Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 12: The three-day long National Tribal Dance Festival concluded on a high note with dazzling performances by troupes from across the country, at Utkal Mandap here Friday.
The last day of the festival witnessed a huge rush of spectators from the twin cities. Such was the turnout that even the artistes were pleasantly surprised by the full crowd cheering for them.
“Tribal and folk dance has an infectious spirit of energy which is transfused to the viewers. Irrespective of youth or elderly persons, everyone loves to watch a good folk dance as the music and the choreography is unique and is very different from other formats. This is why I’ve come here with my family to watch the tribal dances all the way from Jharsuguda,” said Sameer Ranjan Barik.
The last day of the festival started with the performance of a troupe from Uttarakhand who presented their traditional Bir Vairab dance. This dance form is usually performed by the Bhutia tribe who lives in the greater Himalayas. The dance form is very unique in itself, said Sudhir Hindwal, a member of the Bhutia tribe.
“This dance form involves a lot of rigorous practice prior to the performance. We usually wear masks and perform this dance. This custom is a form of tribute to our great ancestors who have contributed a lot to the benefit of our people,” said Prem Hindwal, troupe leader.
This was followed up by a stunning Rinjha dance performance by the Santal tribe of Orissa. The Santals are a major tribe of the state who usually live in the hills of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Balasore districts. This particular dance form is usually performed during Rakhi Purnima where both men and women wear traditional attire and perform. This also contains a unique practice of men singing and playing musical instruments while women dance.
A group of 20 persons from Madhya Pradesh performed the Karma dance. In this dance form, a man first starts the stanza of Karma song and then the women are bound to repeat the song and vice-versa. If the woman fails to repeat the song, they are declared as losers. The Baiga tribe usually performs this dance form through which they also choose their life partners.
Other dance performances showcased on the concluding day were Diwasa dance of Rathwa tribe of Gujarat, Khutmandar dance of Gond tribe of Orissa, Kakchhad dance of Muria tribe of Chhattisgarh and Jethwari Lousawa dance of Kharia tribe of Jharkhand.