Kurukshetra Magazine June 2024 - 3 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


Tribal Folk Dances of Northeast India
Home to over two hundred tribes and ethnic communities, India's North-eastern Region is 
often referred to as a region of festivals, music and dance. Every tribe or community has its 
own set of distinct festivals, most of which centre round sowing, harvesting and the New Year. 
Folk dances are an inseparable part of these festivals which not only display the culture of 
the tribes, but also reflect their colourful fabrics, musical instruments, and above all, their 
intrinsic love for Nature.
* Dr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap
Author is a Guwahati-based journalist and writer. Email: sgkashyap@gmail.com
ome to over two hundred tribes and 
ethnic communities, the northeast 
region of India is often referred to 
as a region of festivals, music and 
dance. Every tribe or community has 
its own set of distinct festivals, most of which centres 
around sowing, harvesting and New Year. Here is a 
glimpse of a few folk dances from different states of 
the region. 
H
Arunachal Pradesh
Over 25 tribes and 100 sub tribes of Arunachal 
Pradesh are broadly divided into two categories – 
Buddhists and non-Buddhists or followers of various 
indigenous faiths. For the Nishyie people who follow 
an indigenous faith, the most important folk dance is 
Rikham Pada. A medley of dances and songs performed 
during every community festival, the dancers wear 
elaborate cane headgears, and an antique waist-belt 
Page 2


Tribal Folk Dances of Northeast India
Home to over two hundred tribes and ethnic communities, India's North-eastern Region is 
often referred to as a region of festivals, music and dance. Every tribe or community has its 
own set of distinct festivals, most of which centre round sowing, harvesting and the New Year. 
Folk dances are an inseparable part of these festivals which not only display the culture of 
the tribes, but also reflect their colourful fabrics, musical instruments, and above all, their 
intrinsic love for Nature.
* Dr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap
Author is a Guwahati-based journalist and writer. Email: sgkashyap@gmail.com
ome to over two hundred tribes and 
ethnic communities, the northeast 
region of India is often referred to 
as a region of festivals, music and 
dance. Every tribe or community has 
its own set of distinct festivals, most of which centres 
around sowing, harvesting and New Year. Here is a 
glimpse of a few folk dances from different states of 
the region. 
H
Arunachal Pradesh
Over 25 tribes and 100 sub tribes of Arunachal 
Pradesh are broadly divided into two categories – 
Buddhists and non-Buddhists or followers of various 
indigenous faiths. For the Nishyie people who follow 
an indigenous faith, the most important folk dance is 
Rikham Pada. A medley of dances and songs performed 
during every community festival, the dancers wear 
elaborate cane headgears, and an antique waist-belt 
41 Kurukshetra       June  2024
made of beaten bell metal (which is a family heirloom 
handed down through generations). The songs are in 
ballad form, sung in honour of gods and ancestors, as 
also some love stories.
could be created for observing the Torgya festival and 
usher in good health and prosperity. Shanag cham, 
on the other hand, is performed by twelve dancers 
who represent Tantric priests, wearing phodka (a 
richly embroidered gown flowing to the ankles) and 
pang kheb (a colourful embroidered apron), apart 
from a black, broad-brimmed hat called Shanag. 
Gon-Nyin Cham is performed by eleven dancers each 
holding a ritual bell in one hand and damaru in the 
other and represent dakinis who are protectors of 
the Buddhist faith. This dance is generally performed 
during the construction of a monastery or installation 
of a holy statue, in order to ward off demons who 
create obstacles to the advancement of the Buddhist 
doctrine. 
Assam
Meeting point of cultures, Assam has as many as 
23 Scheduled Tribes, of which twelve are called Plains 
Tribes, and eleven Hills Tribes, each having its own 
respective folk dances. 
Bagrumba is performed by young Bodo women 
dressed in traditional attire like dokhona (body wrapper) 
and phali (scarf) to the rhythm of the kham (drum), 
serja (a string instrument) and siphung (flute) played by 
young men. It is generally performed in Spring to pray 
for the community’s prosperity and well-being. The 
dancers look like butterflies when they hold up their 
phali sideways and flutter to the beat of the music. 
Another spring time Bodo folk dance called Bardwisikhla 
is performed to welcome the wind goddess.
