Folk Dances:Badhai (Madhya Pradesh), Dhali (West Bengal), Kalbelia (Rajasthan) and Kaavadi Chindu (Tamil Nadu)

Badhai (Madhya Pradesh), Dhali (West Bengal), Kalbelia (Rajasthan) and Kaavadi Chindu (Tamil Nadu) are a few of these folk dances that make us feel proud of our rich cultural heritage.

Badhai is a typical folk dance of Bundelkhand. The majority of the people of Bundelkhand believe in goddess Sheetala at the time of calamities such as flood, sickness and so on. On occasions like marriage or the birth of son, they beseech the goddess for her help and blessings and if their prayer is granted or wish fulfilled, both men and women go to goddess Sheetala and in tune with the rhythm of the folk musical instrument they perform various steps. This particular rhythm is also called "Badhai" and when it is played, men as well as animals are thrilled and they all start dancing. Even today one can come across in many villages, the mare (female horse) used for Badhai dance.

Dhali is another heroic folk dance of West Bengal. It originated and developed during the reign of Raja Pratapaditya. After winning the battle, the fatigued and exhausted soldiers started dancing with swords and shields in order to inspire themselves for the next war. Today this dance form has become modified with the participation of both men and women.

Kalbelia is a nomadic group from Rajasthan whose primary occupation was rearing snakes - extracting and trading in snake venom. ‘Been’ and ‘Daf’ are the traditional instruments of these people belonging to the ‘Nath’ sect. During social and ceremonial occasions folk songs are sung and the women dance inspired by the rhythmic beat of the ‘daf’ and the plaintive notes of the ‘been’ which highlights the unparalleled virtuosity of the dancers often reminiscent of the graceful and supple movements of the snake.

Kaavadi Chindu is a folk dance of Tamil Nadu. The devotees of Tamil God "Muruga" carry "Kaavadi" on their shoulder during temple festivals and they dance according to the rhythm of songs sung on God. The Kaavadi is made of wood and peacock feathers are tied at both ends. The Kaavadis are usually decorated with colourful clothes and the other instruments used are Thavil, Nadaswaram and Thappu.
a

No comments:

Popular Posts