Folk Dances from Himachal Pradesh

Chham Chhank

The Lamas of Lahul Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh perform Chham Chhank ceremonial dance related to their Chakhar festival which is held once in three years to pay tribute to the Buddha. The dancers wear a typical headgear called Chhank, after which the dance is named. The costume made of golden, black and yellow cloth decorated with traditional motifs in patch work is very distinctive. Some dancers carry swords and others knives while covering half their faces with a piece of black cloth. It is a very slow moving dance with circular movements and accompanied by musical instruments like Tangchim, a long straight trumpet, and Ghhan, a barrel-shaped drum. The musicians wear the traditional Lama libas along with beautiful headgear with yellow feathers.

Naati

Namagen

The Kinnauri tribal community of Himachal Pradesh perform the Namagen dance to celebrate the autumn. It is formally performed in September and informally at other times of the year. Both men and women participate in the dance. The women wear Gachi, the upper garment, and a shawl called Pattu. They also wear various silver ornaments. The men wear pyjama and shirt-like upper garments. Musical accompaniment is provided by Kangarange, a chordophone, Bhopal, a wind instrument, flute, and Damane and Anga, the drums.

Majority of folk dances of this country are performed formally in particular seasons. There are quite a few dances which are not allowed to be performed informally during any other season than the specified. Others are not so strict about the traditional performance season and are performed as entertainment.

Tushimig

The society of Kinnauri tribe of Himachal Pradesh is both polyandrous and polygamous. Although the main occupation of the community is rearing of sheep and goats for the purpose of gathering wool and selling them, quite a few are also agriculturists. One of the festivals that the Kinnauris organize is called Tushimig. Mainly the unmarried girls become more enthusiastic during the month long festival. On the day the festival begins, the unmarried girls choose a spacious house which is meticulously cleaned and decorated. They then prepare a sumptuous meal. After that they go and invite the boys. Most of these young men are boyfriends of the girls. All the boys and girls feast together. After the meal they dance with gay abandon. The musical accompaniment is provided by Dhol, the drum, Bugial, a kind of wind instrument, and Damentu, the horn.

Around the middle of the twentieth century the West felt the necessity of imparting sex education to the youth and adolescent. But almost all the tribal communities have been giving sex education in their own way for thousands of years. They have a system of having separate dormitories for unmarried girls and boys. Generally, these dormitories are located at the end of a village. In the evening, all the girls who have attained puberty go to the dormitory after taking their dinner. The boys go to another dormitory facing that of the girls and separated by about hundred yards. One of the most experienced women of the village remain in-charge of the girls’ dormitory, and a very senior villager, for the boys’ dormitory. The boys and girls do meet and date, but there are definite conventions which are strictly observed. While tribes like Santhal and Oraon have separate dormitories for boys and girls, the Muria Gond have mixed dormitory. This institution of dormitory provides all kinds of informal education including that of sex. The boys and girls are inculcated with the values and religion of the community in these dormitories. Invariably, the boys and girls after coming to the dormitories dance together for hours.