Famous Folk Dances Of Assam: A Rich And Enthralling Cultural Expression

Known for its diverse and rich culture, Assam is one of the significant states of North East India. Dance forms are an exquisite form of expressing one’s culture and history. The traditions, values and culture of Assam can be witnessed through the various folk-dance forms of the state.

Below is a list of a few of the folk dances of Assam. Read here:

LIST OF FAMOUS FOLK DANCES OF ASSAM

BIHU

Bihu is the very essence of Assam. It holds great importance and cultural significance among the people of Assam. Beside the festival of Bihu, the Bihu dance is a celebrated form of expression of the Assamese people. Dancers are adorned in traditional attire and jewellery.

Women wear “sador mekhela” and the men put on a “phulam gamusa” along with “dhoti-kurta”. The dance moves are uniquely coordinated and precise and require long hours of practise.

The dance is accompanied with the sounds of Dhul, Pepah and Gogona. Energetic cheers from the dancers and the audience are ushered rhythmically.

BAGURUMBA

Bagurumba is a famous folk dance performed by Bodo women. In this occasion, they adorn themselves with colourful traditional clothes known as “dokhna”, “jwmgra” and “aronia”. The dance is a blend of beautiful vocals and gracefully coordinated dance moves which resemble the flapping of butterfly wings.  

JHUMUR

The popular folk dance of Jhumur originates from the tea gardens of Assam. The tea community is of utmost importance to the state of Assam. Their contribution towards tea plantation has set Assam very high in the global radar of the tea industry.

The women wear white sarees with bold red borders, flowers in their hair bun, anklets and apply altaon their hands and feet. Although there are different variations of the dance, the most common one can be recognised as the one where the dancers interlock their arms with each other and perform in a repetitive rhythm.

BHORTAL

Bhortal originated from the Sankari culture of Assam. It is performed by both young and old males alike. The dancers use big cymbals during the performance. It is quite an energetic and spirited way of storytelling through their movements. They clash the cymbal on the beats of the drum and make several formations and vigorous gestures.

DEODHANI

Unlike the above-mentioned folk dances, Deodhani is usually performed by a solo female dancer. Often times, a group of three or four women also does the performance. This dance form is a dedication to the snake goddess; Goddess Manasa.

The word “deo” refers to “God” and the word “Dhani” refers to a woman who is possessed by a shaman. This expressive dance form is dubbed as a war dance. The performers use a sword and shield as props.

GUMRAG

The Gumrag or ‘ Gumrag Sohman’’ dance belongs to the Mising tribe of Assam. The dance is performed on the occasion of Ali-Aye-Leegang and the Mishing Bihu. Women wear traditional hand-woven colourful attire. Jewelllery like “kentumaduli”, “tadok”, “konge”, “onsalmora” and such more are also worn.

OJAPALI

Considered to be one of the oldest folk dance forms, this dance is slowly dying away. Generally, performed by a group of five men, this dance incorporates the usage of cymbals known as “Khutitaal”.

The word Ojapali is made of two words- “Oja” refers to the lead dancer and “Pali” refers to the assistant dancers. The dance is accompanied by songs sung in Sanskrit. This expressive storytelling dance form usually narrates stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Which is the folk dance of Assam?

- Though there are several folk dances of Assam, the most popular folk dance is Bihu.

2. Which is the famous dance of Assam?

- The famous dance of Assam is Bihu in the folk-dance category and Sattriya in the classical dance category.

3. How many folk dances are there in Assam?

- There are many folk dances in Asssam. Bihu, Bagurumba, Bhortal, Ojapali, Jhumur, Gumrag and Deodhani to name a few.

ALSO READ: Folk Dances of Meghalaya: Exploring the Enchanting Rhythms of Meghalaya

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