Santhali Dance

By Vikram Ekka - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

I remember when I was in home and just dreaming of what felt like to be a part of a Santali. I was attending my village marriage ceremony, there i was very fascinated by the dance performance. Dance means I am talking about the tribal dance which I have learnt during my visit to village.

It was evening time and I was with my brother and, I want to my village friend's house in their home where they where to organise a dance event there, which is a part of ritual which took place in my maternal uncle house.

They started the small dance party and we were also invited. I really don't know the dance, one of my maternal uncle used to teach me but i was unable to follow, that evening I cannot forget which changed my full attitude.

One of my village friend used to tell me you cannot dance it is not for you, but i didn't take him seriously. I told him i will try my best you will see me dancing more better than you. He laughed at me. !!

Majhi hadams (ᱢᱟᱡᱷᱤ ᱦᱟᱰᱟᱢ) wife (Village head in Santhali culture) came and sister with me. she told me the follow the steps ... Take left leg two times up and right leg two times back in such a way that you will go up two times and back two time in he most stylish way, by seeing her i also thought why not follow her and just try a bit if I could do. My village friend was watching me. But surprisingly it was easier than i thought...it was very easy to dance then i thought...You have to take your leg back and forth with just vibrating your body. Though i was not dancing with beautiful lady.....

Actually you will feel the beauty of dance culture in tribal people, in a dance ceremony everybody get involved from a small 6 year old child to old age 80 years old lady.

I followed all of her steps but my small brother was also not able to follow but later i told him to follow all the steps and he did well.

During the dancing I was mesmerized by the tuning of the Tamak (drums), Madal or Tumdak (similar to dhol but sounds very different), School bell (tiding ᱴᱤᱰᱤᱱᱝ in local ) - its sound like a bell, this was some sounding instruments ..

All instruments will literally make you dance more than your own physical strength believe me. All the young youth of village participated in dancing, but in previous time when I came the style of dancing was little bit changed.

The above instrument is used in every Santhali village but some also used with small variation of instruments for dancing. Example in Mayurbhanj Odisha they used to include Tidin which sounded like a school bell, but you will really find the use of this in Jharkhand.

So the use of instruments also vary among village to village town to town and state wise also.

Anyhow i thanked her and she also told me that she would teach me more if you regularly visit our village, i yelled and told her i promise.

Then from that time if any festival season comes or got invitation of marriage then i never get let the chance. I try to go to my village and attend the ceremony...

In this way i learned basic steps of dance in Santhali..