Dances of North East India
Vyas Ojapali
(Endangered Intangible Cultural Heritage of Assam)
Vyasa
Ojapali
is a rare and culturally significant form of ritual music associated with the
sun-worshipping Brahmin community of Sipajhar in the Darrang district of Assam.
Rooted in devotional expression, this tradition is currently sustained by only
three living maestros, rendering it an endangered facet of Assam’s Intangible
Cultural Heritage.
Performed exclusively by men as per community
custom, Vyasa Ojapali is traditionally presented during religious ceremonies
dedicated to Goddess Durga, Lord Shiva, and Lord Vasudeva. At the heart of the
performance is the Jagar Geet, a sacred chant believed to awaken the presiding deity. This is
followed by Malsi
Raag,
both rendered in a style that seamlessly blends devotion, narrative, and
musical sophistication.
Structurally, Vyasa Ojapali resembles a gāthā or ballad form,
with the epics sung in Assamese. It holds close parallels to the Gatha Saṃgīt tradition as
described in Sharangadeva’s seminal treatise, the Saṃgīt-Ratnākara, affirming its
classical and historic significance.
The lead performer, known as the Ojā or Maestro, sings
while holding a ritual instrument known as the mudurā or mudrā, which bears a
symbolic resemblance to the vajra employed by Tibetan
Vajrayāna Buddhists. The Ojā’s costume, too, reflects this connection.
Accompanying the Ojā are the Palis, who play
distinctive brass cymbals shaped in the likeness of a young girl’s breast and
dress in traditional dhuti-punjabi attire.
Efforts are currently underway to explore the
possibilities of a female ensemble taking up this tradition, marking a
significant and inclusive evolution in its practice. However, with its fragile
existence hinging on a handful of masters, Vyasa Ojapali urgently calls for
documentation, preservation, and revival to ensure that this spiritual and
artistic legacy continues to thrive for generations to come.
Dev-Nati Dance
(Photo courtesy: Dilip Kakoty, Pathsala)
In the sacred spaces of ancient Assam, temple dances
once flourished under the graceful artistry of dancers known as Dev-Nati—a term deeply
rooted in spiritual and cultural reverence. These dancers, often referred to as
"Apsaras" in classical
scriptures, embodied divine beauty and celestial grace. Their performances were
not merely artistic expressions but sacred offerings, harmonizing movement,
devotion, and myth.
Echoes of this tradition remain etched in stone—sculpted nymphs in
flight
can still be seen adorning the ruins of ancient temples, silently narrating
tales of a bygone era. However, during the colonial period, the British Company
deemed the Dev-Nati dance inappropriate and imposed a ban, thereby disrupting a
long-standing ritual art form.
In the post-independence era, only fragments of
this heritage—particularly those related to cosmetic rituals and
ceremonial adornment—were revived. Yet, the true essence of the Dev-Nati
dance,
known historically as the Apsara Nritya, survives in a
fragile lineage. Today, this endangered form is preserved by the descendants of
the original Dev-Nati dancers at the Dubi Temple near Pathsala, where it continues
to whisper the elegance of its sacred past.
Notably, many of the mudrās (hand
gestures)
used in this dance are identical to those found in the archaeological
relics of Assam’s ancient temples, offering a profound visual continuity between
performance and architecture. Once believed to be performed by Gandharvas and
Vidyadharas, the Dev-Nati dance remains a significant, though fading,
symbol of Assam’s intangible cultural heritage.
Bihu Dance of Assam
The Bihu Dance, or Bihunach,
is one of India’s most captivating and spirited folk dance traditions, emerging
from the lush cultural heart of Assam. Performed
predominantly during the festival of Bohag Bihu, which celebrates
the Assamese New Year and the onset of spring, this vibrant art form reflects
the agrarian spirit, youthful energy, and aesthetic sensibility of the Assamese
people.
Bihu is a dance of
joyous expression, where young men and women perform in groups
to celebrate life, love, and fertility. Women enter with elegance, forming
graceful patterns, while men accompany with resonant musical instruments such
as the Bihu-dhol, penpa, toka, and gogona. The dancers move
to the pulsating rhythm of a prototypical 3.5-beat tala, echoing the Khemta Tal of Hindustani
music. The characteristic steps—marked by rolling toes, waist twists, spins, and graceful postures—are performed with
captivating charm and perfect rhythm.
