The land which is yet to be discovered completely, Chhattisgarh is an Indian state that is quite well known for its scenic landscapes, large forest cover, mineral resources, wildlife, sanctuaries and unique culture. A newly formed state carved out of Madhya Pradesh in the year 2000, the culture of Chhattisgarh dates back to thousands of years. Dance is a source of entertainment and recreation for the local folks. The folk dance of this region has been followed by generations over the years and has become an essential part of their tradition and culture and the cadence along with tune of the various dance forms has the power to leave the people spellbound. Some of the major dance forms of the region are listed below. Saila Dance Saila Dance is a tribal dance form of Chhattisgarh, which is performed after the end of harvest season. Having its genesis in the Baitul districts, this dance is popular among the people of Sarguja and Chhindwara. It is a stick-dance, which is mainly performed by young boys from the plains of Chhattisgarh by going to each and every home of the adjacent village. This dance is well-known in many other districts of Chhattisgarh and is based on different themes having distinct identities. Panthi Dance A popular folk dance of the region, Panthi is a dance form of the Satnami community and has religious significance. Panthi is performed on Maghi Purnima, the anniversary of the birth of Guru Ghasidas. The dancers dance around a jaitkhamb set up for the occasion, to songs praising their spiritual head. The songs reflect a view of nirvana, conveying the spirit of their spiritual leader’s renunciation and the teachings of saint poets like Kabir, Ramdas and Dadu. It is performed by bending the torso and wavering arms and as the rhythm quickens, dancers perform acrobatics as well as forms human pyramids. Karma Dance A very popular among the Gonds and the Baigas of Chhattisgarh, Karma Dance is associated with the fertility cult. It is performed during the Karma festival that falls in the month of August and epitomizes coming of green branches in tress during the spring season. There are other variants of the Karma. The songs associated with these variants differ with each pattern. Pandwani Dance Pandwani Dance is basically a form of folk ballad performed mainly in this region. It narrates the tales of Pandavas, the leading characters in the epic Mahabharata. The artists in the Pandavani narration consist of a lead artist and some supporting singers and musicians. There are two styles of narration in this dance form, namely Vedamati and Kapalik. In the Vedamati style the lead artist narrates in a simple manner by sitting on the floor throughout the performance. The Kaplik style is energetic, where the narrator actually enacts the scenes and characters. Raut Nacha Dance One of the most popular dance of Chhattisgarh is the Raut Nacha, which is performed by the Yaduvanshis (clan of Yadu) on the 4th day of Diwali(Goverdhan Puja) till the time of Dev Uthani Ekadashi i.e. the 11[SUP]th[/SUP] day according to the Hindu calendar. A unique dance style, this dance form represents the traditional folk culture of the region. Raut Nacha of Chhattisgarh reflects the rich cultural heritage and traditional legacies of the region which has been percolated to the modern era. An important performing art of the state, Raut Nacha portrays the artistic skills and creative imagination of the talented performers. Dressed in colorful and traditional attire the performers of Raut Nacha reflect the religious fervor of the cowherds of the region. Soowa Dance Reflecting the traditional and indigenous tribal culture of the region, Soowa Dance is another popular dance form of Chhattisgarh. Also known as Parrot dance, it portrays the artistic caliber and creative imagination of the performers. Dressed in colorful costumes, the performers of Soowa dance perform with great passion, energy and enthusiasm which are reflected in their unblemished performance. Dancers keep a parrot in a bamboo-pot and form a circle around it, singing and dancing rhythmically moving around it by clapping. This dance is particularly performed by the women folk of the region and also has religious significance.
