deities and invoking blessings. One of the popular beliefs concerning the dance is that when any wish is fulfilled, the Brita dance then performed out of gratitude. Also, following the recovery of any contagious disease such as small pox, the dance is performed.
Dalkhai (Orissa)
Performed mostly in the Sambalpur District in the state of Orissa and other districts such as Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, by the tribal women of Binjhal, Mirdha, Sama, Binjhal, etc the ‘Dalkhai’ happens to be a virile dance that is rendered at the time of festivals. The women in the dance are given company by men who play on the musical instruments. The drummers are often seen joining the dance. Several musical instruments are played such as Dhol, Nisan, Tasa, Tamki and Mahuri. Though the main occasion for the dance happens to be Dusserah yet this famous folk-dance of western Orissa is also performed during festivals like Phangun Puni, Bhaijauntia, Nuakhai etc. The Dalkhai dance has been named so because the beginning and the concluding stanzas uses this word for addressing a girl friend.
The songs of the dance represent episodes from Mahabharata and Ramayana, love stories of Radha and Krishna, descriptions of sceneries etc. The women are dressed in Sambalpuri Saris and scarf and of course the traditional jewelry. The Dalkhai dance has many adjunctive forms such as Rasarkeli, Gunji kuta, Mayalajada, Jamudali, Jhulki, Sainladi, Banki etc. Dalkhai basically happens to be a secular form.
Goti Puas (Orissa)
All credit goes to the pioneering efforts of Raja of Khurda in Orissa, Ramchandradeva following which in the 6th century, Goti Pua (or boy dancers) came into existence. Ramachandradeva offered refuge to those Mughal soldiers, whom the Afghan troops defeated. Hence Ramachandradeva was quite liked by Mughal Emperor Akbar and also designated as King of Orissa or Gajapati, with loyalty towards the Mughal Emperor.
He was also the Superintendent at the Puri Jagannath temple. During his time, devadasis and maharis became very popular owing to the patronization by the court. An enlightened and sensitive man, it was the initiative of Ramachandradeva that resulted in goti puas coming into being.
Another reason for the emergence of the goti puas could be that the Vaishnavas strongly disapproved women dancing just for a false reason of. Hence as a solution to this problem, the tradition of boys dancing by dressing themselves as girls, came to be introduced.
The term goti means ‘one’ or ‘single’ while Pua means ‘boy’. However, this dance is executed in pairs always. Boys start dancing from the age of 6 and continue performing till the age of 14 after which some become the dance teachers while others join the drama troupes.
At present the goti puas belongs to professional teams called dals that is led by one Guru. Initially the boys are made to learn the very basic of the dance techniques after which they are taught the dance items, expressional and ornamental.
“Bandha”, one among the demanding aspects of the dance forms in the state of Orissa consists of complicated body positions and contortions – this forms the domain of the goti puas. A goti pua dance generally begins with Bhumi Pranam that is a salute of honor to the Mother Earth and concludes with a Bidahi Sangeet, which happens to be a farewell dance and song item. The complete performance continues for about 3 hours.
Three musicians playing gini or cymbals, pakhawaj and harmonium accompany a goti pua performance. The singing is done by the boys only, most of the times. The goti pua dance performance is very organized and consists of items such as Bhumi Pranam, Panchadevta Puja and Battu. At the time of Chandan Jatra festival, the goti puas perform in front of the deities at Narendra Sarovar, a sacred tank located in Puri.
Presently the goti pua dals that have survived are generally found in the villages. Some of well-known groups come from places like Raghurajapur and Dimirisena near Puri, and Darara, close to Bhubaneswar.
Bihu, Assam
Associated with the Bihu Festival of Assam, Bihu is a popular folk dance in the region that marks the coming of New Year. Young women and men both perform the Bihu dance in their traditional Assamese attires. Generally performed under the open areas like tress and other natural surroundings, Bihu happens to be the dance of quick steps with rhythmic movements of hips and arms and specific movements of shoulders and chest. Particular songs ranging from themes of love to village life and greeting the New Year, accompanies the Bihu folk dance in Assam.
Cheraw Dance, Mizoram
Popularly known as the Bamboo Dance, Cheraw is mainly performed by the different tribes from Mizoram. At almost every festive occasion, the dance form is performed. Such dance forms are well-known in the Phillipines and the Far East. So it is quite possible that the Cheraw dance may have got a foreign origin and it came to be popular in Mizoram during the time of migration. Long poles made of Bamboo are put 1 at each end across the logs, fitted on the ground. A person holds each of the pole pairs at each of the ends. Many a times several of the similar pairs are put parallel to one another while sometimes the pairs are laid in crosses. As the bamboos are struck to each other and the logs, the dancers dance to the rhythm of the music. They jump in and out of the bamboos, thereby avoiding getting caught amidst the bamboos. Mostly young girls and women put in their traditional attires and execute the dance, thereby weaving beautiful patterns making their way through the bamboos. The steps are often the mimic of the bird movements and other similar actions. The particular folk dance of Eastern India demands fast and precise footwork since its gets even faster as it continues to proceed!
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