Bagrumba Dance, Assam
For the Adi tribe, Ponung is the most important 
folk dance. Part of the Solung festival to seek a bumper 
crop, this dance is exclusively performed by women 
with one male person called Miri guiding them. While 
the Miri shakes a Yoksa (sword) to make a rattling 
sound, the women gather around him in a beautifully 
arranged pattern repeating the same lines in a chorus 
initiated by him and move around in unison following 
the rhythm of the song, making delicate movement of 
the hands. The women wear a Gale (traditional skirt), 
a Galup (traditional top or blouse), cover their heads 
with a piece of conical shaped cloth and wear various 
traditional ornaments. In contrast, Delong is an all-male 
Adi folk dance performed during the Etor festival. This 
dance depicts making or mending of fences around 
village farms to protect them from animals. 
Among the Apatani people, Daminda, a folk dance, 
is performed to mark the beginning and end of Dree 
festival. Performed by women, it depicts various aspects 
of traditional agriculture, and is marked by wonderful 
footwork and hand gestures of the dancers. 
The Monpa people, who profess Mahayana 
Buddhism, have twenty-two different types of folk 
dances called Cham, some of which are performed 
during Torgya, a three-day monastic festival. Among 
them, Pha Cham is performed by a single person in a 
monk’s dress wearing a pha (boar) mask. It is performed 
to pacify the gods and spirits so that perfect conditions 
Among the Mising people, Gumrag Soman is the 
most popular folk dance, which is part of Ali-a-ye Ligang 
(the Springtime seed-sowing festival). Young men 
dressed in traditional mibu galug (sleeveless jacket), 
Page 3


Tribal Folk Dances of Northeast India
Home to over two hundred tribes and ethnic communities, India's North-eastern Region is 
often referred to as a region of festivals, music and dance. Every tribe or community has its 
own set of distinct festivals, most of which centre round sowing, harvesting and the New Year. 
Folk dances are an inseparable part of these festivals which not only display the culture of 
the tribes, but also reflect their colourful fabrics, musical instruments, and above all, their 
intrinsic love for Nature.
* Dr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap
Author is a Guwahati-based journalist and writer. Email: sgkashyap@gmail.com
ome to over two hundred tribes and 
ethnic communities, the northeast 
region of India is often referred to 
as a region of festivals, music and 
dance. Every tribe or community has 
its own set of distinct festivals, most of which centres 
around sowing, harvesting and New Year. Here is a 
glimpse of a few folk dances from different states of 
the region. 
H
Arunachal Pradesh
Over 25 tribes and 100 sub tribes of Arunachal 
Pradesh are broadly divided into two categories – 
Buddhists and non-Buddhists or followers of various 
indigenous faiths. For the Nishyie people who follow 
an indigenous faith, the most important folk dance is 
Rikham Pada. A medley of dances and songs performed 
during every community festival, the dancers wear 
elaborate cane headgears, and an antique waist-belt 
41 Kurukshetra       June  2024
made of beaten bell metal (which is a family heirloom 
handed down through generations). The songs are in 
ballad form, sung in honour of gods and ancestors, as 
also some love stories.
could be created for observing the Torgya festival and 
usher in good health and prosperity. Shanag cham, 
on the other hand, is performed by twelve dancers 
who represent Tantric priests, wearing phodka (a 
richly embroidered gown flowing to the ankles) and 
pang kheb (a colourful embroidered apron), apart 
from a black, broad-brimmed hat called Shanag. 
Gon-Nyin Cham is performed by eleven dancers each 
holding a ritual bell in one hand and damaru in the 
other and represent dakinis who are protectors of 
the Buddhist faith. This dance is generally performed 
during the construction of a monastery or installation 
of a holy statue, in order to ward off demons who 
create obstacles to the advancement of the Buddhist 
doctrine. 
Assam
Meeting point of cultures, Assam has as many as 
23 Scheduled Tribes, of which twelve are called Plains 
Tribes, and eleven Hills Tribes, each having its own 
respective folk dances. 
Bagrumba is performed by young Bodo women 
dressed in traditional attire like dokhona (body wrapper) 
and phali (scarf) to the rhythm of the kham (drum), 
serja (a string instrument) and siphung (flute) played by 
young men. It is generally performed in Spring to pray 
for the community’s prosperity and well-being. The 
dancers look like butterflies when they hold up their 
phali sideways and flutter to the beat of the music. 
Another spring time Bodo folk dance called Bardwisikhla 
is performed to welcome the wind goddess.
Bagrumba Dance, Assam
For the Adi tribe, Ponung is the most important 
folk dance. Part of the Solung festival to seek a bumper 
crop, this dance is exclusively performed by women 
with one male person called Miri guiding them. While 
the Miri shakes a Yoksa (sword) to make a rattling 
sound, the women gather around him in a beautifully 
arranged pattern repeating the same lines in a chorus 
initiated by him and move around in unison following 
the rhythm of the song, making delicate movement of 
the hands. The women wear a Gale (traditional skirt), 
a Galup (traditional top or blouse), cover their heads 
with a piece of conical shaped cloth and wear various 
traditional ornaments. In contrast, Delong is an all-male 
Adi folk dance performed during the Etor festival. This 
dance depicts making or mending of fences around 
village farms to protect them from animals. 
