Dance and Music
Folk Dance and Music
Jhijhian Dance
This dance is done by village women in order to pray Lord Indra for rain, in times of drought when the lands cracks and becomes parched. The sky seems lifeless without clouds and the people await a downpour. The village women dance and sing to please Lord Indra, the Lord of Rain. Lord Indra responds back to their worship by heavy rainfalls. The words of the song which the village women sung are “Haali-Huli Barshun Inder Deveta”.
Jat-Jatin Dance
Jat-Jatin is the most popular folk dance, performed by a pair of man and woman in North Bihar, especially in Mithila and Koshi region. Jat-Jatin is a folk dance in which the man goes out of the village to earn and when he comes back, the dance reflects their sweet and tender quarrel as well as some complaints between husband and wife apart from poverty and sorrow. The folk dance tries to teach that how one should overcome the hurdles of life smilingly. The words of the song are “Tikwa-jab-jab Maugailion re jatwa - Tikwa kahe na lawle re …”
Kajari Dance
Kajari dance is the popular dance of the rainy season. The Shravan month i.e. the rainy season is welcomed by this dance and song. The ladies of the village start dancing like a peacock with the song “Bhijat awe Dhaniya Ho Rama ...”
Sohar-Khilouna Dance
This dance is associated with the birth of child. The birth of child is celebrated all over the country with different traditional rituals. In Bihar, the ladies sing Sohar on the occasion of birth ceremony of a child. The ladies compare the child with god. They sometime compare the child with Lord Rama sometime with Lord Krishna. The Sohar has its own unique pronunciation. The ladies bless the baby by singing, acting and dancing on the words of Sohar which are like “Machia baithal sasu puchelli…”
Holi Dance
Holi is a festival which is celebrated with full joy all across the nation. The first day of the Chaitra month is celebrated as Holi. In Bihar the people sing a typical style “Dhamar” on Holi and dance in groups with full joy on musical instruments like dholak, jhal-manjeera etc.
Jhumeri Dance
Jhumeri Dance of Bihar is similar to “Garva of Gujrat”. Specialized to the married women, it is a folk dance of Mithilanchal of Bihar. In the month of Kartik when the sky is crystal clear, and when the full moon spreads its rays all over. The women in love go on dancing, singing and celebrating the turn of the season. The amusing words of Jhumeri are – “Kartik Mas na Aakashey Badari ...”
Harvesting Dance
Bihar is an agriculture based State. In the harvesting season, male and female villagers do their work with dance and song in the field. Their happiness and joy is the symbol of good crop. The popular melodious tune of the harvesting song is “Chal Dhani Khetwa mei gay…”
Folk Music and Songs
Bihar has a very old tradition of beautiful folk songs. These songs are sung during important family occasions, such as marriage, birth ceremonies, festivals, etc. The folk songs are sung mainly in group using Dholak, and sometimes Tabla and Harmonium are also used.
Bihar’s folk songs are associated with the various events take place in the life of a person. Like Sohar is performed at the birth of the child
Sumangali is associated with wedding
Ropnigeet is performed during the season of sowing paddy
katnigeet is performed during the paddy harvesting season
Some of the other folk songs are purbi, chaita, hori, bidesia, ghato, birha, kajari, irni/ birni, pachra, jhumar, jatsari, aalah, nirgun, and samdaun.