Colors and vibrancy is what marks the Indian subcontinent. A tropical country like India sees almost every season. Spring, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter all greet the people of the country and bring along with it a variety of colors and shades of life. So many seasons, so many occasions call for celebration. One of the most festive states of the nation is Punjab- the land of five rivers. Eat and be merry seems to be the guiding principal of the people of the place.
The land celebrates everything from marriages to birth to crop harvest. Being the granary of India, Punjab is predominantly an agricultural state. From this land of festivities and celebrations, comes the loud and vibrant dance called bhangra. The dance took birth in the region of Punjab by the Sikh farmers to celebrate the crop harvest that took place usually in the month of April. Soon the dance came to be performed on all occasions to celebrate life and everything it brought along with it.
The rustic farmers used high voltage energetic movements with zesty music on the beats of the dhol. The present state of the folk dance has been evolved by the synthesis of many local dances. Especially after the partition of India people from different parts of Punjab came together and all the styles were mixed and a new style of dancing emerged.
The present from of the dance is the synthesis of various dance forms such as Jhumar, Luddi, Giddha, Julli, Daankara, Dhamal, Saami, Kikli and Gatka. All these types come from various parts of Punjab to amalgamate into one dance type- Bhangra. Dhol is the main musical instrument that is used for the dance. It is a hollow kind of a drum that can be tapped at both the ends. It is worn around the neck with the help of a string and is played with the hands. The dancers depend on the beat of the dhol, the claps of fellow dancers and rhymes and couplets called bolis for music.
The simplicity of people of Punjab is reflected through the choice of dance apparels that they choose. Usually men wear a kurta and a Chaadra, which is a cloth wrapped around the waist. Men also support a pagadi or a turban to cover the head that is an essential part of the Punjabi attire. As a part of dance dress the dancers wear bright colored vests and also use a turla - a fan attached to the turban. For women the traditional dance dresses include salwaar kameez i.e long baggy pants tight at the ankle and a long colorful shirt. They also use chunnis that are colorful pieces of cloth wrapped around the neck. All these items are all very colorful and vibrant, representing the rich rural colors of Punjab. For dance shoes they use flat slippers that cover the feet called jutti.
Overall bhangra is a highly energetic dance accompanied loud, vivacious music and lots and lots of bright colors. Perhaps bhangra is the only Indian folk dance that has made a large scale impact on the global scale. Owing to the early migration of Punjabis to UK and USA, bhangra has become one of the most popular dance and songs genre abroad too.
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