Among the Apatani people, Daminda, a folk dance, 
is performed to mark the beginning and end of Dree 
festival. Performed by women, it depicts various aspects 
of traditional agriculture, and is marked by wonderful 
footwork and hand gestures of the dancers. 
The Monpa people, who profess Mahayana 
Buddhism, have twenty-two different types of folk 
dances called Cham, some of which are performed 
during Torgya, a three-day monastic festival. Among 
them, Pha Cham is performed by a single person in a 
monk’s dress wearing a pha (boar) mask. It is performed 
to pacify the gods and spirits so that perfect conditions 
Among the Mising people, Gumrag Soman is the 
most popular folk dance, which is part of Ali-a-ye Ligang 
(the Springtime seed-sowing festival). Young men 
dressed in traditional mibu galug (sleeveless jacket), 
42 Kurukshetra       June  2024
gonro ugon (loin cloth) and dumer (turban), and women 
dressed in ege (lower garment flowing to the ankles) 
and ribi (upper body wrapper) dance to the rhythm 
of amorous Oinitom songs to the accompainment 
of drums, cymbals and flutes. In the Karbi tribal 
community, Ritnong Chingdi, Lingpum Sokchon 
and Hacha Hekan are folk dances associated with 
agriculture, while Nimso Kerung and Banjar Kekan are 
associated death rituals. The Karbis believe that it was 
a divine personality called Rangsina Sarpo who had 
first taught them to dance and sing.  
Meghalaya
In Meghalaya, the Khasis perform Nongkrem 
dance during the Nongkrem festival. Dedicated to the 
indigenous deity called U Lei Shyllong, the dance is 
performed by young women clad in their best colourful 
traditional jewelry who move gracefully in synchronised 
patterns to the rhythmic beats of drums and flutes. 
Wangala or the Hundred Drums dance is part of the 
Wangala Festival of the Garos held to mark the end of 
a period of toil, and pray for a good harvest. While the 
men beat the drums, other men and women dance in 
two parallel queues, moving forward in rhythmic accord 
to the music of traditional drums, gongs and flutes, 
punctuated by the sonorous music of a primitive flute 
made of buffalo horn. 
Mizoram
The Mizo folk dances too are expressions of their 
joyful carefree spirit. Almost all Mizo folk dances 
like Cheraw, Khuallam, Chhieh Lam, Chai, Rallu Lam, 
Solakia, Sarlamkai and Par Lam are closely related to 
the agricultural cycle. Cheraw, often also called Bamboo 
dance, is the oldest Mizo dance believed to have existed 
even in the 1
st 
century AD.  While eight young men hold 
four pairs of bamboo poles, two crossing the other two, 
and tap the bamboos open and close in rhythmic beats, 
young women dancers step alternately in and out from 
between and across them. It is amazing to see the 
dancers step in and out to the beats of the bamboos 
with ease and grace. Watching closely, one will find that 
the stepping the dancers are sometimes in imitation of 
movement of birds, sometimes of swaying of trees. 
Khuallam – meaning “Dance of the Guest” – is a Mizo 
folk dance which is part of Khuangchawi, a ceremony 
comprising of community feasting, dance and music. 
Invited guests are required to enter the Khuangchawi 
arena by performing a dance which is called Khuallam. 
It is generally performed by men who have to wear a 
particular traditional dress called Puandum with red 
and green stripes and keep pace to the rhythm of a set 
of gongs which are known as Darbu.
Chheih Lam is a dance which embodies the spirit 
of joy and exhilaration. A group of people sit in a circle 
and sing a song called Chheih hla which is sung to the 
beats of a drum or a bamboo tube or just clapping of 
hands. Only one or two persons take part in the dance, 
and perform it with various movements of the limbs 
and body. As the dance reaches its climax, all the people 
around also join the dance.
Children of Nature as they are, young Mizo men 
Chheih Lam 
Khasi Damsels Taking Part in Nongkrem Dance, Meghalaya
and women on the other hand celebrate the beauty of 
mountains and rivers through the Par Lam dance. While 
the girls are dressed in colourful attire with flowers 
tucked in their hair sing the glory of Nature, a couple of 
boys play a gong and a string musical instrument. The 
Page 4


Tribal Folk Dances of Northeast India
Home to over two hundred tribes and ethnic communities, India's North-eastern Region is 
often referred to as a region of festivals, music and dance. Every tribe or community has its 
own set of distinct festivals, most of which centre round sowing, harvesting and the New Year. 
