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Punjabi dances are an array of folk and religious dances of the Punjabi people indigenous to the Punjab region, straddling the border of India and Pakistan. The style of Punjabi dances ranges from very high energy to slow and reserved, and there are specific styles for men and women.
Bhangra is the most popular folk dance from Punjab, originating in the Sialkot area of Punjab, Pakistan. [1] [2] [3] [4] It is especially associated with the vernal Vaisakhi festival. [5]
Bhangra was mainly done by Punjabi farmers during the harvesting season. It was mainly performed while farmers did agricultural chores. As they did each farming activity they would perform bhangra moves on the spot. [6] This allowed them to finish their job in a pleasurable way. After harvesting their wheat crops during the Vaisakhi season, people used to attend cultural festivals while dancing bhangra. [6] For many years, farmers performed bhangra to showcase a sense of accomplishment and to welcome the new harvesting season. [4]
Giddha is a popular women folk dance in the Punjab region. Giddha displays a traditional mode of performing Punjabi femininity, as seen through dress, choreography, and language. [7] While the form of giddha was not seriously affected by Partition of India, Gibb Schreffler writes that it has been classified as the women's dance counterpart to the male form bhangra, despite that not entirely being the case. [8]
Traditionally, women used to wear salwar kameez and Ghagra in bright colours and jewellery. The attire is completed by dressing the hair in two braids and folk ornaments and wearing a tikka on the forehead. [9]
Malwai Giddha is a male folk dance from the Malwa region of Punjab. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] The dance was originally performed by elderly men. The dance originated in the Malwa area of the Punjab region and is associated with the districts of Muktsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Sangrur, Ferozpur, Mansa and Patiala. [10]
Luddi is performed in circles by both men and women while clicking their fingers and clapping hands, jumps and half-turns. [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] It is mainly performed on weddings and sports to celebrate victory. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] It can be performed in pairs or in groups on tunes of dhol and shenayi. [25] 'Luddi hay jamalo' was a famous song sung by Noor Jehan in 1980s and often sung at weddings by women. [26] [27]
Sammi is a traditional dance form originating from the tribal belt of Punjab, particularly in the Sandalbar area and Pothohar region of Pakistani Punjab. [28] [29] Men usually perform the Sammi dance during conventional Punjabi parties. It is also performed by women, who dress in bright colourful kurtas and lehengas, often accompanied with a silver hair accessory. [30]
Commonly, it has a slow flow and people dance in a circle. While forming a ring, dancers swing their hands from the side and bring them to the front. [30] People implement a hopping sequence, along with using sticks in their hands. The Coke Studio track ‘Sammi Meri Waar’ by Umair Jaswal and Quratulain Baloch is a popular song of this dance genre. [30]
Jhumar, also called Ghumbar in the Sandalbar area, [31] is also popular in the Sandalbar areas of Punjab. [32] It is slower and more rhythmic form. [33] The word "Jhumar" comes from Jhum/Jhoom, which means Swaying. Jhumar is performed at the wedding ceremonies usually. [34] The dance is also performed in circle, to the tune of emotional songs. [34]
Kikkli is a popular female folk dance performed by two holding hands and twirling each other in circle and balancing their positions in circular motions. [35] [36] It is generally popular in young girls and performed in pairs. [37] [38] A variety of songs are used with clapping, usually with two females standing face to face close to each other and holding the hands crossing arms with the bodies inclined back; [35] [36] [39] in this position the arms are stretched to the maximum and hands interlock firmly. [39] Then they wheel round fast continuously with their dupattas floating in the air and anklets making tinkling sound. [38] [39] It is accompanied by songs with clapping. [36] Sometimes it is done by four women.
Gatka is a form of martial art associated primarily with the Sikhs of the Punjab. It is a style of stick-fighting, with wooden sticks intended to simulate swords. [40] The other weapon used is a shield, natively known as phari. [41] The gatka is now popular as a sport or sword dance performance art and is often shown during Sikh festivals. [42] Gatka's theory and techniques were taught by the Sikh gurus, and employed in the Sikh wars and has been thoroughly battle tested. [43]
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.
Gatka is a form of martial art associated primarily with the Sikhs of the Punjab and other related ethnic groups, such as Hindkowans. It is a style of stick-fighting, with wooden sticks intended to simulate swords. The Punjabi name, gatka, refers to the wooden stick used and this term might have originated as a diminutive of a Sanskrit word, gada, meaning "mace".
Giddha is a popular folk dance of women in the Punjab region. The dance is often considered derived from the ancient dance known as the ring dance and is just as energetic as bhangra; at the same time it manages to creatively display feminine grace, elegance and flexibility. It is a highly colourful dance form which has spread to all regions of India. Women perform this dance mainly at festive or social occasions. The dance is accompanied by rhythmic clapping, with a typical traditional folk song performed by elder women in the background.
