Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara

● It is organized in Medaram near Warangal in Telangana. It is also called

'Medaram Jatra'.
● It is one of the largest fairs in the world. After the Kumbh Mela in India, the
largest number of devotees gather in this fair.
● It is also the largest tribal festival in Asia.
● Sammakka-Saralamma is organized by the Koya tribe.
● Sammakka-Saralamma were mother and daughter, who fought against the
unjust laws of the then rulers.

Bonalu
● This festival is celebrated in Telangana in June-July.
● In this festival devotees worship Goddess Mahakali to fulfill their wishes.
● This festival is celebrated by the people of the twin states of Hyderabad and
Secunderabad in the month of July/August.
● During this festival, rice is cooked with milk and jaggery in brass and
earthen pots, which are decorated with neem leaves, turmeric and
vermillion.

Vilasini Natyam and Veeranatyam

● Vilasini Natyam is a dance tradition of Devadasis in Andhra Pradesh.
● Veeranatyam is a very old dance form in the state of Andhra Pradesh, which
has great religious significance.
● This attractive type of dance is also known as Veerangam and Veerabhadra
Nrityam. The word 'Veera' literally means brave.
● Thus as the name of the dance suggests it is a dance of the brave.
● Veeranatyam is depicted in Hindu mythology.

Ugadi
● Ugadi is a New Year festival celebrated in the South Indian states of Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.
● In Maharashtra this festival is celebrated as Gudi Padwa.
 ● Jaggery (sweet) and Neem (bitter) are served in it, which is called Bevu-Bela
in the South, it symbolizes the happiness and sorrow in life.
● On Ugadi, the doors of houses are decorated with mango leaves which are
called 'Toran' in Kannada.

Dhangari Gaj
● 'Dhangari Gaj' is a dance prevalent in Sholapur district of Maharashtra,
where it is known as 'Dhangar'.
● This dance form is mainly performed by the people of Gadaria caste in
honor of their deity Biruba.
● These songs are usually in poetic form.
● In this dance, the dancers dance wearing traditional clothes like dhoti while
swinging colorful handkerchiefs.

Lavani
● Lavani is one of the most popular folk dance forms of India. It is prevalent in
the state of Maharashtra.
● The word Lavani is derived from the word 'Lavanya' which means beauty.
● This dance is performed by women.
● Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, performed
exclusively to the beats of Dholak.
● The dance was at its peak popularity during the Peshwa rule in the 18th
century.

Ummat-Aat
● 'Ummat-Aat' is a folk dance performed in the Kurg district of
Karnataka.
● In this dance, Kodava women, adorned in traditional attire and
jewelry, dance with cymbals in their hands.
● The main dancer holds a pot filled with water, symbolizing the
goddess Kaveri, and dances around with it.

Kamsale
● 'Kamsale' is a traditional dance form of the Karnataka state.
 ● This dance is performed in praise of Lord Shiva and is carried out by
the dancers belonging to the Kuruba community of Karnataka.
● There are approximately five variations of this dance in Karnataka -
Sannata, Parijata, Doddatta, Yakshagana, and Dasharatha.

Bolak Aat
● Bolak Aat is a dance form of the Kodagu region in the state of
Karnataka.
● This dance is performed by Kodava men in an open field behind a lit
oil lamp.
● The dancers hold a chiyavari (a Yak fur) in one hand and an odi-kathi
(a small sword) in the other hand while performing the dance.

Kalbelia dance
● This dance is organized by the women of Kalbelia community of
Rajasthan.।
● The dress and dance moves in this dance are similar to that of a
'Snake'.
● In this, a musical instrument is used by snake charmers, which is
called 'Bean'.
● In Kalbelia songs, mythological knowledge is propagated through
stories.
● In 2010, UNESCO included Kalbelia dance in the list of Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Dandiya Raas
● Dandiya Raas is a folk dance from Gujarat which is performed during
Navratri festival.
● This dance is performed by the people of Koli, Kathiawadi Rajput and
Rabadi communities of Gujarat.
● This dance is performed on the full moon in autumn with dandiya i.e.
small stick in hand.
 ● A mock fight between Goddess Durga and Mahishasura is also
performed during this dance.

Bhagoria dance
● This dance Bhagoria festival is celebrated by the tribes (Bhil, Bhilala
and Patelia) of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
● It is celebrated for seven days in the month of March.
● This dance is performed on the occasion of Holi.
● During this group of unmarried youths go to each other's village
where unmarried girls are welcomed and choose a groom of their
choice.

'Laru Kaj’ dance

● This dance is performed by the Gond community of Madhya Pradesh.
● This dance is performed every nine or twelve years for health,
happiness and wealth.
● During this ceremony the Gond community organizes in honor of their
chief deity, Narayan Dev.