Folk dances are an inseparable part of these festivals which not only display the culture of 
the tribes, but also reflect their colourful fabrics, musical instruments, and above all, their 
intrinsic love for Nature.
* Dr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap
Author is a Guwahati-based journalist and writer. Email: sgkashyap@gmail.com
ome to over two hundred tribes and 
ethnic communities, the northeast 
region of India is often referred to 
as a region of festivals, music and 
dance. Every tribe or community has 
its own set of distinct festivals, most of which centres 
around sowing, harvesting and New Year. Here is a 
glimpse of a few folk dances from different states of 
the region. 
H
Arunachal Pradesh
Over 25 tribes and 100 sub tribes of Arunachal 
Pradesh are broadly divided into two categories – 
Buddhists and non-Buddhists or followers of various 
indigenous faiths. For the Nishyie people who follow 
an indigenous faith, the most important folk dance is 
Rikham Pada. A medley of dances and songs performed 
during every community festival, the dancers wear 
elaborate cane headgears, and an antique waist-belt 
41 Kurukshetra       June  2024
made of beaten bell metal (which is a family heirloom 
handed down through generations). The songs are in 
ballad form, sung in honour of gods and ancestors, as 
also some love stories.
could be created for observing the Torgya festival and 
usher in good health and prosperity. Shanag cham, 
on the other hand, is performed by twelve dancers 
who represent Tantric priests, wearing phodka (a 
richly embroidered gown flowing to the ankles) and 
pang kheb (a colourful embroidered apron), apart 
from a black, broad-brimmed hat called Shanag. 
Gon-Nyin Cham is performed by eleven dancers each 
holding a ritual bell in one hand and damaru in the 
other and represent dakinis who are protectors of 
the Buddhist faith. This dance is generally performed 
during the construction of a monastery or installation 
of a holy statue, in order to ward off demons who 
create obstacles to the advancement of the Buddhist 
doctrine. 
Assam
Meeting point of cultures, Assam has as many as 
23 Scheduled Tribes, of which twelve are called Plains 
Tribes, and eleven Hills Tribes, each having its own 
respective folk dances. 
Bagrumba is performed by young Bodo women 
dressed in traditional attire like dokhona (body wrapper) 
and phali (scarf) to the rhythm of the kham (drum), 
serja (a string instrument) and siphung (flute) played by 
young men. It is generally performed in Spring to pray 
for the community’s prosperity and well-being. The 
dancers look like butterflies when they hold up their 
phali sideways and flutter to the beat of the music. 
Another spring time Bodo folk dance called Bardwisikhla 
is performed to welcome the wind goddess.
Bagrumba Dance, Assam
For the Adi tribe, Ponung is the most important 
folk dance. Part of the Solung festival to seek a bumper 
crop, this dance is exclusively performed by women 
with one male person called Miri guiding them. While 
the Miri shakes a Yoksa (sword) to make a rattling 
sound, the women gather around him in a beautifully 
arranged pattern repeating the same lines in a chorus 
initiated by him and move around in unison following 
the rhythm of the song, making delicate movement of 
the hands. The women wear a Gale (traditional skirt), 
a Galup (traditional top or blouse), cover their heads 
with a piece of conical shaped cloth and wear various 
traditional ornaments. In contrast, Delong is an all-male 
Adi folk dance performed during the Etor festival. This 
dance depicts making or mending of fences around 
village farms to protect them from animals. 
Among the Apatani people, Daminda, a folk dance, 
is performed to mark the beginning and end of Dree 
festival. Performed by women, it depicts various aspects 
of traditional agriculture, and is marked by wonderful 
footwork and hand gestures of the dancers. 
The Monpa people, who profess Mahayana 
Buddhism, have twenty-two different types of folk 
dances called Cham, some of which are performed 
during Torgya, a three-day monastic festival. Among 
them, Pha Cham is performed by a single person in a 
monk’s dress wearing a pha (boar) mask. It is performed 
to pacify the gods and spirits so that perfect conditions 
Among the Mising people, Gumrag Soman is the 
most popular folk dance, which is part of Ali-a-ye Ligang 
(the Springtime seed-sowing festival). Young men 
dressed in traditional mibu galug (sleeveless jacket), 
42 Kurukshetra       June  2024
gonro ugon (loin cloth) and dumer (turban), and women 
dressed in ege (lower garment flowing to the ankles) 
and ribi (upper body wrapper) dance to the rhythm 
of amorous Oinitom songs to the accompainment 
of drums, cymbals and flutes. In the Karbi tribal 
community, Ritnong Chingdi, Lingpum Sokchon 
and Hacha Hekan are folk dances associated with 
agriculture, while Nimso Kerung and Banjar Kekan are 
associated death rituals. The Karbis believe that it was 
a divine personality called Rangsina Sarpo who had 
first taught them to dance and sing.  