The traditional attire plays a vital role
in the visual richness of Bihu. Women wear Riha, Mekhela, and
Blouse,
often woven in exquisite Muga silk, adorned with
fragrant Assamese
flowers
and handcrafted
traditional ornaments such as Junbiri, Thuria, and Dholbiri. Men dress in Dhuti, traditional
shirts, and carry the red-patterned Bihuwan and Tongali.
Beyond the movements
lies the soul of Bihunam—timeless Bihu songs—overflowing with lyrical excellence, tender emotions, and metaphors rooted in
love, longing, and agrarian life. Some 5,000 such songs have been documented, though
thousands more remain orally preserved.
With its profound
emotional depth, ritual significance, and lyrical beauty, the Bihu Dance is not merely a
folk celebration—it is Assam’s living poetry in motion, reflecting a deep
connection between land, people, and joy.
Bagurumba Dance
(A Graceful Tribute to Nature and Culture)
The
Bagurumba dance is a cherished traditional folk dance of the Bodo community in Assam, northeastern India. Deeply rooted in
nature, this elegant art form is often referred to as the “butterfly dance,” as its movements evoke the gentle fluttering of
butterflies. Symbolizing freedom,
grace, and harmony with the environment, Bagurumba is more than a performance—it is a visual expression
of the Bodo people's close bond with the natural world.
Primarily
performed by Bodo women, the dance is marked by rhythmic, flowing movements
that reflect both joy and serenity. It is most prominently featured during Bwisagu, a major Bodo festival celebrated in mid-April to mark the beginning of the New Year and the
arrival of spring. Bagurumba becomes a vibrant part of this festivity,
embodying the communal spirit and cultural pride of the Bodo people.
The
performance is accompanied by a range of traditional musical instruments, including the kham (a long drum), sifung (bamboo flute), jota (iron clapper), serja
(bow-shaped instrument), and gongona (a bamboo sound-producing device). Together,
these instruments create a rich, earthy rhythm that enhances the lyrical beauty
of the dance.
Beyond
its aesthetic appeal, Bagurumba
holds profound cultural significance, preserving indigenous identity and oral traditions. It remains
a powerful symbol of the Bodo community's resilience, harmony, and
reverence for nature,
and continues to be passed down with pride across generations.
The Peacock Dance of the Tai Khamti
(A Graceful Legacy of Myth and
Movement)
The Tai Khamti community of Arunachal Pradesh
preserves a vibrant and deeply expressive tradition through their iconic Peacock Dance—an ancient and graceful
performance that reflects their reverence for nature and mythology. Inspired by
the mythical half-man, half-peacock beings of their folklore, this dance
captures the delicate beauty and symbolic elegance of the peacock, a creature
held in high esteem within their cultural imagination.
Performed with poised, fluid movements, the dance
exudes an air of quiet majesty. Each gesture and motion is meticulously crafted
to mirror the refined grace of the mythical bird, rendering the performance
both visual poetry and spiritual expression.
As a form of dance drama, the Peacock Dance is not
merely a physical performance but a narrative art, offering a window into the
worldview, aesthetics, and spiritual values of the Tai Khamti Buddhists. Passed
down across generations, it stands as a living embodiment of their intangible
cultural heritage, echoing a timeless connection between myth, nature, and
identity.
The Panung Dance of the Adi
Community
(A Circle of Song, Spirit, and
Harvest)
The Panung dance is a cherished folk
tradition of the Adi community of Arunachal Pradesh, performed with heartfelt
devotion before the harvest season. Rooted in agrarian life, the dance is both
a ritual and a celebration—offering prayers for abundant crops and the collective
well-being of the community.
The dance is performed in a circle, where women move
gracefully in rhythmic steps, either with hands on each other’s shoulders or
joined together, forming a unified ring. At the heart of this circle stands a male figure known as
the "Miri", who leads the group by singing traditional songs that form the
sole musical accompaniment. These folk songs are deeply evocative, recounting
the origins
of the harvest, ancestral tales, and the cultural memory of the community.
