List of Indian folk dances

The Sutradhari (సూత్రధారి) is the most important actor in a Yakshagana, and plays multiple characters. Yakshaganam evolved into Harikatha, and they are considered synonymous. Their dances are similar; one person plays from excerpts from Palkuriki Somanatha, Srinatha, and others. Harikatha consists of samvaadam (సంవాదం; discussion), padyam (పద్యం; poetry), and daruvu (దరువు; rhythm). It typically begins with "భక్తజనులారా! వినండి హరికథ! వినగ వేడుక గలిగే" ("O devotees! Listen to this Harikatha and be delighted!") Those involved in Harikatha Kalakshepam (హరికథా కాలక్షేపం) are known as Harikatha Dasu (హరికథ దాసు) or Harikatha Bhagavatar (హరికథ భాగవతార్). In Andhra Pradesh, the first Harikatha artist is believed to have been Gokulapati Koormanathakavi (గోకులపాటి కూర్మనాథకవి) from the state's northern districts, who wrote and popularised the Mrityunjaya Vilaasam (మృత్యుంజయ విలాసం).[2]

(Rikhampada))/

Bihu dance

• Bihu[6][7]
• Bagurumba
• Bhortal dance
• Baidima[8]
• Goalini
• Jhumur
• Gumrag
• Oja pali
• Deodhani

• Bidesiya is a form of dance-drama that is believed to have been created by Bhikhari Thakur, a barber with a passion for drama.[9] It deals with social issues and conflict between traditional and modern, rich and poor.
• Domkach is performed in the bridegroom's house by women during a marriage ceremony.
• Phagua is a dance and also a type of folk song performed during Holi.
• Jat-Jatin is the most popular folk dance of North Bihar, especially in the Mithila. It is performed by a man and a woman; the man is going far away to work. The dance reflects poverty and sorrow.
• Jhijhiya is sung and danced during Durga Puja in the Mithila region. Folks dance with an earthen pot with holes that have a lamp inside in their heads. It is invoked to ward off evil as well.
• Jhumri is similar to Gujarat's Garba.
• Kajri is popular in Bihar's Bhojpuri-speaking region. It often describes a woman's longing for her lover as the black monsoon cloud hangs in the summer sky, and is sung during the rainy season.
• Paiki evokes the infantry's agility, courage, and excitement. Danced on flat ground, it highlights the dancers' weapon-handling ability.
• Sohar (A Maithili Folk Song) is sung and danced by women to celebrate the birth of a child.

Raut Nacha is a traditional folk dance usually done by Yadavs, a caste which considers itself descendants of Krishna, as an expression of worship. Performed for Dev Udhni Ekadashi (the gods' awakening after a brief rest), it resembles Krishna's raslila. Padwani Panthi Suwa dance is also folk dance.

• Deknni
• Dhalo
• Fugdi in a Goan folk dance performed by the women in the Konkan region during the Hindu religious festivals Ganesh Chaturthi and Vrata or near the end of other dances, such as Dhalo.[10][11]
• Khol
• Mussoll

Samayi Nrutya

Timli, a Gujarati folk dance performed by Adivasi children in Kaleshwari, Mahisagar

• Dandiya Raas is an energetic, vibrant dance which originated in Gujarat. Often called the "stick dance" because it uses polished sticks (dandiya), it represents a mock fight between the goddess Durga and the demon king Mahishasura. It is nicknamed "the sword dance" because the dandiya represent Durga's swords and are struck together.[12][13] The combination of garba and raas has become popular at the collegiate level in the United States, and garba-raas competitions are increasing in number. Popular competitions include Raas Chaos (in Washington D.C.),[14] and Raas Rodeo (in Austin, TX).
• Garba is customarily performed by both sexes, and sometimes includes the stick dance. With circular movements and rhythmic clapping, it is often performed during Navratri. Its name comes from garbha deep, which means "light in the inner temple" or "lamp in a perforated earthen pot" (often used in the dance).[12][15]
• The Tippani dance originated in the Chorwad region of Saurashtra. Working women take a wooden rod (sometimes tipped with iron at one end) and beat the floor with it.[16]
• The Padhar dance is performed by the Padhar community.

