North Eastern Folk- a Paradise unexplored (by Proma Bhattacharjee)

Few days back I came across an advertisement promoting North Eastern tourism, the ad called North Eastern India the “paradise unexplored”.

Paradise or not but these sister states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghlaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland , Tripura and also Sikkim are very much a part of India and definitely unexplored. Geographically, the hilly and picturesque terrain of these states definitely has a claim to be a tourist paradise but they are also among the most backward regions of our country.

          The region has a high concentration of tribal population. The states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland are mostly inhabited by a number of native tribes. Each tribe has its own distinct tradition of art, culture, dance, music and life styles.

           When it comes to folk dances, the north east is definitely paradise. These are mostly tribal dances marking almost every occasion of their daily lives.                            

          Lets begin with Arunachal Pradesh . The dances performed by the tribes of this state are mainly divided in four categories- the Ritual dances and Festive dances which are performed during a particular festival. The Recreational dances which are performed to express mirth through dance and the last type is the Dance -drama which are used to narrate a mythical story or illustrate a moral.

The Wancho dance is performed by the Wancho tribes during festivals and ceremonies. TheKhampti dance is a folk dance performed by the Khampti community to narrate a mythical story and impart moral lesson to viewers. The Buiya dance of the Digaru Mishmis is a festive dance performed for the prosperity of the performer and his household. Ponung dance is the famous folk dance of Adi tribal people. This is performed by women for good harvest and welfare of the village community.

             Tripura is a small state but has rich cultural heritage of 19 different communities. Each community has its own dance form, most popular among them are:-

Cheraw Dance
The Darlong community strongly believes that man is destined to go to heaven after his/her death. Incidentally, they think that if a pregnant woman dies due to some reason, she feels it very difficult, with all her physical strains, to go the long journey to heaven. Hence, at the last stage of the pregnancy or immediately prior her delivery, all her relatives gather together & perform this `Cheraw` dance, throughout the day and night. This is a group dance performed in order to instill confidence in the mind of the pregnant woman.
People practicing this dance, strongly believe in their faith and feel that even if the woman dies at this stage, it will be possible for her to go heaven with the courage and confidence. It is performed using the sound of bamboo as the rhythm and if the sound continues till her death, it is assured to give her relaxation.
Way (Lamp) Festival Dance 
The traditional dance of the Mog community is known as a `Way Dance` or `Lamp Dance`. `Way` is a name of festival that is celebrated on the day of full moon of the month in Ashvin. Lamps are dedicated to the Lord Buddha, which are lighted on this day itself. The young boys and girls stand in rows with lamps in their hand to worship the Lord Buddha, while indulging in fun & enjoyment through songs and dance. This dance is performed in the premises of the Buddha temple and is like a token of their respect towards God.
Lebang Boomani Dance
Lebang is the name of a colourful insect, which comes in the search of seeds to hill slopes before monsoon. By this folk dance and music people attract the insects from their hiding place and catch them.

Garia Dance: The life of the people of Tripura revolves around Jhum culture, which also known as the shifting cultivation. The people sow the seeds for the cultivation of crops and then they pray for a good future ahead to their `Garia` god for a happy harvest. The celebration is attached to the Garia Puja that lasts about for seven days, where they seek to entertain their beloved deity with song and dance, which is also known as the Garia dance.

The Wangala Dance and Wak Wak dance is also performed to celebrate harvest and cultivation.

            The most popular folk dance form of Assam, is the Bihu Dance . Bihu dance is mostly performed during Bihu festival .This folk dance cuts through all the religious, caste and class barriers of the different kinds of people living in Assam.
Bihu Dance is performed during the festival celebrated thrice annually. Rongali Bihu , the biggest festival of Assam, is celebrated in the mid of April. Bhogali Bihu is celebrated during mid of January and Kangali Bihu is done in the mid of October.     

            

              I had initially intended to include all of North eastern folk in one article but it is nearly impossible owing to the huge variety this part of Indian culture presents and also is unfair to their rich heritage which deserves a proper mention. Therefore next week I will continue with Northeastern folk and the various rituals and beliefs attached with it.