A self-transforming civilization that defies any attempt to freeze it in space of time, loving India is a mosaic of varied cultures, layer upon layer, tempered in a history of common vitality India offers to the world a visage that is truly spectacular, heterogeneous and diverse.
The composite culture of India is essentially an expression of the inner urges and cumulative beliefs of its people gathered through centuries of experience. It is the perennial flow of this cultural stream, which determines the nation's strength, its character and its capacity to survive as an integrated living reality despite all odds. Keeping this in view, preservation of the cultural heritage of the country, inculcation of art consciousness among the people and promotion of high standards of creative and performing arts and dissemination of culture, have been the main objectives of the Zonal Cultural Centres set up in 1985.
Since Independence, it has been the concern of the Government of India to encourage the evolution and consolidation of Indian culture by bringing its different streams closer and by making people of various regions know and understand each other's distinctive traits in a spirit of appreciation and acceptance of the unity in diversity within our country.
The Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) covering the states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Orissa, Sikkim, Tripura, Wiese Bengal and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is one of the seven such Zonal Cultural Centres set up by the Government of India with a view to culturally integrate the States and Union Territories as a part of the programme of national integration.
Since its inception in 1985, the EZCC has been functioning as a cultural nerve centre, particularly for the Eastern part of the country and also the rest of the country through various National Cultural Exchange programmes. The Centre, strives through its various activities to enrich, promote and strengthen the cultural traditions at the national level and also beyond the boundaries of our country. The Centre is totally dedicated to the promotion, projection and dissemination of our traditional culture. Over the past several years, the EZCC has been able to infuse among people a conscious appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of its own zone as well as the other parts of the country through its manifold programmes of folk, tribal and classical music and dance, documentations and publications, workshops, as well as its exhibitions on arts and crafts.
The objectives of the Centre could not have been achieved without the constant support and involvement of its Chairman, His Excellency. The Governor of West Bengal, the support grants and the direction received from the Ministry of Culture, the Government of India, the Departments of Culture of the member States and the artistes themselves.
At the EZCC, we have the opportunity of close interaction with the folk artistes and are able to share with them the theme, the historical backdrop, the associated rituals of their performances and also their dreams and hopes. Over the past years the EZCC has been able to revive many performing and non-performing art forms which would have otherwise gone into oblivion. But there are still many art forms which need to be revived and revitalized. This publication is a documentation of the different folk dance forms of Eastern India, represented by the member states of EZCC, many of which have been revived by the EZCC. Much of the information in this documentation has been collected from the Directorate of Culture of the member states and also shared with us by the folk artistes themselves.
Dance and Festivity is an integral part of the Indian ethos. It is a celebration of life itself, an attempt to harmonize with the forces of nature. After the rains, the sky is an azure blue, the fields a lush green, ushering in the season of joy. Man too joins Creation in invoking the spirit of Anandam, which is the essence of our spiritual quest. The air reverberates to the sound of drumbeats echoing the cosmic rhythm and finds a reflection in the Dances of India.
Fast paced, constantly changing and rebelling against all forms of stagnation, is the Indian Civilization. India is a land of diverse cultures, owing their origins to one common history. The face of India as seen by the world is one, which reflects diversity, democracy, cultural heterogeneity and camaraderie.
The love for music and dance comes with the inherent love and appreciation for rhythm as well as the languid pace for a simple pastoral life.
Tribal and folk dances are at once the most primitive and the most sophisticated. Dance is not just the mere execution of a series of movements. It is an expression of joy and evokes a variety of emotions. Perhaps even before man began to speak, he began to dance.
All tribal and folk art forms, mirror their daily activities, like food gathering, hunting, fishing, cultivation and harvesting. Indian folk and tribal art forms are seeped in antiquity and yet have a contemporary feel.
Indian folk dances are a combination of rhythm, expressions and drama. Many of the dances take their themes from India's rich mythology and folk legends and depict the life, ethics and beliefs of the tribes.
Eastern India is a storehouse of the most beautiful folk art forms, both performing and non-performing. This compilation is a documentation of the diverse folk dance forms of the region. Many of these dance forms had gone into oblivion. Through the conscious efforts of the Government of India and the State Governments and several non-government agencies, many of the dance forms have been revived and attempts are being made to preserve these cultural traditions. Folk dancers from the different parts of the country now get an opportunity to interact with each other and enhance their art forms. In Eastern India, the Purulia Chhau dancers of West Bengal have incorporated a portion of the Singhi Chham Dance of Sikkim into their performance and made their presentation visually more entertaining. The Gotipua Dancers of Orissa have incorporated some masked dances like the Durgatinashini Durga into their repertoire, possibly an influence of the Chhau dancers of West Bengal and Jharkhand.
Many dance forms are seen in more than one state. The Rabha Dances are seen in the Northern parts of West Bengal and in Assam as there are Rabha settlements in both these states. Jhumar Dances are seen in West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. Dances associated with the celebration of Holi are seen in many states. Every presentation has unique features distinct to the particular region it comes from.
This compilation, which presents glimpses of many rare and fascinating dance forms of Eastern India hopes to kindle an interest in the younger generations so that they make an effort to aquaint themselves with these invaluable folk traditions of our country.
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