Nati is the traditional dance of Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur, Kullu and Shimla districts. The dance is listed in Guinness World Records as having "the greatest number of people attending and participating in a Nati dance lesson at a single venue".[17][18][19]

Dances in Haryana include:[20][21]

• Bharatnatyam is performed in the Mysuru region.
• Buta Kola (spirit worship) is usually practiced at night.
• Dollu Kunitha is a drum dance.
• Hulivesha is performed by men in the coastal region. The dancers are painted like tigers and perform like angry tigers.
• Kamsale, performed by devotees of Male Madeshwara on pilgrimages to the Biligiriranga Hills, is popular throughout the state.
• Kangilu, Mandal community spiritual dance.
• Kolata
• Lavani is performed in the northern border regions.
• Lingada Birana Kunitha is widespread in the southern parts of Karnataka state.
• Veeragase is performed by women. Based on Hindu mythology, it is performed during festivals primarily during the Hindu months of Shravana and Karthika.
• Yakshgana, the state dance, has a number of forms which vary from region to region.

The Jammu and Kashmir region is blessed with natural and cultural beauty. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has many folk dances performed on different occasions.

The main folk dance performed in the Jammu region are- Kud Dance, Chajja Dance, Crow Dance, Dogri Bhangra etc.

Dumhal is a ceremonial dance performed by men of the Wattal tribe. Dancers wear long, colourful robes and tall, conical caps studded with beads and shells. They move in a procession, carrying a banner. The banner is buried and the men dance, forming a circle, accompanied by singing and a drum.

• Jhumar is a popular dance, performed during the harvest season and its festival.
• Mardani Jhumar, a Nagpuri dance, is primarily performed by men.
• Janani Jhumar is a Nagpuri dance mainly performed by women.
• Domkach is a dance performed during a marriage ceremony by the bride and groom's family.
• Fagua is performed during the festival of Holi.[22]
• Paiki is a nagpuri martial dance.
• Chhau dance is a semi-classical Indian dance with folk traditions which originated in the eastern states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha. It has three styles, named for the locations where they are performed: Purulia Chau in Bengal, Seraikella Chau in Jharkhand, and Mayurbhanj Chau in Odisha.
• Firkal is a martial dance, performed in some parts of Jharkhand and Odisha.

Thirayattam dancers

• Duffmuttu is performed by the Muslim community. Originated by the Arabs, it is accompanied by Arabic music. The name Duffmuttu is attributed to a drum known as a daff or tap.
• Margamkali is performed by the state's Syrian Christians, primarily by women during marriage ceremonies.
• Oppana, another Muslim dance, is usually a bridal group dance performed the day before the wedding and is particularly popular on the Malabar Coast. Young female relatives of the bride sing and dance around her, clapping their hands.
• Theyyam is a form of ritual dance worship. Theyyam is derived from the Malayalam Daivam (god), and the dance is part of ritual, music, painting, sculpture, and literature. It is performed to worship the goddess Kali, often by men from the scheduled castes and tribes who have inherited the right to perform it.[23]
• Thirayattam, performed in northern Kerala, is part of theatre, music, satire, face and body painting, masking, martial art, and ritual. It is performed in South Malabar's kaavukal (sacred groves) and village shrines.[24][25]
• Thitambu Nritham is primarily performed by the Nambudiris of northern Kerala.[26]
• Ottan Thullal ("to jump about playfully") emerged during the 18th century and is a solo performance combining dance and recitation of tales from the Puranas in verse.
• Padayani is a ritual theatre art form associated with Goddess temples in Kerala's Central Travancore region. The Padayani rituals are performed at night in the temple premises to appease Goddess Bhadrakali, whose fury has not abated since her victory over a mythical demon named Darikan. Each festival lasts seven to 28 days, depending on the number of villages participating and organizing it. In Malayalam, Padayani is composed of the words Pada and ani, which mean a group of soldiers and rows, respectively. It is believed that Padayani was performed by warriors trained in Kalaripayattu to frighten their enemies from the southern part of Travancore. As a result, this art form can be traced back to Kalaripayattu's rich martial art heritage.[27]