Meghalaya
In Meghalaya, the Khasis perform Nongkrem 
dance during the Nongkrem festival. Dedicated to the 
indigenous deity called U Lei Shyllong, the dance is 
performed by young women clad in their best colourful 
traditional jewelry who move gracefully in synchronised 
patterns to the rhythmic beats of drums and flutes. 
Wangala or the Hundred Drums dance is part of the 
Wangala Festival of the Garos held to mark the end of 
a period of toil, and pray for a good harvest. While the 
men beat the drums, other men and women dance in 
two parallel queues, moving forward in rhythmic accord 
to the music of traditional drums, gongs and flutes, 
punctuated by the sonorous music of a primitive flute 
made of buffalo horn. 
Mizoram
The Mizo folk dances too are expressions of their 
joyful carefree spirit. Almost all Mizo folk dances 
like Cheraw, Khuallam, Chhieh Lam, Chai, Rallu Lam, 
Solakia, Sarlamkai and Par Lam are closely related to 
the agricultural cycle. Cheraw, often also called Bamboo 
dance, is the oldest Mizo dance believed to have existed 
even in the 1
st 
century AD.  While eight young men hold 
four pairs of bamboo poles, two crossing the other two, 
and tap the bamboos open and close in rhythmic beats, 
young women dancers step alternately in and out from 
between and across them. It is amazing to see the 
dancers step in and out to the beats of the bamboos 
with ease and grace. Watching closely, one will find that 
the stepping the dancers are sometimes in imitation of 
movement of birds, sometimes of swaying of trees. 
Khuallam – meaning “Dance of the Guest” – is a Mizo 
folk dance which is part of Khuangchawi, a ceremony 
comprising of community feasting, dance and music. 
Invited guests are required to enter the Khuangchawi 
arena by performing a dance which is called Khuallam. 
It is generally performed by men who have to wear a 
particular traditional dress called Puandum with red 
and green stripes and keep pace to the rhythm of a set 
of gongs which are known as Darbu.
Chheih Lam is a dance which embodies the spirit 
of joy and exhilaration. A group of people sit in a circle 
and sing a song called Chheih hla which is sung to the 
beats of a drum or a bamboo tube or just clapping of 
hands. Only one or two persons take part in the dance, 
and perform it with various movements of the limbs 
and body. As the dance reaches its climax, all the people 
around also join the dance.
Children of Nature as they are, young Mizo men 
Chheih Lam 
Khasi Damsels Taking Part in Nongkrem Dance, Meghalaya
and women on the other hand celebrate the beauty of 
mountains and rivers through the Par Lam dance. While 
the girls are dressed in colourful attire with flowers 
tucked in their hair sing the glory of Nature, a couple of 
boys play a gong and a string musical instrument. The 
43 Kurukshetra       June  2024
dance is slow yet very attractive, and mainly comprises 
of movement of their hands as if resembling the wave 
of a flowing river. 
Manipur
Manipur has a number of tribal communities. 
For the Mao tribe, Asharai Odo is a colourful folk 
dance known for its vocal rhythms and mellifluous 
movements. The Tangkhul people on the other hand 
consider Luivat Pheizak as their most important folk 
dance. Depicting different stages of cultivation and 
the simple tribal lifestyle, this dance is performed 
during all traditional festivals like Luira Phanit (seed 
sowing festival), Manei Phanit (festival of tools and 
equipments), and Chumphu (harvest festival). While 
both men and women wear traditional attire, some 
men also hold spears and swords as they dance to 
the rhythm of Phung (drum), Tala (trumpet), Paren 
(bamboo pipe) and Sipa (flute).
Among the Kabui tribals, Shim Lam or Fly Dance 
and Kit Lam are two most popular folk dances. Shim 
Lam is performed during the Gang-Ngai festival and 
depicts the story of Tajuibon, a flying insect with shiny 
wings, which moves around from one flower to another 
drinking nectar. Kit Lam dance, on the other hand, is a 
harvest festival in which the rhythmic dance imitates 
the movement of the crickets.
