DMPQ- . Discuss India’s major folk dances.

Bihu

The Bihu dance is a folk dance from the Indian State of Assam related to the festival of Bihu. This Jogous dance is performed by both young men and women and is characterised by brisk dance steps, and rapid hand movement. Dancers wear traditionally colourful Assamese clothing.

Bhangra

Bhangra is a folk dance conducted by Punjab Sikh farmers to celebrate the coming of the harvest season. The folk dance has been popularised in the western world by Punjab.

Garba

Garba is a dance form that originated in the Gujarat region. Traditionally it is performed during the nine-day Hindu festival Navaratri. Either the lamp (the Garba Deep) or an image of the Goddess Durga is placed in the middle of concentric rings and the people dance around the centre, bending sideways at every step, their arms making sweeping gestures, each movement ending in a clap.

 

Jhoomar

Jhoomer is a folk dance performed during the harvest season in Punjab. It is slower and more rhythmic form of bhangara. Though the content of these songs is varied they are usually love with emotional songs too. The Jhoomar is a dance of ecstasy. The dance is performed in circle to the tune of emotional songs. Gidha is a popular folk dance of women in Punjab. Girls or women form a circle to start performing gidha. All of the them clap their hands and sing small couplets that are humorous and spoken in Punjabi language. Then two or three of them come to the centre and perform the dance. Normally, no musical instruments are accompanied with gidha, except sometimes a dholak.