DANCES OF INDIA (STATIC GK)

Jammu Kashmir- 3.Raslila – around Radha Krishna and Gopis- Vrindavan,

1.Rauf – by women folk of the Kashmir valley mathura dist
2.dogri/ Jagrana 4. Nautanki,
3.kud
4.Dumhal - By men of Wattal tribe Rajasthan
5. Hikat 1.Chari- Women of Saini community
6.Damali/Dhambali - By men; Fading away except special 2.Kalbeliya – moves similar to serpents. ‘Been’ popular
occasions of few Sufi saint instrument.snake charmer community.In 2010 UNESCO
Ladakh- declared it as Intangible Heritage of humanity
1. Jabro - Done by Changpas. Integral part of Losar (Tibetan 3.Khyal
New Year) 4.Ghoomar – Initially by women of Bhil tribe
2. Cham - Component of Buddhist celebrations in Ladakh 5.Suisini
3. Shondol - Royal dance of Ladakh; 6. Bhavi
4. Spao, Koshan, Lharna 7. Terah Taali,
Himachal Pradesh- 8.Kachhi Ghodi,
1.Nati-kullu,Shimla,Kinnuri nati 9.Kathputli,
2.Chhambha/ Raksasha/Demon dance 10.Dhamal
3.Kayng mala dance
2. Chham - by Buddhist monks Gujarat-
3.Thoda - based on martial arts, dance of archery 1.Tippani
2.Padhar-padhar community
Uttarakhand- 3.Dandiya Ras – Sticks used; depicts mock fight between
1. Jhoradance - specially during Holi Durga and Mahishasur
2.Chapeli dance 4.Garba – during Navratra; Garba refers to ’Garbha
3.Garhwal dance Deep’ – earthern pot with holes in which lamp is lit and
4.Kumaoni dance/ Chholia Dance - by boys and men at women dance around in a circle
marriage processions 5. Bhavai ,
5.Bhotia dance Maharashtra-
6. Dandala, Chamfuli, Dhusaka and Dhurang, Badra Nati 1. Koli – by Koli fisher men tribe
7. Pandava dance - during Dussehra and Deepawali 2.Lavani- derived from word Lavanya ( beauty)
8. Tharu dance - to welcome newly-married couple 3.Tamasha
9. Chanchari - related to Garhwal and Almora region 4. Lezim ,Dindi
10. Hurkiya baul - community dance during sowing season 5.Dhangri gaja
6.Povada- Depicts life events of Chatrapati Shivaji
PUNJAB- Maharaj
1.Giddha – Female counterpart of male bhangra
2.Bhangra- Performed by male mainly during Baisakhi ODISHA-
3 Jhumar– by tibal Sikhs. Harvest dance. Movement of arms 1.Chhau -
most • Sangeet Natak Academy recognises 8 classical dances,
4.Kikkli,Gatka while Ministry of Culture recognises Chhau dance also
Haryana in that list.
1.Gugga – devotional – Gugga Pir • Semi classical with martial, tribal and folk traditions
2.Sang dance • Originates from Chhaya meaninig shadow. Vigorous
3.Jhumar martial movements.
4.Loor – by girls Usually mask in used and based on mythological stories.
5.Dhamal 3 main styles:
6.Phag – by agricultural folk – Mayurbhanj Chhau – Odisha
7.Khoria, Daph, – Saraikella Chhau – Jharkhand
– Purulia Chhau – West Bengal
Uttarpradesh • Got inscribed in UNESCO Representative List of the
1.Charkula- Braj region- Lord Krishna praise Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010
2.Kajree 2.Paika – Martial folk dance of Southern Odisha. Word
Paika signifies Battle
3.Danda-Jatra (Danda Nata) – one of oldest folk arts of India. Chhattisgarh
Only by males. Pray Goddess Kali and Lord Shiva during Danda 1.Rahas dance
period 2. Raut Naach – by Yadav community, during Diwali.
4. Ghumura- Kalahandi battle between kansa and Yadav
5.Pala 3.Sua nach / parrot dance
6.Goti pua- raghurajpur village puri- performed 4.Pandavani-[ dancer – Teejan Bai 1988 PadmaShri
By young boys 2003 Padma Bhushan,2019 Padma Vibhushan]
7.Ranapa dance/ stilt dance- Ganjam dist by cow herd 5.Saila dance
community 6.Gendi
8.Jodi sankha- Ganjam 7.Panthi – by Satnami Community, devotees of Guru
9.Chaita ghoda dance Ghasidas
10.Sambalpuri/ dalkhai
Sikkim
11.Bagh nach- subrnapur,ganjam(Brahmapur)
1. Chu Faat – Chu means snow range, Faat means
WestBengal worship during panglabsol festival.by lepcha
1.Gambhira, community
2. Kirtan Dance, 2.Singhi Chham (Snow Lion Dance) – tribute to
3.Dhunachi Kanchenjunga peak
4.Kathi 3.Yak Chham,
5.Baul 4.khukri
5.Maruni
6.Jatra

