Energy, vigour and unbridled joie de vivre marked the dancers from different tribal pockets of the State as they performed a variety of tribal dances. The second Tribal Dance Festival, organised by the SC & ST Development Department, brought to fore the culture, tradition and way of life of people forgotten in obscure, far-flung corners of the State. Tribal communities of Odisha and two groups from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh showcased their quintessential rituals and musical and dance traditions at the festival that opened on Monday.
Over 40 tribal musical instruments were used for the performances and a majority of them were percussion instruments. The dancers wore uniquely decorated headgears of feathers. Some of them even wore headgears made of horns of stag and bison. Each of the several dancers who enthralled the audience with their exceptionally beautiful performance wore one or two bells round the waist and ankles.
The inaugural ceremony on Monday saw performance of the famed Gusadi dance of Gond tribals of Andhra Pradesh. They performed wearing head gears decorated with the peacock feathers and smeared ash all over their body. Beards made of animal hair were also an important part of the dance costumes.
Also showcased were Kalasi dance by Santhal tribes from Rairangpur, Durua dance by Durua tribe from Jeypore, Karma dance by Oraon tribe from Panposh and Dhap dance by Kandha tribe from Balangir. The colourful costumes of the tribal dancers, the precision of rhythm and the eye-catching symmetry of their steps delighted the audience. The Karma dance, in particular, appealed to the gathering. It is related to the fertility cult. Symbolising the beginning of the spring season, the dance happens to take place just at the onset of the rainy season and also when it ends. The instruments that accompanied the Karma dance consisted of the ‘Payri’, the ‘Chhalla’, ‘Thumki’ and ‘Jhumki’.
On the second day of the festival, Dhemsa dance by Gadabas in Koraput took the centre stage. Dhemsa is an age-old dance form of the tribals in Koraput district and quite popular among the Parajas, Gadabas, Bhumias, Bhotras and Kandhs.
The Saura tribe of Subarnapur performed Patra Saura dance which was accompanied by the music produced by drums, brass-cymbals, brass-gongs and hide-gongs. Likewise, Lanjia Saora, Chukutia Bhunjia, Mankiridia tribes from Odisha also performed their traditional dance forms.
The festival closed on Wednesday with a special Muria dance by the Muria tribals of Chhattisgarh. Peculiar about the dance form was the movement of drummers and the subtle changes they gave to drumming. This dance is usually performed by the tribals near Ghotul (a dormitory where teenage boys and girls mingle to gain knowledge and social ethics).
Other performances of the evening were Bhumji dance by tribals from Nilagiri, Kathi dance by Koraput tribals, Singa Nrutya by Desia Kandha of Phulbani and Paroja dance by Jhodia Paroja tribesmen of Rayagada. Apart from bringing to limelight the cultural life of tribal people, the festival also offered a peek into their everyday life. Their utensils, the ornaments they wear and the musical instruments with which they perform -- all found a place at the festival.
