North Eastern Folk-a Paradise Unexplored (Part 2) (by Proma Bhattacharjee)

When I was asked to write this column I had inquired with the editor of Artlemi the word limit of each article and he had quite gallantly told me that there is no limit, I can make it as lengthy as I wish. But Arka I have to tell you and all my readers that now I am having a hard time deciding where exactly to stop because I have so much to write that I fear that I will end up writing an epic. I will try to make this article as concise and to the point as possible but if it ends up as an epic kindly feel free to thrash our editor.

          Continuing with North Eastern folk , we had already talked about Arunachal  Pradesh, Tripura and Assam. The other five states are not very different from them in cultural and demographical stand. Most of the population is tribal and they too perform these dances during festivals and harvest seasons.

         Most of the dances in Mizoram and Meghalaya are festival oriented. These are mostly group dances which express the enthusiasm and cheerful mood of the people. The drum is an important musical accompaniment in their dances. Mizoram has 10 important dances that celebrate life in all its richness with a delightful radiance that is so integral to the Mizo ethos.Main among them are :- the Cheraw dance of the Mizo community is similar to that of Tripura. They too use bamboos for this dance and it is considered to be the most cheerful and colourful dance of the Mizos .

Another important dance form of Mizoram is Khuallam dance. Khuallam is also known as `dance of the guests` and it is performed at the time of ceremony called `Khuangchawi`.

Nongkrem dance is an important dance form of Meghalaya performed during the Nongkremfestival. This is traditionally a tribal dance performed by the Khasi tribes. There is no age limit of participating.
The Nongkrem dance festival is a multipurpose event. With the reason of this event, all tribes of this hilly region area people meet together from their scattered hamlets. They strongly believe in, group prayers or community gathering. Through this dance performance, all these people offer their thankfulness to the gods for a bountiful harvest. They also pray to nature to keep up the timely delivery of rain and ward off evil disasters.

            Manipuri Dance is famous dance form in India which is considered to be at league with the greatest classical forms like Bharatnatyam and Odissi. But Manipur also boasts of folk dance forms which are equally enchanting though little obscure. Manipuri dances, whether the classical ones or the folk dances, are all devotional in nature. These were originally only performed in temples and it yet continues to form an integral part of the religious and social fabric of Manipur. The people of Manipur are very religious and are exclusively attached to the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna, who are often the main characters depicted in Manipuri folk dances.

The Pung Cholom is folk art form with a combination of sound and movements, which sometimes demand acrobatic abilities & stamina. It is an annual ritual festival of the Meitei Manipuris living in the valley of Manipur.
The Nupa dance or Nupa Pala is also known as Kartal Cholom or Cymbal Dance performed with a cymbal or mandira., in a group, only by the men folk. This dance represents the unique Manipuri style of dance and music, where the performers sing and dance to the rhythm of thePung. The movements involved in this dance are soft, gentle and serene during the initial stage; however, it gradually gathers momentum in it. Generally, the Nupa dance acts as a prologue or an introductory dance to the Raslila however; it can also be performed in connection with religious rites.

Manipuri dance also boasts of being a very colourful dance with the most beautiful costumes for both men and women. The Khamba Thaibi dance is a clear example. This dance is a duet performance describing the story of a poor and brave lad of the Khuman clan of Khamba, who fell in love with Thaibi, a princess of Moirang.
           Folk Dance of Nagaland forms the main component of the traditional culture of the people of Nagaland in India. Folk dances of Nagaland are performed mainly in a synchronized manner in groups by men as well as women, based on the kind of dance. Dances are generally performed in religious and festive occasions. Mainly the Naga men perform war dances. This dance is martial and athletic in style. All the folk dances of Nagaland are performed along with war cries and songs by the dancers. The Zeliang tribes and  the Zemis tribe. The former have choreographed their dance is form of battle. No musical accompaniment is there in the folk dances since the shouts and chants made by the dancers offer a suitable musical background. Characterized by great vigor, steps of dashing spears and stances of attack with styled positions, it is an outstanding performance which can only be performed by the Nagas.  The Zemis belonging to the North Cachar hills possesses several forms of dances performed on a number of ceremonies, and each of the dances possess a separate name. These dances are sometimes segregated with regard to the steps of dance, after its similarity with insects, birds or even animals.

            There are various dances which are prevalent in Sikkim, all of these are very colourful in nature. Most of the dances relate to the beauty of the natural surroundings, some depict the harvest season while others are performed for good luck and prosperity. Many of the musical instruments that accompany the dances are unique to Sikkim.
Nepali Folk Dance-Tamang Selo, Bhutia Folk Dance Tashi Sabdo,Tibetan Yak Dance andLepcha Folk Dance-Zo-Mal-Lok are some of the famous dance forms of Sikkim.

            This article can hardly be called concise and it definitely is the longest article I have written as yet. But as I  said before I was having a hard time deciding where to stop, so interesting and varied is the North Eastern folk treasure.

But the beauty of dance can be really appreciated when seen so I would request everyone that when you next visit Youtube try and watch some of these dances. I am sure you will love it.