Folk Dance Of Jharkhand
Jharkhand Ke Loknritya
Chhau dance
Chhau is the Apabhramsa of the Sanskrit pseudonym, which literally means shadow or mask. The birth place of this dance is Seraikela. From here this dance reached Mayurbhanj (Orissa) and Purulia (West Bengal). Presently this dance is divided into Seraikela, Mayurbhanj and Purulia styles. The use of mask is mandatory in Seraikela and Purulia styles. Whereas in Mayurbhanj style, mask is not used. The dance style of Mayurbhanj Chhau and Seraikela Chhau is almost similar.
In other folk dances of Jharkhand, there is only expression of emotion, no context is associated with it. Context is also associated with expression of emotion in Chhau dance. This episode is taken from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. The presence of the Guru is also mandatory for performing this dance. Chhau dance has every mode which makes it similar to classical dance. Hence it is considered a semi-classical dance.
This dance is patronized by the royal family of the princely state of Seraikela.This dance was first performed in Europe in 1938 by Prince Sudhendu Narayan Shahdev of Seraikela. After independence, the Bihar government patronized this dance and got it performed in the country and abroad. After the formation of Jharkhand, the Jharkhand government started Chhau festival and gave it the status of a state festival.
Chhau dance dance stream
The two streams of this dance are Hatiyar Dhara and Kali Bhang Dhara. In the Hatiyar stream, “Vir Ras” rasa predominates. It has predominance of Oja quality and it is more popular. “Shringar Ras” predominates in the Kali Bhang stream. This dance is different from other folk dances of the state.
Padma Shri to Chhau dancer
So far 7 Jharkhandi have received Padmashree award in the field of Chhau choreography. Sudhendu Narayan Singh (1992), Kedarnath Sahu (2005), Shyamcharan Pati (2006), Mangala Prasad Mohanty (2008), Makardhwaj Darogha (2011), Gopal Prasad Dubey (2012) and Shashadhar Acharya (2020).
Some Features of Chhau Dance
🪢 This dance is performed at night. This dance is performed in an open ground called Akhara or Asar.
🪢 There is no singing in Chhau dance and Chhau is a male dominated dance.
🪢 This dance is performed in Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal during the spring festival of Chaitra.
🪢 Martial Arts, Acrobatics, Athletes are performed through dance
🪢 It is a dance of both Sadan and Adivasi.
🪢 There is lack of Lasya Bhava and abundance of Tandava Bhava .
Other Important Chhau Dancers
💕 Prabhat Kumar Mahto – Famous Chhau Dancer.
💕 Sushmitacharan Paati – Daughter Of Padmahri Shyam Charan Paati
💕 Tapan Patnaik – It was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2022. They have played an important role in getting the status of state festival for Chhau festival. It is the residence of Seraikela Kharsawan district.
Glossary related to Chhau dance
a) Uflis – poses based on the daily routine of a village girl’s daily lif
b) Topkas – movements corresponding to the style of animals during the dance
d) Skilled artisans who make masks are called Mahapatra, Maharana or Sutradhar.
e) Chelis – movements corresponding to the style of birds during the dance.
Chhau Dance Institute
Chhau Kala Kendra Seraikela – Chhau Kala Kendra Seraikela was established in 1960 at Seraikela and Mayurbhanj
Manbhum Chhau Nritya Kala Kendra – This institute is located in Silli.
National Center For Chhau Dance- Made by Sangeet Natak Academi in Baripada, Orissa
Important facts related to chhau
1. This dance was presented in front of Mahatma Gandhi in 1941.
2. Bamnia Chhau Dance Festival is a dance festival held in West Bengal.
3. In Chhau dance, the Dhamsa instrument is used to express the war and the position of the soldier.
4. A special type of Chhau style has developed in the Khunti district of Jharkhand, which is known as “Singua Chhau”.
5. Chhau dance has been included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List (Intangible) published by UNESCO in 2010.