Nagaland
Home to seventeen major and several minor tribes, 
Nagaland is a land of folk dances. While it is not possible 
to describe the folk dances of every tribe, here are a few 
interesting ones.
The most popular folk dance of the Angami tribe is 
Sovi Kehu. It is a community dance which takes place 
at an open space in the centre of the village. An elder 
takes the lead with an “ohh-hoo ohh-hoo” sound, and 
others follow him in a circular motion. Once a big circle 
is formed, the leader raises his right hand and makes a 
small leap jump which all others follow in a rhythmic 
order. The leader continues with his leap steps, and 
in every leap the circle becomes smaller and smaller. 
At one point, the leader takes a complete u-turn and, 
without breaking the line the circle intertwines back 
bigger and bigger until it becomes a single big circle 
again. Once the big circle is complete, the leader signals 
to end the leap jump, and the dance ends with a big 
ululation by the whole group in unison.
Yimdongsu Tsungsang is a famous folk dance 
of the Ao tribe. It is a celebration of heritage and 
spirituality, and the dancers traverse the village 
streets in intricate movements, wearing several 
traditional items like the Langtem (loin-cloth adorned 
with sea shells), Hokomangzutsu (sash decorated 
Hega Festival, Nagaland
Page 5


Tribal Folk Dances of Northeast India
Home to over two hundred tribes and ethnic communities, India's North-eastern Region is 
often referred to as a region of festivals, music and dance. Every tribe or community has its 
own set of distinct festivals, most of which centre round sowing, harvesting and the New Year. 
Folk dances are an inseparable part of these festivals which not only display the culture of 
the tribes, but also reflect their colourful fabrics, musical instruments, and above all, their 
intrinsic love for Nature.
* Dr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap
Author is a Guwahati-based journalist and writer. Email: sgkashyap@gmail.com
ome to over two hundred tribes and 
ethnic communities, the northeast 
region of India is often referred to 
as a region of festivals, music and 
dance. Every tribe or community has 
its own set of distinct festivals, most of which centres 
around sowing, harvesting and New Year. Here is a 
glimpse of a few folk dances from different states of 
the region. 
H
Arunachal Pradesh
Over 25 tribes and 100 sub tribes of Arunachal 
Pradesh are broadly divided into two categories – 
Buddhists and non-Buddhists or followers of various 
indigenous faiths. For the Nishyie people who follow 
an indigenous faith, the most important folk dance is 
Rikham Pada. A medley of dances and songs performed 
during every community festival, the dancers wear 
elaborate cane headgears, and an antique waist-belt 
41 Kurukshetra       June  2024
made of beaten bell metal (which is a family heirloom 
handed down through generations). The songs are in 
ballad form, sung in honour of gods and ancestors, as 
also some love stories.
could be created for observing the Torgya festival and 
usher in good health and prosperity. Shanag cham, 
on the other hand, is performed by twelve dancers 
who represent Tantric priests, wearing phodka (a 
richly embroidered gown flowing to the ankles) and 
pang kheb (a colourful embroidered apron), apart 
from a black, broad-brimmed hat called Shanag. 
Gon-Nyin Cham is performed by eleven dancers each 
holding a ritual bell in one hand and damaru in the 
other and represent dakinis who are protectors of 
the Buddhist faith. This dance is generally performed 
during the construction of a monastery or installation 
of a holy statue, in order to ward off demons who 
create obstacles to the advancement of the Buddhist 
doctrine. 
Assam
Meeting point of cultures, Assam has as many as 
23 Scheduled Tribes, of which twelve are called Plains 
Tribes, and eleven Hills Tribes, each having its own 
respective folk dances. 
Bagrumba is performed by young Bodo women 
dressed in traditional attire like dokhona (body wrapper) 
and phali (scarf) to the rhythm of the kham (drum), 
serja (a string instrument) and siphung (flute) played by 
young men. It is generally performed in Spring to pray 
for the community’s prosperity and well-being. The 
dancers look like butterflies when they hold up their 
phali sideways and flutter to the beat of the music. 
Another spring time Bodo folk dance called Bardwisikhla 
is performed to welcome the wind goddess.
Bagrumba Dance, Assam
For the Adi tribe, Ponung is the most important 
folk dance. Part of the Solung festival to seek a bumper 
crop, this dance is exclusively performed by women 
with one male person called Miri guiding them. While 
the Miri shakes a Yoksa (sword) to make a rattling 
sound, the women gather around him in a beautifully 
arranged pattern repeating the same lines in a chorus 
initiated by him and move around in unison following 
the rhythm of the song, making delicate movement of 
the hands. The women wear a Gale (traditional skirt), 
a Galup (traditional top or blouse), cover their heads 
with a piece of conical shaped cloth and wear various 
traditional ornaments. In contrast, Delong is an all-male 
Adi folk dance performed during the Etor festival. This 
dance depicts making or mending of fences around 
village farms to protect them from animals. 
