FOLK DANCES OF HARYANA BY:- KAVITA

Dhamal Dance This is the dance of men. This dance is popular in MahendraGarh, jhajjar. The Dhamal dance is performed in the month of Phalgun and is an expression of the deeper emotions of the people. The orchestra starts playing the folk tunes in the beginning and they are steadily joined by the dancers in a circular pattern. This dance form is very popular among the people of Mahendargarh, Jhajjar and the Ahirs of the Gurgaon. The origins of the dance may be traced back to the Mahabharata.  

Performance–The dance is performed outdoors by men on moonlit nights of Phalgun. They sing and dance to the sound of the Dhamal beats. At the start of the dance a long tune of ‘Been’ is played. It is said that the people perform this dance whenever their crop is ready for harvesting   Background music and instruments The dance is performed in open spaces on moonlit nights, with the accompaniment of instruments such as Dholak, Been, Sarangi, Khartals and Drums. The themes of the song are usually love, labour, joy, sorrow, hope and aspiration.

Costume The men generally wear 'Dhoti', the wrap around cloth, tucked in between the legs with a white-coloured kurta worn atop it. 'Pagri' is the traditional headgear for men, which is now worn mainly by the old villagers. All-white attire is a status symbol for men. 

Khoria Dance The Khoria dance is a variant of the Jhumar dance and is exclusively performed by women. This dance is very popular in certain parts of central Haryana. One of the dancers begins by singing a folk song and is followed by the rest of the dancers to form a circular arrangement. The performance slowly gains momentum, until some of the dancers break away from the circle and begin to sway their bodies. The Khoria dance is also performed on occasion of marriage. This is usually performed during the long wait for the bridegroom to bring his new bride home. During this theme of dance, the women mime the entire wedding ceremony, in the performance.

Performance—by this dance performance the women prey for the safely return from the marriage party along with the newlywed couple. By staying awake whole night for dancing, they also protect their house, as the men folk are all away to the bride`s house. Background music and instruments Folk music haryana has rich traditions of folk music.There are songs befitting all occasions ,evey aspect of life being portrayed in a most lively and imaginative way. Folk instruments used in this dance such as Dholak,Been,Manjira,ghungrus,nagara.

Costume Women love to wear colourful dresses. Their basic trousseau includes 'Damaan', 'Kurti' & 'Chunder'. 'Chunder' is the long, coloured piece of cloth, decorated with shiny laces, meant to cover the head and is drawn in the front like the 'pallav' of the saree. Kurti is a shirt like blouse, usually white in colour. The 'Daaman' is the flairy ankle-long skirt, in striking colours. Ornaments Some of the most popular regional ornaments are Haar (necklace), Hansli (heavy bangles), Jhalra (string of gold mohars and silver rupees), Kari (anklet), ChailkaraNeori, Nath (nose rings), Churis (small bangles) etc.