Pungcholam
● Pungcholam is a traditional folk dance of Manipur. The meaning of
Pungcholam is 'Roar of the drums'.
● This dance is performed by either men or women and is usually
based on the concept of Raas Leela.
● Through this dance, the dancer uses a musical instrument (a type of
drum) called pung.
● The performers of this dance wear a dhoti, turban (usually white
color) and a garland made of basil seeds.
● This dance is performed in Manipur during marriages, worship and
funerals.

Hojagiri dance
● Hojagiri dance is performed by the Reang tribe of Tripura.
● This dance is performed during Lakshmi Puja.
 ● This dance is performed only by women and men who do music and
singing.

Bumchu Dance
● Bumchu is a famous festival, celebrated by the Buddhists living in
Sikkim.
● The literal meaning of Bumchu is a "sacred pot" .
● On the first day of this festival, monks are seen opening the sacred
vase of water at Tashiding Monastery.
● It is used to make predictions and generate forecasts for the coming
year.

Rauf dance
● Rauf dance is a popular traditional dance form of Kashmir Valley of
Jammu and Kashmir.
● This dance is organized during the harvest and in the month of
Ramzan.
● Stepping is used in this dance, it is called 'Chakri' in the local
language.
● This dance is performed by a group of women dressed in beautiful
costumes towards each other in two rows.
● The women who perform this dance wear beautiful and colorful
traditional clothes called 'Pheran'.

Hikat Folk Dance

● Similar to the Dhamali dance, this is also a popular folk dance of the
Kashmir Valley.
● In this dance, no musical instruments are used, and the dancers
perform based on the lyrics of the dance song.
This dance is performed by young boys and girls.
● In this dance, the dancing couple holds each other's hands and joins
one leg together while performing the dance.
Nati Folk
● This is a folk dance prevalent in the Kullu, Sirmaur, Mandi, and
Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh.
● Initially, this dance starts slowly, which is why it is also called "Dheeli
Nati," but later it picks up its pace.
● During this dance, musical instruments like dholak, shehnai, and
bansuri are used.
● The districts of Shimla and Solan in Himachal Pradesh are known as
"Mahasu," where the dance form called "Mahasu Nati" is popular.
● This dance is performed by both women and men near a temple.
● They hold each other's hands and dance in a circular and diagonal
movement.

Chham Dance
● This dance is prevalent in Himachal Pradesh.
● It is also called Asur or Vampire dance.
● This dance is performed by the Lamas of Lahul to pay respect to Lord
Buddha.
● It is a dance form performed by Buddhists to ward off evil spirits.
● While performing the dance, the dancers wear traditional
embroidered clothes decorated with gold and black and yellow
colours.

Thoda
● This martial art is a mixed form of sport and culture, which is
prevalent in Himachal Pradesh.
● This martial art is performed every year during Vaisakhi.
● The performance of this martial art depends on the archery skills of a
player and the origin of this martial arts is believed to be from the time
of Mahabharata.
 ● Wooden bows and arrows are used during Thoda. The length of the
bow is 1.5 to 2 meters according to the height of the archer and the
length of the arrows is kept in proportion to the bow.
● A little martial art which is a type of sport, it consists of two groups
(500 people in each group). One of the two groups is called 'Pasis'
and the other is called 'Sathish', who are believed to be the
descendants of Pandavas and Kauravas of Mahabharata.

Kadsa dance
● This is a female dominated dance Celebrated in Jharkhand.
● Kadsa dance is a dance style performed carrying a 'Kalasha' (earthen pot).
● Normally in this dance style, women perform carrying a 'Kalash' on their
shoulders or heads.
● Usually male are not included in this dance style. Men just play
instruments.

Chhau dance
● The Chhau dance originated as a tribal dance in the forests of Orissa in
the 18th century, which acquired the status of a martial art based dance in
the 19th century.
● This dance is performed with a mask due to which it got its name 'Chhau'
or 'Mukhota'.
● During this dance, subjects related to Ramayana, Mahabharata, traditional
folk tales and imaginary subjects are displayed.
● Musical instruments like 'Dhol' and 'Marui' are used in this dance.
● In 2010, UNESCO included Chhau dance in the list of Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity.

Chhau dance is mainly of three types-

1. Mayurbhanj Chhau- It originated from Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.
2. Purulia Chhau - Bengal
3. Seraikela Chhau - Jharkhand

Gotipua dance
● Gotipua dance is prevalent in Odisha. This dance is performed in
praise of Lord Jagannath.
 ● The literal meaning of Gotipua is - a boy. Although this dance is
organized in groups.
● The origin of Gotipua dance is believed to be in the early 16th
century.
● Raghurajpur located in Odisha is a famous center of Gotipua dance.

Bagh Nritya
● Bagh Nritya or Tiger Dance is mainly practiced in the Ganjam district of
Odisha.
● This dance is performed in the month of Chaitra.
● In this dance, people dressed in tiger costumes dance by themselves or with
others.
● This dance is performed only by men.
● In this dance one or more dancers go from house to house and once a
crowd has gathered, the dance begins.
● These dancers are accompanied by a dholak and a bell player who provide
the music for the dance performance.