Arunachal pradesh
Jharkhand-
1.Karma dance 1.Bardocham – sherdukpen community in west kemang
2.Sar hul dance dist
3.Damkach- also Bihar 2.Aji Lamu, Chalo, Hiirii Khaniing, Popir, Ponung, Pasi
4.Phagua Kongki, Rekham Pada, Roppi
5.Bhakuli banka
6.Mundari,santhali Nagaland
1.Chang Lo (Sua Lua),
2.Rangma (bamboo dance) – war dance of Nagas
Bihar-
3. Zeliang,
1.Jat-Jatin – especially in Mithila region. Represents affection
and quarrel of married couple 4.Gethinglim/ cricket dance
2.,Biraha 5.Nusirolian /cock dance
3.Bidesiya 6.Temangnetin/ fly dance
4. Sohar – on child birth
5. Jhijiya / Jhijhari -in mithila region Manipur

1.Thang Ta – Martial dance. Thang – Sword, Ta -spear

Madhyapradesh-
2. Pung Cholom (Drum Dance)
1.Ahiri dance-cowherd community
3.Luivat Pheizak Dance
2.Teratali- Performed by women of Kamar tribe
3.Matki dance- women solo dance – balancing earthen pots on 4.Shim Lam Dance (fly dance)
head 5. Rakhal, Nat Rash, Maha Rash, Raukhat
4.Jawara – harvest dance, Bundelkhand region. Includes
balancing Jawar basket on head. Mizoram_
5.Phulpati – performed By unmarried girls in malwa region 1.Cheraw Dance – very old, bamboo sticks used
2.Zangtalam, Sarlamkai/Solakia, Chailam,khullam-
during holi
dance of guest
6.Gaur Maria - men & women of Bison Horn Maria tribe.
Meghalaya
Imitates movement of Bison.
7.Bhogoria/ Bhongoria- performed By Bhil tribe in malwa 1.Laho- performed By jaintia tribe in Bhediankhalm
region during bhogoria Festival festival2.Nongkrem- performed By khasi tribe
3.Wangla- by garo tribe
Tripura In 2010 UNESCO declared it Intangible Heritage of
1.Bijhu - Bijhu means 'Chaitra-Sankranti’-denotes end of humanity
Bengali calendar year 2.Mayilattam – Kerala & Tamil Nadu. Mayil means
2. Garia / Goria– for happy harvest peacock (peacock dance)
3.Lebang Boomani, Hojagiri, Hik-Hak 3.Kummi – Kerala & Tamil Nadu. By women during
Pongal & festivals. No music, dance on Rhythmic
Assam clapping.
1.Bihu – men & women in group. Rapid hand movement. 4. Kaikottikali – temple dance at Onam to celebrate
2.Bagurumba (Butterfly dance) – Bodo community women harvest
3.Deodhani – worship of the snake goddess Manasa 5. Padayani – martial dance in temples of South Kerala.
4.Bhor Tal Nritya, Jhumur (tea folks), Natpuja Padayani means rows of Infantry/soldiers. Dancers
wear huge masks (Kolam).
Goa- 6.Kolkali-Parichakali – martial dance in South Kerala &
1.Mando – love song dance Lakshadweep. Kol- stick, Paricha – shield. Enact fight
2.Tarangamel – during Dussehra & Holi. Use of rainbow like sequence with mock weapons
costumes and colorful flags 7.Theyyam,
3. Fugdi – in Konkan region, during festivals by women 8. Koodiyattam – UNESCO declared it as Intangible
4.Dhangar – during Navratri Heritage of humanity in in 2008
5.Dekhni, Dhalo, Kunbi, zagor, Goff, lamp dance 9. Bommai Attam (Puppet Show)
10.Thol Pavai Koothu – 400 year old art, Deerskin/goat
Karnataka skin puppets perform this dance
1.Yakshagana - traditional theatre form of dance drama based 11. Karakattam - Rain goddess Mariamman is praised
on mythological stories and Puranas 12. Puliyattam (Tiger dance)
2. Dollu Kunitha – Kunitha means ritual dance. By shephard 13.Poikkal Kudirai Aattam (dummy horse dance)
community called Kuruba 14 Kai Silambu Attam, Devaraattam, Parai Attam, Kavadi
3. Pata Kunitha – Mysore region. Religious dance by men. Use of attam, Oyilattam
long bamboo poles decorated with ribbons (pata)
4.Suggi Kunitha, Puja Kunitha (Bangalore)
According to Sangeet Natak Akademi ( HQ- New Delhi,
Andhrapradesh Est -31st May 1952, working under Ministry of Culture)
1.Burrakatha/ Jangam Katha – dance narration 8 classical dances in India
2. Butta Bommalu – Butta means basket toys. Dancers wear toy And according to Ministry of Culture 9 classical dances
like ,masks. West Godavari district. including Chhau
3.Kolattam/ Kolannalu - Stick dance
4.Kummi 1 Bharatanatyam -Tamil Nadu
5.Bonalu- pot balancing by Female 2 Kathak---Northern India
6.Andhra Natyam, Veera Natyam (veerabhadra) 3 Kathakali--------- Kerala
7.Mathuri – by Mathuri tribe of Adilabad district 4 Kuchipudi-------- Andhra Pradesh
8.Dhimsa, 5 Manipuri ------Manipur
6 Mohiniyattam------ Kerala
Telengana- 7 Odissi-------Odisha
1.Perini Sivatandavam – typical war dance by males 8 Sattriya -------Assam...
2.Burrakatha/ Jangam Katha – dance narration
3.Chindu Bhagvatam As per Natya Shastra, there are two basic aspects of
4. Dappu Nritya, Lambadi, Dhimsa, Mayuri Indianclassical dance : Tandava and Lasya
5. Gusadi – by Gondulu tribes 1. Tandava (movement & rhythm) : This is symbolic to
6.Tholu Bommalata – shadow puppet themale aspects of dance.
2. Lasya (grace, bhava, rasa & abhinaya) : It is symbolic
Kerala- to thefeminine features of dance.
1.Mudiyettu
• Ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala
• Based on mythological tale of a battle between the goddess
Kali and the demonDarika
• Bharatanatyam, Tamil Nadu (Southern • Sattriya Dance: ‘Sattriya dance’ refers to the body
India): Bharatanatyam has grown out of the art of of dance and danced drama developed in
dancers dedicated to temples, and was earlier known as Sadir the sattras or monasteries of Assam since the
or Dasi Attam. It is the first of India’s traditional dances to be sixteenth century, when the Vaishnava faith
refashioned as a theatre art. Oldest dancd form The musicians propagated by the saint and
include at least one vocalist, a Mridangam (drum)-player, and a reformer Shankaradeva (1449-1586).Given
flutist or violinist or Veena (lute)-player. Mother of all dance classical status by Sangeet natak academi in
form, also called tanjore natyam 2000
Performed in brihedeswara temple/ Raja Rajeswaram. • Manipuri Dance, Manipur (North-eastern
Temple/Great living Chola temple Thanjavur ,Tamilnadu India)/ Jagoi: It evolved in Manipur, is anchored in
• Kathak (Northern India): It is the principal dance of the Vaishnava faith of the Manipur
northern India, and is widely practised in Uttar Pradesh, valley. Manipuri dance is introverted and
Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and even parts of restrained compared to most other dances of India
western and eastern India. It is believed to be connected – the artist never establishes eye contact with
with the narrative art of Kathakaras or story-tellers. The the audience. The Pung, a drum, and flute are the
music of traditional Kathak consists of the Thumri and other principal instruments used in Manipuri dance.
lyrical song-forms, and the essential musical instruments are Mainly performed during laiharoba festval
the Tabla, Pakhawaj, and Sarangi.It is
4typeLucknow,Jaipur,Raigarh,Benaras.