Matki dancer at Jal Mahotsav 2016

• Grida dance - Performed when the rabi crops are in bloom, the dance continues from morning to evening by village groups. It has three phases:
  • Sela – Slow, stiff foot movements
  • Selalarki – The foot movements become faster.
  • Selabhadoni – As the tempo accelerates, hands and legs move vigorously.[28]
• The Matki dance is performed in the Malwa region, primarily for weddings. A veiled woman performs the dance with an earthen pot (matki) balanced on her head, sometimes joined by other women. Variations are the Aada and Khada Nach.[29]
• The Phulpati dance is performed by semi-rural, unmarried women in celebration of nature.[30]
• Tertali is a ritual dance performed by the Kamar tribe. It is generally performed by two or three veiled women who sit on the ground, sometimes with small swords clenched in their teeth and an ornamental pot on their heads. Manjira (small, metal cymbals) are tied to the body – primarily to the legs – and the dancers rhythmically strike them with a hand-held cymbal, accompanied by drums and singing.[31]

• Pavri Nach (or Tarpha Nach) is a Kokna tribal dance performed in the hills of north-western Maharashtra, accompanied by the tarpha or pavri: a wind instrument made from a dried gourd.[32]
• Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance which is performed to the dholki drum. Noted for its powerful rhythm and eroticism, Lavani has contributed to the development of Marathi folk theatre.the famous songs are अप्सरा आली, वाजले की बारा

[33] In Maharashtra and southern Madhya Pradesh, it is performed by women wearing nine-yard-long saris.[34] The songs are sung at a quick tempo.[34]

Chang Lo (also known as Sua Lua) is performed by the Chang Naga of Nagaland, originally to celebrate victory in war. It is presently a part of community celebrations, such as Poanglem, a three-day festival preceding the harvest. Costumes include the traditional Naga warrior and female finery.[35]

Garadi, a well-known dance in Puducherry, is performed at festivals. Its origin is a product of mythology; when Rama (hero of the epic Ramayana) defeated Ravana, the vanars (monkeys) danced to celebrate his victory. Garadi is usually performed for five to eight hours. Dancers wear vanar masks, carry sticks and wear ten chiming anjali (iron rings) as they dance, accompanied by singing and two large ramadolu drums.[39]

Maruni, also popular in Nepal, Darjeeling, Assam, Bhutan and Myanmar, is accompanied by musicians playing the Naumati Baja.[46] There are so many other dances like Ghantu dance,chu fauat,sikmari,Denzongcnenha, Khukhuri naach,chutkeynaach.

Perini Shivatandavam or Perini Thandavam is an ancient dance form which has been recently revived.[54]

Hojagiri is danced by the Tripuri reang(Bru) clan in Tripura. Four to eight women dance acrobatically, while men provide most of the music; the women sing in chorus. The dancers twist and turn, sometimes dancing on an earthen pitcher or balancing a bottle on their heads with a lighted lamp on it.[55]

Sangraing Dance is dance by the Mog community clan in Tripura. many boys and girls dance together and signging together.

The Raslila, danced in North India (primarily Uttar Pradesh), is based on the life of Krishna. Individuals and groups dance, accompanied by singing, chants and instruments. The audience claps and sings along, and the length of each performance varies.[56]

• Gambhira originated among the Hindu community of Malda, West Bengal. After the partition of India, Chapai Nawabganj District in Rajshahi became its centre.[57] Gambhira has undergone many changes in terms of the theme and style of its presentation. Muslims also became custodians of the dance, which became an integral part of their culture. Gambhira's themes include contemporary social problems and human weakness.
• Bengal, especially in Rajshahi, Murshidabad and Malda district and Jharkhand's Rajmahal hills. The song-and-dance performance is associated with the mid-April Gajan Shiva festival. The largely-improvised performances, presented on an open stage late at night under lantern light, feature ribald humour and audience participation. Each Alkap group consists of ten to twelve performers led by a sorkar (master). It includes two or three young male chhokras, one or two gayen (singers).[58]
• Domni, performed in Malda district, begins with prayers. Its dances are known as nachari or lachari. The plays are extracts from small events of everyday life, presented satirically. Due to social changes, domni is waning in popularity.
• Dhunuchi nritya is danced during the Durga Puja at Dussehra. Women and men wear traditional Bengali dress and dance with a mud pot filled with burnt coconut shavings in praise of Durga.

• Dance in India
• Folk dances of Sourashtra
• List of Indian classical dance and music events
• Indian classical dance

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