Folk dance of Kashmir integral part of the state’s rich culture

Folk dance of Kashmir

Aside from its picturesque beauty, Kashmir is also known for its traditional dances.

Kashmir’s festive spirit is usually with traditional folk dances.

Kashmir’s rich cultural heritage includes local music and traditional folk dance.

 Spread Love dance is a body melody.

The body expresses emotions and feelings through a mystical form of dance.

A magical and serene land of picturesque snowcap mountains, beautiful valleys, and lush greenery, Kashmir is home to many forms of folk dance that encapsulate the state’s magical cultural diversity.

Dance is the hidden language of soul and body. 

Kashmiri folklore includes soft and light music as well as unique dance forms for every festival.

It is widely known that Kashmir’s men and women do not perform together in folk dances as they mostly follow Muslim culture. 

  Kashmir’s rich heritage includes famous dances at all major events and weddings of the state, with special dances at events such as birthdays, harvests, and more.

The dance forms of Jammu and Kashmir are not restricted only by the state.

But they’re getting everyone’s attention across the country.

These traditional dances are now an integral part of the state’s rich culture. 

 Kud dance – folk dance of Kashmir

 One of the country’s well-known dance forms is the  Kud dance.

It is in honor of the god “Lok Devtas” as a thanksgiving ceremony and is mostly at night.

There are many interesting and twisted movements in this form.

Unlike other forms of dance, Kud Dance is more interesting because it can be performed by people of all ages.

The rhythm and beat of the music dominate this form of dance and the dancers plan their movements accordingly.

The dance uses some special instruments such as chaina, drums, narsingha, and flute.

Spontaneity is another key feature in basically all folk dances.

This type of dance is mainly on the hillsides of  Jammu during the rainy season.

The reason is that farmers and villagers working as farmers want to serve the local deity Gramdevta to protect their livestock, corn crops, children, and families from all kinds of natural disasters.

Local farmers usually perform this dance, and people from nearby villages join in the celebration.

Everyone in their best attire dances the night away and celebrates in a festive mood.

In a typical Kud dance, dancers perform 20 to 30 numbers by farmers to thank the gods, usually lasting late into the night.

The performance uses a variety of instruments, which are designed to not only increase the enthusiasm of the performers but also to increase the enthusiasm of the audience for the performance.

The dancers try to play well with every beat of the drums and the rhythm of the music.

It goes all night and continues into the morning. 

  Dumkhal Dance Folk dance of Kashmir

 

 Of all the dance forms, the most famous dance form practiced in Kashmir is Dumkhal.

The dancers in this dancewear brightly colored clothes and conical hats, which are usually studded with beads and look very beautiful.

Not all men can perform this dance, but only the men of Wattala can perform this dance and even on special occasions.

This dance is very different from all dances in a specific place and on a specific occasion.

There is a special ritual way in which the dancers have to dance, a banner is put on the ground, and the dance usually starts with a group of men dancing around this banner.

The dancers sing in sweet voices in a choir, joined by drum rolls in between.

Also, a popular folk dance is the “Dumkhal Dance” by the people of the Wattatal region on special occasions.

However, It is known for its colorful costumes with conical hats.

Men perform this dance holding flags or banners, and the dance begins with the traditional process of placing the banners on the ground. rough dance 

 

 

Rouf Dance Folk dance of Kashmir

Another well-known conventional dance shape is Rouf which also is in the Kashmir region.

This dance shape is practiced during festive events like Eid and Ramzan days are going.

It is finished through the organization of girls’ status head to head to every different however the maximum wonderful function of this dance shape is the footwork of the dancers.

One of the maximum recognized dance shapes in all of the areas of Jammu and Kashmir is `Rouf;

that is normally stated as `rouf` in villages and as `row` in cities. It is a dance finished on set of the spring season and has usually been a crucial part of kashmiri humans for the reason that a completely long time.

History of Rouf dance

This dance originated withinside the Muslim network to have fun during the spring seasons and beautify the festive spirit, inclusive of Id-ul-Fitr. During crop harvesting, girls carry out this comfortable dance in a collection. 

Rouf dance overall performance

 All the girls be part collectively through following easy steps, called Chakri. Women put on Salwar Kameez with a stunning head-headband called Kassab.  Women wore conventional silver jewelry and finished this dance at some point during the time of harvesting with the poetic tune.

Instrument and tune of Rouf Dance

The tune is sung rhythmically through one organization asking questions and the alternative organization responding to it. 

Bhand Pather Folk dance of Kashmir

It is a shape of a Theatre dance finished in Kashmir.

This dance shape does now no longer most effectively consist of dance but additionally consists of performances among dances that captivate the audience.

It suggests the regular lives, traditions, and evils winning withinside the society.

Bhands are normally the people’s entertainers or dancers of Kashmir

and Bhand Pather is a conventional people’s theatre of Kashmir that is usually finished in social and cultural ceremonies.

It depicts social traditions and evils at the same time as bringing out satire in them.

It is a powerful amalgamation of dance and performance.

Bachha Nagma Folk dance of Kashmir

This but every other dance shape is normally at cultural gatherings or unique features like weddings.

and is most effective and most effective finished through boys.

Even guy can carry out this dance however ought to be dressed as boys.

It includes six to seven participants.

most and there may be no outside singer one of the dancers is the lead singer many of the dancers that sing in a melodious voice.

and different participants joins him in chorus,

this creates a completely soothing impact as a maximum of the singers are younger in age.

The clothes worn through dancers incredibly resemble to the ones worn through Kathak dancers.

In a few elements this dance shape is likewise recognized through the name `Bachha Gyavaun` which means younger harmonious voice.

Hafiza Dance Folk dance of Kashmir

It is a dance this is finished at weddings and is a shape of Kashmiri conventional dance.