Odissi Dance, Orissa (Eastern India): It was performed as

part of temple service by ‘maharis’ or female temple
servants. The traditional dance was remodeled as a theatre
art towards the middle of the twentieth century. The dancer is
supported by a singer, a drummer who plays the Pakhawaj,
flute and Sitar.

• Kathakali: Kathakali or ‘story play’ took shape in

Kerala in southern India in the seventeenth century under
the patronage of the prince of Karnataka, who wrote plays for
performance drawn from the epic Ramayana in Malayalam.
Kathakali categorizes its characters according to their nature
and employs make-up and costume to build them up as
symbolic personalities.
symbolic personalities. Also called Ballard of east

• Mohiniattam: Mohiniattam belongs to Kerala in southern

India and takes its name from the mythic enchantress
Mohini( female avtar of lord vishu).solo dance solo dance
.all south Indian language used . It is a dance of feminine
grace, and has grown out of performances connected with
Kerala’s temples. The prince Swati Tirunal of Travancore,
was one of the chief architects of the dance in the nineteenth
century. The main percussion instruments in the performance
are the Edakka.
• Kuchipudi (Southern India): It originated from Andhra
Pradesh, where it grew largely as a product of Bhakti
movement beginning in the 7th Century AD and derives its
name from the village Kuchelapuram. Kuchipudi today is
performed either as a solo, duet or a group presentation, but
historically it was performed as a dance drama