Dances

Jhinjhia Dance

This dance is devoted to the mother goddess of Terai of Nepal. It is performed on the auspicious occasion of Dasain, a famous festival of Terai of Nepal. This is especially devoted to Durga Bhavani, the Goddess of victory over vice. This is performed for a whole lunar fortnight in the month of Ashwin(Sept.-October) on the auspicious occasion of Dasain. The main objective of this dance is to ward off evil spirits. The moon shines in the milky sky. The rains are over. The paddy plants dance in the fertile field of the Terai. The very weather is also soothing and sweet. This dance is performed during night by young girls. In this dance, they dance with burning lamps on top of the water-jars that they carry on their heads.

Jat-Jatin Dance

This dance is also performed after the rainy season. It is both a dual dance. The role of Jat is performed by male and the role of Jatin is performed by female. In this dance, the male dances as Lord Shiva while the female dances as Paravti, the consort of Shiva. Two groups of girls stand on each others opposite sides. There is one dance leader in every group. This leader leads the dancing group. They express their griefs, grievances, agonies and anguish in musical tones. They also express love and disgust and despair in love while dancing.

Sama-Chakwa Dance

This dance is duet one. It is performed for a full fortnight under the starry sky. It starts on the day when Terain ladies observe fast on the occasion of their greatest-festival. Chhatha. It ends on the full moon festival in Terai of Nepal. The lovely ladies sing and dance and pray for their brothers’ long life and successful attempt in every effort. This is a symbolic dance in which love between brother and sister is displayed through many symbols. The girls also dance in group and express their sentiments. They make earthen idols and through them they express love towards their brothers. They also make the idols of Chugla (clown), Brindavana, Satbhaiya (Seven Brothers), Khanjan (A migratory Bird) and dog. The clown (Chugala) is condemned. It indicates that people who are spies are looked down upon in social life of Terai state. They start playing this dance drama from the day of Bhaiya Dooj, a famous folk festival of Terai of Nepal.

Kirtaniya Dance

This dance is widely practiced from Mechi to Mahakali in Terai of Nepal. It is very ancient dance devoted to Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna. It is especially performed on the auspicious occasion of Satyanarain Bhagwan Puja (Worship of Lord Satyanarain) who is very popular god in Terai of Nepal. It is also performed on the occasions of Asthayam and Ekah recitation of the name of Lord Ram for twenty four hours continuously. Even Vidyapati has mentioned in his book Purush Pariksha about this dance. It is deeply rooted in the hearts of Terain people.

Nachari Dance

Dovational dances dedicated to Lord Shiva are called Nachari Dance. They are accompanied by devotional songs. They are also called Mahesh Vani (the words of the Lord Mahesha). The Terain people are outwardly and widely devotees of Lord Shiva rather than of Lord Vishnu because Shiva is considered very benevolent. He can be pleased easily by the limited means of worship and offering. Nachari dance is purely devotional in nature. Devotees of Shiva perform this dance on the auspicious occasions of Maha Shivaratri and Basant Panchmi and in the early hours of the day and also in the winter season.

Bhagata Dance

This religious dance is performed to ward off the evil spirits which attack men and women. Bhagata is the man who sings and dances under the influence of some deities. He is supposed to help getting rid of ghosts and spirits which generally attack men and women and children alike. A group of Bhagatas perform this dance to observe the worshipping of Kali and Sokha, famous local deities of the Terai of Nepal. They are clan deities of certain castes and creeds. This is hereditary dance in which these deities are honored, worshipped, appeased or beseeched. They are also offered flowers, wicks, holy water, rice, sweets and fruits.

Kaharba Dance

It is a popular dance of western Terai of Nepal. Dancers earn their livelihood by entertaining people with their lively and enchanting dance. They move from door to door or sometimes from village to village singing and dancing in a group of four and five persons, carrying musical instruments. They are professionals.

Mungrahawa Dance

This is also called stick dance. This is characterized by hand and hip movements. This is a popular dance of the Tharu community of western Nepal and also of Chitwan. The young Tharu boys holding wooden sticks in their hands dance to their own stick beats. Musical instrument madal is accompanied with the beatings of sticks. This dance these days is especially performed to entertain the tourists visiting Royal Chitwan National Park and Bardia Wild Life Camp in Western Nepal. This is a good men of earning foreign exchange which adds to our national economy to a great extent. Thus, this dance of Terai of Nepal has been internationalized and is getting popularity day by day.

Sakhiya Dance

This is a very popular dance of women folk of western Nepal. It is performed during Durga Pooja festival. In this dance young beautiful girls dance rhythmically. Holding handkerchiefs in their hands, they dance to the beat of the musical instrument, madal.

Jhumare Dance

This is a very popular folk dance of Terai of Nepal. In this dance, women in a group or in a circle sing songs to spend their time. This is very popular dance among ladies. This is also performed as a folk game by the women folk, accompanied by folksongs and dances.

Fagua Dance or Hori Dance

This is the dance of youthfulness, romance and of the spirit of spring. It is performed in the spring. It is performed in the spring season which is considered as the season of Kamdeo ( god of love). So it tends to express the erotic and amorous sentiments of the young boys and young girls. One group dancer leads the group and often repeats his utterance on his drum ‘Hori Hai’ ‘Hori Hai’ and dances. Others follow his reproduction. In this way they move from one door to another in a group. Every house owner receives this group with respect and serves what he can. Abir (red powder) and red colours are served freely. The whole group becomes red. Some musical instruments like Dhol, Damfa and Cymhals. This dance is a great source of popular entertainment in the Terai of Nepal. This dance should be patronized by modern music lovers because it is very rhythmical. Fagua folk songs are sung along with this dance. The spring festival of Fagua in the Terai of Nepal is the most buoyant of all Hindu festivals.

 

 

 

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