The Santhal tribes in Jharkhand perform the popular Santhali Dance. This is a typical group dance performed on special occasions. A very popular folk dance of Jharkhand, this dance form has attained popularity all across India and also has been featured in many reputed Bengali films like `Agantuk` by Satyajit Ray.
Santhali Dance is primarily performed on special occasions, especially during spring festival, accompanied by a traditional song. This dance not only projects the culture or traditions of the local tribes but also showcases the strength of unity. Flutes, drums, pipes and cymbals are among the musical instruments used in course of the performance of Santhali Dance. Santhal Dance is very similar to the bamboo folk dance of Assam and Mizoram.
The male dancers wear Dhoti and turban, and decorate their bodies with branches of trees, leaves and flowers. Since the Santhals are believed to be close to nature, they use natural decors such as leaves, branches and flowers to do their make-up and design their clothes. The women dancers usually wear white or yellow sarees with red borders and adorn their hair with wild flowers. The length of the saree is about three inches above the heel. The colourful costumes worn by the tribal people happen to be the main attraction of the Santhali dance in Jharkhand.
Thousands of people visit Jharkhand to catch a glance of this Santhali dance. The numbers of audience are more during the spring season, since during this time, the Santhals celebrate the spring festival where they perform the folk dance. The musicians who play the music on various folk instruments such as cymbals, pipes, flutes and drums make the colourful environment of the festival more charming and attractive. Moreover, the singers also put the right chord with the rhythm. Santhal dance of Jharkhand is very popular among the tourists. Researchers are working on this form of dance to derive information about their origin, significance and other related aspects. Santhali dances often take place within forested areas and depict a kind of dedication to the forest Gods and Goddesses.
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