Among the Apatani people, Daminda, a folk dance, 
is performed to mark the beginning and end of Dree 
festival. Performed by women, it depicts various aspects 
of traditional agriculture, and is marked by wonderful 
footwork and hand gestures of the dancers. 
The Monpa people, who profess Mahayana 
Buddhism, have twenty-two different types of folk 
dances called Cham, some of which are performed 
during Torgya, a three-day monastic festival. Among 
them, Pha Cham is performed by a single person in a 
monk’s dress wearing a pha (boar) mask. It is performed 
to pacify the gods and spirits so that perfect conditions 
Among the Mising people, Gumrag Soman is the 
most popular folk dance, which is part of Ali-a-ye Ligang 
(the Springtime seed-sowing festival). Young men 
dressed in traditional mibu galug (sleeveless jacket), 
42 Kurukshetra       June  2024
gonro ugon (loin cloth) and dumer (turban), and women 
dressed in ege (lower garment flowing to the ankles) 
and ribi (upper body wrapper) dance to the rhythm 
of amorous Oinitom songs to the accompainment 
of drums, cymbals and flutes. In the Karbi tribal 
community, Ritnong Chingdi, Lingpum Sokchon 
and Hacha Hekan are folk dances associated with 
agriculture, while Nimso Kerung and Banjar Kekan are 
associated death rituals. The Karbis believe that it was 
a divine personality called Rangsina Sarpo who had 
first taught them to dance and sing.  
Meghalaya
In Meghalaya, the Khasis perform Nongkrem 
dance during the Nongkrem festival. Dedicated to the 
indigenous deity called U Lei Shyllong, the dance is 
performed by young women clad in their best colourful 
traditional jewelry who move gracefully in synchronised 
patterns to the rhythmic beats of drums and flutes. 
Wangala or the Hundred Drums dance is part of the 
Wangala Festival of the Garos held to mark the end of 
a period of toil, and pray for a good harvest. While the 
men beat the drums, other men and women dance in 
two parallel queues, moving forward in rhythmic accord 
to the music of traditional drums, gongs and flutes, 
punctuated by the sonorous music of a primitive flute 
made of buffalo horn. 
Mizoram
The Mizo folk dances too are expressions of their 
joyful carefree spirit. Almost all Mizo folk dances 
like Cheraw, Khuallam, Chhieh Lam, Chai, Rallu Lam, 
Solakia, Sarlamkai and Par Lam are closely related to 
the agricultural cycle. Cheraw, often also called Bamboo 
dance, is the oldest Mizo dance believed to have existed 
even in the 1
st 
century AD.  While eight young men hold 
four pairs of bamboo poles, two crossing the other two, 
and tap the bamboos open and close in rhythmic beats, 
young women dancers step alternately in and out from 
between and across them. It is amazing to see the 
dancers step in and out to the beats of the bamboos 
with ease and grace. Watching closely, one will find that 
the stepping the dancers are sometimes in imitation of 
movement of birds, sometimes of swaying of trees. 
Khuallam – meaning “Dance of the Guest” – is a Mizo 
folk dance which is part of Khuangchawi, a ceremony 
comprising of community feasting, dance and music. 
Invited guests are required to enter the Khuangchawi 
arena by performing a dance which is called Khuallam. 
It is generally performed by men who have to wear a 
particular traditional dress called Puandum with red 
and green stripes and keep pace to the rhythm of a set 
of gongs which are known as Darbu.
Chheih Lam is a dance which embodies the spirit 
of joy and exhilaration. A group of people sit in a circle 
and sing a song called Chheih hla which is sung to the 
beats of a drum or a bamboo tube or just clapping of 
hands. Only one or two persons take part in the dance, 
and perform it with various movements of the limbs 
and body. As the dance reaches its climax, all the people 
around also join the dance.
Children of Nature as they are, young Mizo men 
Chheih Lam 
Khasi Damsels Taking Part in Nongkrem Dance, Meghalaya
and women on the other hand celebrate the beauty of 
mountains and rivers through the Par Lam dance. While 
the girls are dressed in colourful attire with flowers 
tucked in their hair sing the glory of Nature, a couple of 
boys play a gong and a string musical instrument. The 
43 Kurukshetra       June  2024
dance is slow yet very attractive, and mainly comprises 
of movement of their hands as if resembling the wave 
of a flowing river. 