The Miri also plays a unique instrument called the Yoksha, shaped like a
sword and adorned with loose iron discs that produce a gentle rattling sound
when waved. This musical element adds a subtle, percussive rhythm to the
performance, enhancing its sacred and festive ambiance.
Marked by simplicity, grace, and cultural
depth,
the Panung dance embodies the intimate relationship between the Adi people and
their land. It stands as a living expression of unity, tradition, and seasonal
gratitude in one of India’s most vibrant indigenous cultures.
Nongkrem Dance
(A Sacred Autumn Thanksgiving of
the Khasi)
The Nongkrem Dance
Festival, also known as Ka Pomblang Nongkrem,
is a deeply revered five‑day autumn ritual of the Khasi community, held
annually in Smit, near Shillong, Meghalaya. This profound festival expresses heartfelt gratitude to Ka Blei Synshar,
the Goddess of fertility and harvest, and seeks her blessings for prosperity
and communal well‑being.
At the festival’s
heart lies the Pomblang ceremony, led by the Syiem of Khyrim
and the high priest. They perform the oblation ritual by sacrificing a cock—and
often goats—to Lei Shyllong, the deity of
Shillong Peak, and make offerings to ancestors and clan deities.
Following the sacred
rites, the Shad Nongkrem dance unfolds. Dozens of unmarried maidens
grace the courtyard in radiant jainsem
attire, bright traditional silk draped with silver crowns and floral ornaments,
performing measured, graceful steps within a central circle. Around them, youthful men
enact a vigorous counter‑dance—with swords in one hand and white yak‑hair
whisks in the other—moving dynamically to the pulsating rhythms of drums and
haunting tangmuri pipes.
This festival is not only a cultural spectacle but a
living, multidimensional expression of Khasi spirituality, social identity, ritual practice, and artistic heritage. It epitomizes the
community’s matrilineal traditions and their enduring bond with nature and
ancestry. Therefore, the Nongkrem Dance merits earnest
consideration for inscription in UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible
Cultural Heritage—ensuring its recognition, preservation, and transmission for
future generations.
The Rhythmic Splendor of Pung
Cholom from Manipur
(Echoes in Motion)
Pung
Cholom, often hailed as
the “roar of the drums,” is a sublime fusion of rhythm, devotion, and martial
agility that forms a vibrant core of Manipur’s rich cultural tapestry. This
unique dance form, rooted in the sacred tradition of Manipuri Sankirtana, is
both a musical performance and a kinetic offering—where drumming becomes dance
and dance becomes prayer.
In Pung Cholom, performers wield the pung—a
two-faced hand drum suspended from the neck—with astonishing dexterity. As they
strike its surface in complex rhythmic patterns, their bodies unfold in fluid
yet powerful movements. The dance begins with gentle, meditative steps and
gradually ascends to a crescendo of energy, where dancers execute leaps,
mid-air spins, and martial flourishes drawn from Manipur’s ancient combat
forms, Thang-Ta and Sarit Sarak.
What sets Pung Cholom apart is its extraordinary
harmony of body, rhythm, and spirit. The dancers must maintain balance, timing,
and grace while producing precise beats, creating a spectacle that is at once
mesmerizing and reverent. The visual poetry of swirling white dhotis, spinning
bodies, and resonant drums transforms this performance into an offering of pure
devotion.
More than entertainment, Pung Cholom is a spiritual
discipline, an embodiment of Manipuri identity, and a living heritage passed
through generations. With institutions like the Lianda Folk & Classical
Academy championing its transmission, this remarkable art form continues to
inspire awe—celebrating the eternal dialogue between rhythm, movement, and
divine expression.
Cheraw Dance
(The Rhythmic Heartbeat of Mizo
Heritage)
The Cheraw Dance, often referred to
as the Mizo
Bamboo Dance, is a vibrant traditional performance that occupies a cherished
place in the cultural identity of the Mizo people of Mizoram, India. Renowned for its
intricate coordination and graceful movement, the dance beautifully symbolizes unity, rhythm, and
cultural continuity.