Music of Punjab reflects the traditions of the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, associated with Punjabi language. Punjab is currently divided into two parts: East Punjab, in India, and West Punjab, the most populous province of Pakistan. The Punjab has diverse styles of music, ranging from folk and Sufi to classical, notably the Patiala gharana. Contemporary Punjabi music has tended to include more modern hip-hop and R&B sounds. While this style of music is obviously most popular in Punjab, it has seen popularity across the subcontinent and areas with large Punjabi diaspora populations, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Vaisakhi, also pronounced Baisakhi as well as Basoa, marks the first day of the month of Vaisakh and is traditionally celebrated annually on 13 April and sometimes 14 April. It is seen as a spring harvest celebration primarily in Punjab and Northern India. Further, other Indian cultures and diaspora celebrate this festival too. Whilst it is culturally significant as a festival of harvest, in many parts of India, Vaisakhi is also the date for the Indian Solar New Year.
Punjabi culture grew out of the settlements along the five rivers which served as an important route to the Near East as early as the ancient Indus Valley civilization, dating back to 3000 BCE. Agriculture has been the major economic feature of the Punjab and has therefore formed the foundation of Punjabi culture, with one's social status being determined by landownership. The Punjab emerged as an important agricultural region, especially following the Green Revolution during the mid-1960's to the mid-1970's, has been described as the "breadbasket of both India and Pakistan". Besides being known for agriculture and trade, the Punjab is also a region that over the centuries has experienced many foreign invasions and consequently has a long-standing history of warfare, as the Punjab is situated on the principal route of invasions through the northwestern frontier of the Indian subcontinent, which promoted to adopt a lifestyle that entailed engaging in warfare to protect the land. Warrior culture typically elevates the value of the community's honour (izzat), which is highly esteemed by Punjabis.
Saraiki culture is the culture of the Saraiki people, residing in Pakistan and outside Pakistan.
Malwai Giddha is the folk dance of males of Malwa region of Punjab. This dance was originally performed by Babey and hence is also called Babeyan da Gidhha but the dance is now performed by younger men too. This includes teasing of other people in Boliaan. The dance originated in the Malwa area of the Punjab region and is associated with the districts of Muktsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Sangrur, Ferozpur, Mansa and Patiala.
Jhumar or Jhoomar is a traditional jhang dance in Pakistan, it originates from jhang. It is also popular in the Sandalbar areas of Punjab. It is slower and more rhythmic form. The word "Jhumar" comes from Jhum/Jhoom, which means Swaying. Jhumar is performed at the wedding ceremonies usually. The dance is also performed in circle, to the tune of emotional songs.
Paramjit Singh Sidhu, professionally known as Pami Bai, is an Indian singer, songwriter and Bhangra dancer from Patiala.
Sammi is a traditional dance form originating from the tribal communities of Punjab. The dance is most popular in the Amritsar,Sandalbar and Pothohar regions of Punjab.
Punjabi festivals are various festive celebrations observed by Punjabis in Pakistan, India and the diaspora Punjabi community found worldwide. The Punjabis are a diverse group of people from different religious background that affects the festivals they observe. According to a 2007 estimate, the total population of Punjabi Muslims is about 90 million, with 97% of Punjabis who live in Pakistan following Islam, in contrast to the remaining 30 million Punjabi Sikhs and Punjabi Hindus who predominantly live in India.
Bhangra is a type of traditional folk dance of Punjab area of the Indian subcontinent. It is done in the season of harvesting. According to Manuel (2001), bhangra is especially associated with the vernal Vaisakhi festival.
Sapp, also spelled as Sap or Supp is a musical instrument native to Punjab. It is used with the folk dances Bhangra and Malwai Giddha.
Kikkli, also spelled as Kikli, is one of the folk dances of Punjabi females performed by two girls holding hands and twirling each other in circle and balancing their positions in circular motions. It is generally popular in young girls and performed in pairs. A variety of songs are used with clapping.
Punjabi folk music is the traditional music on the traditional musical instruments of the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. There is a great repertoire of music from the time of birth through the different stages of joy and sorrow till death. The folk music invokes the traditions as well as the hardworking nature, bravery and many more things that the people of Punjab get from its gateway-to-India geographical location. Due to the large area with many sub-regions, the folk music has minor lingual differences but invokes the same feelings. The sub-regions, Malwa, Doaba, Majha, Pothohar, and hills areas, have numerous folk songs. Punjabi dance OP Bhangra music which is a genre of Punjabi modern music invented in Britain by the Punjabi diaspora.
Luddi is a traditional folk dance of Punjab. It is performed in cirles by both men and women while clicking their fingers and clapping hands, jumps and half-turns. Luddi is performed on weddings and sports to celebrate victory, it is performed by all ages of men and women. Luddi is popular in both eastern (India) and western (Pakistan) Punjab. Luddi can be performed in pairs or in groups on tunes of dhol and shenayi. 'Luddi hay jamalo' was a famous song sung by Noor Jehan in 1980s and often sung at weddings by women.
Mohinder Kaur Bhamra is a British singer of Punjabi folk music, ghazals and Sikh hymns. Some of her songs have highlighted issues that concern British Indian women.
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