There is a unique device used on this dance called Santoor that includes nearly a hundred strings and is performed with the assistance of sticks.

Bhand Jashan

Bhand Jashan is a completely soothing dance with a very mild tune and in a conventional fashion through ten to 15 dancers.

It may be a very appealing and easy dance withinside the Jammu & Kashmir nation of India at many events.

This dance has a smaller record and no information is to be had to be older extra than three hundred to four hundred years.

The word “Bhand” contains the means of a clown and “Jashan” contains the means of function.

At every event, the dancers placed the gesture of the clown and carry out this dance.

This dance is specifically for marriage ceremonies or beginning of a toddler or another event of joy.

This dance is on a specific tale and consequently, it’s miles a mixture overall performance.

The play describes withinside the dance as primarily totally on easy and comfortable subjects. 

 

Costumes

This dance may be very famous in the Western and Upper regions of Jammu and Kashmir.

It is that Poonch district is the beginning factor of this dance.

This dance is finished through each guy and girl.

Men

Men put on colorful Kurtas and Pyjamas with colorful caps on their heads as headgear.

A large “Dupatta: is likewise by guys both around the waist or on the forehead.

A normal “Juti” is likewise put on at some point of overall performance.

Men opt to bring colorful “Rumals” of their fingers like in the “Bhangra” dance of Punjab.

Women

Women dancers put on “Kashmiri Pheran kind Kurta” and “Salwar”.

They use a head headband on the head with the unique decoration of Kashmir.

They additionally use a “Dupatta” of their waist.

Footwear is similar to put on through guys dancers.

Performance

This dance is in a collection extra than 10 and now no longer extra than 15.

No heavy musical gadgets vicinity on this dance.

All the dancers show their fingers withinside the waist of the co-dancer and together flow ahead and backward with the mild beats of the drums.

This dance is like a direct interplay with the spectators as dancers use the platform thru the public.

In this dance, any tale may be displayed even from a social factor to political trouble too.

The language of this dance is normally now no longer Kashmiri however, Persian, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu vicinity combined in step with the challenge of dance is chosen.

Area

This dance is normally in the Rajouri, Sopor, Kishtwar, Poonch, Doda and Pahalgam regions of the nation.

Bacha Nagma 

 

 This Kind of dance showcases the harvesting season.

and is by only boys and among those boys, one performs the role of Female and performs Hafiza-style dance.

Bacha Nagma Dance is a popular traditional dance in wedding ceremonies and parties by men and women.

This dance is a source of entertainment due to loud music and young boys singing in a female voice to add more interest. 

 

  Wuegi-Nachun 

 

 This dance form is generally after all the rituals of the wedding when the bride is about to leave her parental home.

Kashmiri Pundit females gather around bridal rangoli and dance. 

Wuegi-nachun is a type of folk dance that is by Kashmiri pundit women after the marriage ceremony in Shikhara.

Kashmiri women sing their traditional songs as they dance around the bride’s rangoli. 

 

Hafiz dance 

 

 Women dance this dance on their wedding day.

A unique instrument to play the classical piece that the dance is on.

The Hafiz dance is widely by Kashmiri at-home weddings and when the wedding Cortez sets off by boat on the Jhelum River. 

 Dandaras dance Folk dance of Kashmir

 

 An energetic and professional dance performed in honor of the Lori Festival.

The dancers carry sticks, colored paper, and bamboo peacock models. 

 Surma Dance Folk dance of Kashmir

 

It is an attractive as well as an emotional dance that a group of people performs to present the emotions of newly-married women whose husbands are not with them because they have gone to war.  

 

 

 

 Hikkat dance 

 

 The Kashmiri Hikkat Dance is one of the most popular folk dances in the state of Kashmir.

 young girls from the Kashmir Valley perform this dance.

Kashmir is a state of India that has tremendous evolution in terms of culture.

irrespective of the fact that the state has a lot of political disturbance and threats of terrorism because this is in the line of control (LOC) in between India and Pakistan.

There are several folk dance forms that are prevalent among the different communities in the state of Kashmir.

The Hikat dance is one of the major folk dances in the state of Kashmir which is highly appreciated and acclaimed nationally and internationally. 

History 

 The Kashmir region has a mixed culture with both Hindus and Muslims residing in the valley.

The Hikat dance is one of the oldest folk dance forms.

on auspicious occasions like marriages and is of high importance in the Kashmiri culture dance performance.

Although the hikkat dance is very well known, little is known about its origins and development over time.

However, it is clear that this form of folk dance is by young girls at weddings for fun and event celebrations. 

 Ladisha 

 

 This Kashmiri dance form is very popular and Ladishah holds a very important place in the Kashmiri musical tradition.

Ladishah dance is a vicious form of singing.

These songs present the current political and social situation in a very humorous way.

 

Dumahal

The famous folk dance of the Kashmiri people, known as Damhal, is performed by the Rauf tribe at specific occasions and designated places. This dance is generally performed by the men of Watal, who wear colorful long robes and tall conical hats adorned with beads and conch shells. Along with dancing, the performers also sing in chorus, accompanied by various drums. During the dance, the performers move in a ritualistic way and plant a banner into the ground on different occasions, after which the men dance around the banner.

 

 

 

Conclusion 

  The diverse traditional folk dances of Jammu and Kashmir attract people from all over the country.

Unique and enchanting dances to celebrate parties, weddings, and harvest season.

The traditional and folk dances of Jammu and Kashmir convey their religious ideas and bring ancient traditions to life.

The Kashmiri dance attracts many people who feel like they are part of the performance.

Especially on holidays, various shows are involving different people and traditional dances.

Kashmir’s performing arts attract more tourists.