Performed typically during festivals and special
occasions—most notably the Chapchar Kut Festival—the dance involves six to eight male
performers who rhythmically clap pairs of bamboo poles placed horizontally
on the ground. To this dynamic rhythm, young female dancers elegantly step in
and out between the moving bamboos with remarkable precision, creating a
mesmerizing interplay of motion and sound.
The dancers wear traditional Mizo
attire,
including the Thina,
Vakiria,
Kawrchei,
and Puanchei—vividly
colored garments that reflect the aesthetic richness of Mizo textile
traditions. The visual harmony of the dancers’ attire with the rhythmic beat of
the bamboo offers both a festive spectacle and a deep cultural expression.
More than just a performance, the Cheraw Dance is a living
testament to the resilience and grace of the Mizo community, serving as a profound
reminder of their ancestral heritage and communal spirit.
The Hornbill Dance of Nagaland
(A Tribute to Grace, Strength,
and Cultural Unity)
The Hornbill Dance is one of the most
emblematic traditional dances of Nagaland, performed in reverence to the
hornbill bird—an esteemed symbol in Naga culture. Representing devotion, beauty,
strength, and grace, the hornbill holds a revered place in the collective
imagination of the Naga people.
This ceremonial dance captures the majestic flight and
feeding gestures of the male hornbill, as well as the protective instincts
of the mother hornbill guarding her nest. Through expressive movements and rhythmic
patterns, the dancers evoke the life and spirit of this magnificent bird,
transforming it into a vivid symbol of fertility, unity, and harmony.
Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the Hornbill Dance
serves a deeper purpose—it is a celebration of life and
community
and an important medium for the preservation and transmission of
Naga Intangible Cultural Heritage. Performed during festivals and community
gatherings, it reinforces traditional values while offering a vibrant display
of artistic devotion.
Cham Dance
(A Sacred Masked Performance of
Vajrayāna Buddhism)
Cham
dance
is a sacred and visually evocative masked dance deeply rooted in the ritual
traditions of Vajrayāna Buddhism, particularly practiced in the Himalayan
regions. This spiritually charged performance often portrays episodes from the
life of the 9th-century Nyingmapa master Guru Padmasambhava, alongside other
revered saints and mythological figures.
Adorned in vibrant and elaborate costumes, dancers
don intricately crafted masks representing deities, demons, and spiritual
archetypes. Moving in a distinctive counter-clockwise pattern, the performers
embody narratives that reflect ancient legends and profound teachings from
Buddhist philosophy.
Set on an open stage, the Cham dance is accompanied
by a powerful sounds-cape—an immersive blend of resonant drumbeats, trumpets,
longhorns, and the rhythmic chanting of mantras. This fusion of movement,
costume, and music creates an atmosphere that is both theatrical and
transcendental, aiming not merely to entertain but to purify, protect, and
spiritually uplift both the performers and the audience.
Cham thus serves as a living conduit of Buddhist symbolism, a moving meditation, and a communal celebration of spiritual heritage.
The Enchanting Hojagiri Dance of Tripura
(Grace in Balance)
The Hojagiri dance of Tripura stands as a
captivating testament to the cultural finesse and deep-rooted spiritual ethos
of the Reang (Bru) community. Performed exclusively by women and young
girls—often as young as four to six years of age—this vibrant folk tradition is
a celebration of grace, endurance, and devotion, set against the rhythm of
agrarian life and natural harmony.
A unique feature of the Hojagiri dance lies in its
mesmerizing display of balance and restraint. The dancers, adorned in
traditional attire, stand atop clay pitchers while deftly balancing bottles on
their heads and holding lighted clay lamps in their hands. Remarkably, only the
lower half of their bodies moves to the lilting tunes of bamboo flutes,
cymbals, clappers, and traditional songs, while their torsos remain
still—transforming the performance into a delicate dance of discipline and
elegance.
Traditionally performed during Lakshmi Puja or
following the Hojagiri and Durga Puja festivals, the dance is a symbolic
offering to deities and nature alike. It evokes fertility, prosperity, and the
sanctity of the harvest, thus reaffirming the community’s spiritual and
ecological bond with the land.
The Hojagiri dance is not merely a spectacle; it is a living expression of Reang identity, resilience, and reverence for cultural continuity.
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