6. Purulia gets GI tag for Chhau mask. This mask is made from clay.
7. In the Chhau dance, out of the two expressions described in the Natya Shastra, the lack of Lasya Bhava and the abundance of Tandava Bhava is visible.
Paika dance
It is a vigorous dance practiced in Jharkhand. In this, heroic rasa is predominant. In this dance, the dancer dances in the costume of a soldier. It is a songless dance. This dance is performed without song, the dancers hold sword and shield in their hands. It is a male dominated dance. There is a combination of martial arts in this dance.
In this dance, the dancers wear a turban, in which the feather or peacock feather is attached, the turban essentially has a peacock feather or crest. In this dance, the dancers stay in pairs of five, seven or nine. This dance is found in both Sadan and Adivasi. The prevalence of this dance is found especially in the Munda community. Paika Dal of Jharkhand under the leadership of Ramdayal Munda was staged during the Festival of India held in Russia in 1987, due to which this dance was discussed abroad.
Natua dance
This is a popular dance among Sadano in Panchpargana region. It is derived from the word “Nat” which means dancer. This is a male dominated dance. In this dance, the confluence of makeup and heroic rasa is found. It is a solo dance performed by just one dancer. In this dance, the dancers wear a kalga (turban with feathers). In this, the dancer performs the battle with the enemy on the battlefield with his acrobatics.
Kali dance
It is a female dominated dance. This dance is also called “Nachni-Kheladi. The main dancer who performs this dance is called Kali or Kheladi. This dance is popular in Sadano. In this dance the confluence of Shringar Rasa and Bhakti Rasa is found. Radha-Krishna’s love affair song is prominent in this dance. In this dance, Kali wears a lot of makeup and special attention is paid to hair decoration, Kali wears a crown on her head.
Bhaduria Dance
This dance, popular among the Sadans, is performed in the fisherman festival in Bhado Sankranti. In this dance the daily life style of man is presented. In this festival an idol of Bhadu Devi is made and immersed. Khichdi is distributed as Prasad. In this dance only the man takes the form of a woman.
Jhumar dance
This is the dance of Sadano popular in Eastern India. Which is prevalent in Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Assam. This is a very popular dance in the tea garden region of Assam.The depiction of this dance is found in the Bhimbetka cave. It is a group dance performed at the time of harvesting. This dance is performed in open places. There are many types of this dance:-
a) Mardani Jhoomar – This is a male dominated Jhoomar dance. Mukund Nayak is the main artist of this dance. This dance is performed in the open ground at night.
b) Kariya Jhoomar – This is a female dominated Jhoomar dance. Women present this dance in parties. The woman at the forefront holds the kartal and leads the entire dance. The player of this dance is a man. The makeup of women is normal in this dance. This dance is also known as Janani Jhumar.
c) Bangla Jhumar- This Jhumar dance is performed collectively by both men and women, but men predominate. The female dancers do not dance in association with the men.
Angnai dance
This dance is called Angnai dance because it is performed in the courtyard. This is a female dominated dance. Angnai dance is performed in many forms like Chadhantari, Pahilsanjh, Adhartiya, Bhinsaria, Bihaniya, Udhauva, Thadiya, Lasua, Khemta, Raskrida, Dharhua. It is a dance of the rainy season which starts from the month of Ashadha and is performed till the Dev Uthan (Karthik) festival. Thapri raga (use of clap during dance-singing) is included in this dance.
Alkap dance
This dance is prevalent around the Rajmahal hills of Jharkhand and in Murshidabad and Malda districts of Bengal. This dance is performed to accompany the performance of the drama. There are one or two main singers in this dance and dance is performed by 10 to 12 dancers. Popular folk tales and mythological stories are recited in this dance-drama. Interspersed with humorous anecdotes called “Cup”. It is mainly performed in Shiv Gajan festival.
Jharkhand Ke Loknritya
Jharkhand Ke LoknrityaPART-1
Jharkhand Ke LoknrityaPART-2
Jharkhand Ke Loknritya PART-3
Jharkhand Ke Loknritya Part 4
