Folk Dances from Jharkhand

Jadur

Like many tribal communities, the Oraons of Chhota Nagpur region of Bihar perform dance to celebrate each of the seasons. They perform Karma dance during the rains, Boroya dance during the autumn, Soharai just before the winter, Kharia during spring and Jadur, on the threshold of summer towards the end of February and beginning of March. Both men and women participate in the Jadur dance. For the musical accompaniment the instruments used are : Mandar and Dholak, both drums with two faces; Turhi, a straight trumpet; Jhanj, the cymbals; Theska, a wooden idiophone; Soynko, a circular iron rod attached with jinglebclls and shaken rhythmically.

Jhika-Dasain

The Jhika-Dasain is a form of worship dance practiced by the Santal tribe to train young men of the community in the art of acquiring spiritual powers to dispel the influence of the evil spirits. The training lasts for several days but the occasion when the spiritual powers are attained is rejoiced with night long Lagren dance in which women also participate.

A few days before Dassera this dance is performed. It is prohibited to sing even any part of the songs accompanying the dance and to perform it after Dassera. There are five different kinds of dances which come under Jhika-Dasain. In every land the idiophone Jhika dominates, hence the name. The other musical instruments played with the dance are : Madar, a cylindrical drum, Nagade, a hemispherical single face drum, and Jhal, the cymbals. Musicians also wear straps of jingle bells as cross belt. The dance is performed before every house in the village and it is customary for the housewife to offer some grains to the dancers, which are finally sold for purchasing necessary materials for worshiping the goddess Manasa and the guru.

Jitia

The Oraon tribal community living in the highlands of Ranchi in Bihar perform Jitia dance towards the later part of autumn in the month of November. Dressed in traditional costumes of red, green, and yellow and wearing brass and silver ornaments, young boys and girls participate in the dance. At the beginning of the dance the boys make a bow-like semi-circular formation and the girls, with arms interlocked, form a circle round the musicians in the centre. The accompanying music is provided by Mandar; Nagara, Manjira, and Jhal. The boys form an outer circle. The dancers move backward and forward and at intervals sit down clapping their hands.