BARIPADA: There is a rustic charm to Durga Puja celebrations here. Worshipping the Goddess as a symbol of power, the Santhal tribals perform ‘Dansaye’ dance during the festival. They pray to the Goddess through this traditional dance form.
Santhal troupes from across the State arrived in the district on Monday to perform Dansaye in their bid to appease the Goddess and also earn some money during the five-day festival. Dressed in bright coloured attires, the tribal artistes dance to the soothing tunes of traditional musical instruments, including cymbal, Bhuang and flutes. Bhuang is a string instrument made from thinner portions of dried bamboo and gourd or disembowelled melon. It has intricate bamboo fixtures and supports that help in producing tunes, locally dubbed as ‘Lau Tamba’.
The Bhanja rulers of the erstwhile princely state of Mayurbhanj were the patrons of the tribal culture. They had once showered their benevolence on the ‘Dansaye’ too. According to historians, natives used to perform the dance during the festival at the ornate Lion Gate of the palace here, popularly known as ‘Rajbati.’