|CHANG LO / SUA LUA (NAGALAND)
This dance of the Chang tribe of Nagaland
was performed to celebrate the victory over enemies in the earlier times. Presently,
it forms a part of all the community celebrations like Poanglem - the three day
festival preceding the harvest season. The dramatic costumes of the traditional
Naga warrior and the finery of womenfolk make this dance a visual treat.
CHARKULA (UTTAR PRADESH)
The spectacular dance is performed in the Braj region
of Uttar Pradesh - the land of Lord Krishna and his consort - Radha.
Veiled women balancing large multi-tiered circular wooden pyramids on their heads,
alight with 108 oil lamps, dance to the strains of 'rasiya' - songs of Lord Krishna.
Charkula is especially performed on the third day after Holi - the day, which
Radha was born. According to legend, Radha's grandmother ran out of the house
with the charkula on her head to announce the birth of Radha, since then, Charkula
has formed a popular dance form of Brajbhoomi, performed during various festivities.
CHERAW DANCE (MIZORAM)
Cheraw dance is an amazing combination of rhythm and skill. Four people hold two
pairs of long bamboos across one another on
the ground. As the bamboo sticks are clapped together, the main dancers in traditional
attires weave patterns through them in time to the rhythm. Cheraw is a major attraction
during all festive occasions in Mizoram. Cheraw
is believed to have a foreign origin. Similar dances are popular in the Far
East and the Philippines. The Mizos
must have brought the dance with them when they migrated to their land in India.
The Dalkhai dance is performed by women of
some of the tribes in Sambalpur district in
Orissa at the time of seasonal festivals.
The dance is quite vigorous, and is accompanied by a set of particular musical
instruments, played by men, of which the drummers often join the dance.