Genre | Folk dance |
---|---|
Inventor | Deori, Thengals, Chutias, Sonowals |
Origin | Assam, India |
The Bihu dance is an indigenous folk dance from the Indian state of Assam related to the Bihu festival and an important part of Assamese culture. Performed in a group, the Bihu dancers are usually young men and women, and the dancing style is characterized by brisk steps and rapid hand movements. The traditional costume of dancers is centered around the red color theme, signifying joy and vigour.
The origins of the dance lies in ethnic groups, such as Deoris, Sonowal Kacharis, Morans, Chutias, Boros, Rabhas, and Borahis, among others. [1] According to scholars, the Bihu dance has its origins in ancient fertility cults that were associated with increasing the fertility of the population as well as the land. [2] Traditionally, local farming communities performed the dance outdoors, in fields, groves, forests or on the banks of rivers, especially under the fig tree. [3] [4]
Bihu is mentioned in the inscriptions of the 14th-century Chutia King Lakshminaryan as well.
The dance begins with the performers, young men and women, slowly walking into the performance space. [5] The men then start playing musical instruments, like drums (particularly the double-headed dhol), horn-pipes and flutes, while the women place their hands above their hips with their palms facing outwards, forming an inverted triangular shape. [6] The women then start to slowly move in tune with the music by swaying, while bending slightly forward from the waist. Gradually, they open up their shoulders and place their legs slightly apart, adopting the main posture used in the Bihu dance. Meanwhile, the music played by the men picks up in temp, leading women to thrust forward their breasts and pelvis, alternatively, to the tune. [3] [7]
Some variations include men and women forming lines that face one other by holding each other's neck or waist, with more advanced sequences of the dance including men and women pairing up at the center of the performance area and dancing in a manner that imitates copulation. [8]
The Bihu dance takes its name from the Bohag Bihu festival (also called Rangali Bihu), the national festival of Assam, which celebrates the Assamese New Year. The festival takes place in mid-April, and the Bihu dance is meant to celebrate and emulate the seasonal spirit, celebrating fertility and passion. [9] [10]
Bihu is performed by groups of young men and women, and in earlier times, it served principally as a courtship dance. The Bihu dance's association with fertility refers to both human fertility, through the erotic nature of the dance, as well as the fertility of nature, meaning the celebration of spring and the welcoming of the life-giving spring rain. The use of instruments such as drums and hornpipes is believed to replicate the sound of rain and thunder as a way of invoking actual precipitation. [3]
Historically, there is evidence that the Bihu dance was looked down upon in Assamese society, especially during colonial times, because of the sexually charged nature of the performance, which clashed with the Victorian views that were dominant at the time among British colonists. [3] Presently, the Bihu dance is a cultural emblem in modern-day Assamese society, becoming a symbol of the Assamese cultural identity. The first time that the Bihu dance was performed on a stage was in 1962, as part of a cultural event that took place in Guwahati. [3]
Assam state has made a Guinness world record for performing the largest Bihu dance in one single venue on April 14, 2023. The event took place at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati Assam. A group of 11,000 Bihu dancers and drummers participated. [11]
Assam is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of 78,438 km2 (30,285 sq mi). It is the second largest state in northeastern India by area and the largest in terms of population, with more than 31 million inhabitants. The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to the east; Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south; and West Bengal to the west via the Siliguri Corridor, a 22-kilometre-wide (14 mi) strip of land that connects the state to the rest of India. Assamese is the official language for the entire state and Boro for Bodoland Territorial Region Meitei (Manipuri) is recognised as an additional official language in Hojai district and for the Barak Valley region, alongside Bengali, which is also an official language in the Barak Valley.
Bihu is of three types and it is an important cultural festival unique to the Indian state of Assam – 'Rongali' or 'Bohag Bihu' observed in April, 'Kongali' or 'Kati Bihu' observed in October or November, and 'Bhogali' or 'Magh Bihu' observed in January. The festivals present an admixture of Tibeto-Barman, Austroasiatic and Indo-Aryan traditions entwined so intricately that it is impossible to separate them—festivals which are uniquely Assamese to which all communities of Assam had contributed elements. The Rongali Bihu is the most important of the three, celebrating spring festival. The Bhogali Bihu or the Magh Bihu is a harvest festival, with community feasts. The Kongali Bihu or the Kati Bihu is the sombre, thrifty one reflecting a season of short supplies and is an animistic festival.
Dhol can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in Indian subcontinent primarily includes northern areas such as the Jammu, Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Kashmir, Sindh, Assam Valley, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Konkan, Goa, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. A related instrument is the dholak or dholki. Dhols are amongst other events used in Indian wedding ceremony processions such as Baraat or Varyatra.
The culture of Assam is traditionally a hybrid one, developed due to cultural assimilation of different ethno-cultural groups under various political-economic systems in different periods of its history.
Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu also called Xaat Bihu is a traditional ethnic festival celebrated in the Northeastern Indian state of Assam and other parts of Northeastern India by the indigenous ethnic groups of Assam, and marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. The festival is of mostly aboriginal origin comprising Tibeto-Burman and Tai elements. It usually falls in the 2nd week of April, historically signifying the time of harvest. Every year it falls on the 14th day of April. The holiday unites the different native communities of Assam regardless of their backgrounds and promotes the celebration of ethnic diversity.
Magh Bihu (also called Bhogali Bihu or Maghar Domahi is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam, North-East India, which marks the end of harvesting season in the month of Magh. A bonfire is lit for the ceremonial conclusion and prayer to the God of Fire. The festival is developed by the Tibeto-Burman cultures and festivals Magan of Kachari.
Jonai is the easternmost Sub-division and newly Declared Co - District of Dhemaji District in India's Assam State, about 554 Km. away from the state capital, Dispur. Covering a total geographical area of 1181.2 Sq. Km. It is it is bounded by Arunachal Pradesh in the north, Lali & Brahmaputra River in the south, Sipiya river & Sadiya Subdivision of Tinsukia district in the east and Simen River in the west. It's is located in the eastern part of northeast and it has the last Railway station called Murkongselek railway station in Dhemaji District. It's local resident are the Mising, Assamese and Gorkha. Some tourist attractions are in Poba Wildlife Sanctuary, 3 miles.
Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, also known as Sarusajai Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Lokhra locality, Guwahati, Assam, India. Seating 21,600 people, it is the home ground of NorthEast United FC and is used for athletic events. The stadium was one of the venues for the 2007 National Games, the 2016 South Asian Games, and the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Hazarika was a Paik officer under the administration of the Ahom kingdom and Koch kingdom. The commander over 1,000 (Hazar) paiks was known as a Hazarika. As it was a purely administrative position, the title holder could belong to diverse ethnic groups and religions.
The Tiwa people is a Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group primarily inhabiting the Northeast Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, and some parts of neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Xutuli is a musical instrument used during the Rongali Bihu festival in Assam, India. It can either be made from clay or the lower end of a bamboo tree which is left after the main part falls or is cut off.
Folk dances of Assam include the Bihu and the Bagurumba, the Bhortal, the Ojapali dance. Assam is home to many groups: Muslim, Indo-Aryan, Rabha, Bodo, Dimasa, Karbi, Mising, Sonowal Kacharis, Mishmi and Tiwa (Lalung) etc. These cultures come together to create an Assamese culture. Residents of the state of Assam are known as "Axomiya" (Assamese). Most tribes have their own language, although Assamese is the primary language of the state.
Rameshwar Pathak was an acclaimed Kamrupi Lokgeet singer from Kamrup, Assam, India. He also worked as a teacher in Arya Vidyapeeth Higher Secondary and Multipurpose School, Guwahati from 1963 to 1996.
Kalabari is a locality in the tehsil/ mandal of Pub-Chaiduar in the Biswanath district of the Indian state of Assam.
The Chutia people are an ethnic group that are native to Assam and historically associated with the Chutia kingdom. However, after the kingdom was absorbed into the Ahom kingdom in 1523–24, the Chutia population was widely displaced and dispersed in other parts of Upper Assam as well as Central Assam. They constitute one of the core groups that form the Assamese people.
The Kamrupi people are a linguistic group that speak the Kamrupi dialects of Assamese and are found in the colonial Kamrup district region of Assam, India.
Assam – 16th largest, 15th most populous and 26th most literate state of the 28 states of the democratic Republic of India. Assam is at 14th position in life expectancy and 8th in female-to-male sex ratio. Assam is the 21st most media exposed states in India. The Economy of Assam is largely agriculture based with 69% of the population engaged in it. Growth rate of Assam's income has not kept pace with that of India's during the Post-British Era; differences increased rapidly since the 1970s. While the Indian economy grew at 6 percent per annum over the period of 1981 to 2000, the same of Assam's grew only by 3.3 percent.
All Assamese Students' Association or AASA is a students' organisation for the students of Assam studying in Delhi. They have been organising various events and activities to hold and safeguard the culture and tradition of Assam in the Capital of India and adjacent regions.
Bhatheli, also known as Paowra Tola, is a Hindu festival mainly celebrated in North Kamrup, Assam. The festival is held in the month of Vaisakha. In northern Kamrup, it is referred to as "Bhatheli", while in southern Kamrup, it goes by the names "Sori" or "Suanri". In Goalpara, it is known as Sori, and in Darrang, itis called "Deul". Where in the Bajali area of north Kamrup a bamboo is kept against a Banyan tree called "Madan Mohan Gosain", a name of Krishna.