Dandiya

<p style="color:#dbdbdb ;padding:20px; border-left:5px solid #cecece;">With diversities spanning through centuries, the number of festivals and special events that occur throughout the year is one of the most fascinating things about India. Festivals and dances here are strange, full of fun, deeply religious and full of zeal and excitement. One such dance is the Dandiya Raas. With all the captivating rhythmic beats, intermittent jingling sounds of the bells and electrifying flow of colours and light, Dandiya is a mesmerizing poetry of human movements. An alive art of Gujarat and Rajasthan, Dandiya Raas is a popular folk dance performed during the festival of Navratri. The dance is performed in the victorious honour of Goddess Durga. It is dramatized in a way that depicts the mock fight between the Goddess and the mighty demon king Mahishasura. However, the very fact that today the dance has reached every corner of the world, not just the divergent pandals from the tribal pockets of ancient India, is appreciating. Watching and performing Dandiya Raas is truly a spectacle to behold.</p>
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Danda Nata

<p style="color:#dbdbdb ;padding:20px; border-left:5px solid #ffe9cc;">Unfolding the panorama of Orissa, one can find refined forms of arts, crafts, music and dance. With the unique dance forms of Odissi and Chhau that received international applauds, these dances have highly evolved as a manifestation of the most evocative and celebrated performances, not only from the professional classical exponents but also from the various folk and tribal groups in Orissa. However, there are a number of folk dances and traditions that lend it a captive essence. One such folk dance is the Danda Nata. Also known as the ‘Danda Jatra’, it is considered as one of the most ancient form of historic arts of the state of Orissa. Danda Nata was formed and developed as an institution of dance, music and dramatics and corresponds with ritualistic services. The dance is associated with universal brotherhood and is blended with religions and social reformation. The theatrical form of this dance brings out a feeling of co–existence between political principles and a set of opinions as well as among the followers of different philosophical doctrines.</p>
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Dalkhai

<p style="color:#dbdbdb ;padding:20px; border-left:5px solid #beff9e;">For about 2,000 years, Odisha had been a traditional ground for Natyashastra and Bharata Muni. Stretching to both the Eastern as well as the Western Odisha, there are varieties of dance forms that reflect its cultural identity. One such small but unique land in Western Odisha is Sambalpur which abounds with lush green forests, colourful wildlife, captivating waterfalls, rich tribal culture, folk songs and dances and a variety of monuments. The region is also well known for its folk dance-Dalkhai. The most popular form of traditional folk dance of the Adivasis of Western Odisha, it is performed during the common festivals of Bhaijiuntia, Phagu Pune, Nuakhai, etc. The word ‘Dalkhai’ in every stanza is addressed to ‘girlfriend’. Its songs are a representation of the love story of Radha and Krishna as well as the episodes from Ramayana and Mahabharata. It has various forms such as Mayalajada, Rasarkeli, Gunjikuta, Jamudali, Banki, Jhulki, Sainladi, etc. Considering its style, theme and performance, it is a secular form of dance.</p>
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