Manipur
Manipur has a number of tribal communities. 
For the Mao tribe, Asharai Odo is a colourful folk 
dance known for its vocal rhythms and mellifluous 
movements. The Tangkhul people on the other hand 
consider Luivat Pheizak as their most important folk 
dance. Depicting different stages of cultivation and 
the simple tribal lifestyle, this dance is performed 
during all traditional festivals like Luira Phanit (seed 
sowing festival), Manei Phanit (festival of tools and 
equipments), and Chumphu (harvest festival). While 
both men and women wear traditional attire, some 
men also hold spears and swords as they dance to 
the rhythm of Phung (drum), Tala (trumpet), Paren 
(bamboo pipe) and Sipa (flute).
Among the Kabui tribals, Shim Lam or Fly Dance 
and Kit Lam are two most popular folk dances. Shim 
Lam is performed during the Gang-Ngai festival and 
depicts the story of Tajuibon, a flying insect with shiny 
wings, which moves around from one flower to another 
drinking nectar. Kit Lam dance, on the other hand, is a 
harvest festival in which the rhythmic dance imitates 
the movement of the crickets.
Nagaland
Home to seventeen major and several minor tribes, 
Nagaland is a land of folk dances. While it is not possible 
to describe the folk dances of every tribe, here are a few 
interesting ones.
The most popular folk dance of the Angami tribe is 
Sovi Kehu. It is a community dance which takes place 
at an open space in the centre of the village. An elder 
takes the lead with an “ohh-hoo ohh-hoo” sound, and 
others follow him in a circular motion. Once a big circle 
is formed, the leader raises his right hand and makes a 
small leap jump which all others follow in a rhythmic 
order. The leader continues with his leap steps, and 
in every leap the circle becomes smaller and smaller. 
At one point, the leader takes a complete u-turn and, 
without breaking the line the circle intertwines back 
bigger and bigger until it becomes a single big circle 
again. Once the big circle is complete, the leader signals 
to end the leap jump, and the dance ends with a big 
ululation by the whole group in unison.
Yimdongsu Tsungsang is a famous folk dance 
of the Ao tribe. It is a celebration of heritage and 
spirituality, and the dancers traverse the village 
streets in intricate movements, wearing several 
traditional items like the Langtem (loin-cloth adorned 
with sea shells), Hokomangzutsu (sash decorated 
Hega Festival, Nagaland
44 Kurukshetra       June  2024
with dyed animal hair, worn diagonally across the 
chest from right shoulder to waist), Wamulung 
(similar sash worn diagonally from left shoulder to 
waist), and Ozumi (tail feather of the Hornbill bird) 
etc, with a dao (machete) hanging from the waist. 
With every step, every sway, and every beat of the 
drum, the village comes alive, reverberating with the 
pulse of unity and cultural pride.
Among the Chakesang people, Oh Hio is a popular 
folk dance performed by the men folk during festivals 
and celebrations. The dancers imitate actions of 
different birds and animals, like rooster fights, and 
flapping of wings by the ducks.
Tripura
In Tripura, the Reang tribals perform the Hozagiri 
dance during Hozagiri festival or Lakshmi puja. While a 
group of men sign the lyric and play the Kham (drum) 
and Sumui (flute), four to six women perform the dance 
during which they depict the entire cycle of jhum (slash-
and-burn) cultivation. The Jamatia and Kalai tribes on 
Hornbill Festival, Nagaland
the other hand perform Garia dance during Garia or 
Shiva puja, in which young men and women go from 
house to house, place a symbol of Lord Garia in the 
middle of the courtyard, and sing and dance in an anti-
clockwise circle around it.  ?
References
1. A Handbook of Folklore Material of North-East India. 
Birendranath Datta. Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, 
Art and Culture, Guwahati. 1994.
2. Call of the Northeast: Folk Dances of Northeast India. Complied 
& Edited by Gouri Basu. EZCC, Kolkata. 2011.
3. Hills Are Alive. Department of Tourism, Karbi Anglong 
Autonomous Council, Assam. 
4. Hornbill Cultural Festival brochure. Department of Art & 
Culture, Nagaland. 
5. Scheduled Tribes of Assam. Tabu Ram Taid. Directorate of 
Information & Public Relations, Government of Assam. 2015.
6. Tribes of Assam. Tribal Research Institute, Government of 
Assam. 1987. 
7. Website of East Zone Cultural Centre.
8. Website of North East Zone Cultural Centre.
9. Websites of the State Governments.