Sarhul Dance

The Sarna tribe in Jharkhand celebrates the Sarhul festival with great enthusiasm. The men and women of the Sarna tribe clad in colourful and traditional dresses perform traditional dances on the popular folk tunes of the region. The traditional outfit worn by the men is called ''karia'' and women are called ''khanria''.

The Sarhul dance forms express the enthusiasm and festive feelings amongst the people and the melodious Sarhul songs narrate the stories related to the culture, beliefs and traditions of the tribe. The tribal music is played upon traditional musical instrument, by the tribal people themselves. The tribal dance forms are performed by the native tribes called Kunjbans. Be it any festival or event, the Kunjabhans perform across Jharkhand on all important events including change of season, advent of New Year, all religious ceremonies, birth and marriage ceremonies etc. The tribal dance forms and tribal songs of Jharkhand have gained popularity across the world. Some of the popular Sarhul dance forms include:

Santhal Dance:

A popular tribal dance form of the Sarhul festival, the Santhal dance is performed by the Santhal tribe. Performed during various festivals and occasions it showcases the culture, traditions and unity of the native tribes. The dresses worn by the dancers are adorned with vibrant colours.The male members of the dance troupe wear a dhoti and a turban and their body is ornamented with colourful flowers as the tribe is very close to nature.

Paika Dance:

Paika is one of the very famous dance forms performed during the Sarhul festival to welcome the guests. The Paika dance form is a fine amalgamation of martial arts with other dance steps. A very interesting yet dangerous form of dance, the Paika dance is performed by the tribal men only. The colourful costumes worn for the Paika dance include chest plates, head wears and bells to tie around the ankles of the dancers, to prevent injuries. The dancers hold a sword and a shield in each hand. The Paika dance is performed along with the traditional Sarul music played with Narsingha, Shahnai, BheirDhak and Nagara drums.

Some of the other popular tribal dance forms include:

• Phagua
• Bheja
• Damkach
• JananiJhumar
• MardanaJhumar