Kud

• One of the famous dance forms of J&K is Kud dance

• Performed during nights
• Performed to honor the gods ‘Lok Devtas
• All ages groups performed
• Mostly performed by Farmers after a good harvest of
crop
• Instrument- Chhaina, Drums, Narsingha and flute
Heren
• Deer dance
• Traditional theatre form
• Performed during Lohri
• Hilly regions of Jammu
• 10- 15 members
Karak
• This is a tale ballet, sung by Jogies
• By jogies community
• Only rabab used
Benthe

• Gujjar and bakarwal tribal groups

• This folk song is sung in a chorus by a group of 5 to 7
people
 Bhand Pather
• Bhand Pather is an age-old traditional folk theatre of Kashmir
• Bhand’ means ‘actor or performer’ and the word ‘pather’ means
‘Drama
• Dance + Play
• Narrator tells the story
• Usually in open space
• Instruments- Drum, Sarangi and Nagara
• No female only performed by male
• Men play role of female
Chakri
• Very famous among Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri
Muslims during wedding ceremony
• Musical instruments used – harmonium rubab,
garaha and Sarangi, the nout and the tumbaknaer
• Henna night ( Maenzi raat)
• Chakri end with rouf
Hafiza Nagma
• Sufiana music
• Special instrument is used known as Santoor
• Female dancer –
• Hafiza – dancer and Nagma-the Sufiana Kalam
• Now replaced by small Boy called Bacha Nagma
 Bacha Nagma
• Or Bacha Gyavun
• One boy dresses up as a female dancer who performs
• The dresses of the dancers look similar that of the Kathak
dancers
• Young boys of kashmir performed
• Bacha- Kid and Nagma- Sufiana kalam
• Performed on special functions like weddings
• It is actually a dance form of Afghanistan
Dumhal
• Performed by Wattal tribe on special Occasions
• Resembles with – Bhangra of Punjab
• Only the men folk of the wattal are privileged to
perform this dance
• Naghara is beaten and Surnai is blown
• Generally, this dance is performed with wearing long,
colourful robes and tall, conical caps
Gwatri
• Gwatri is not just a dance step or music but it is the mix
of both
• The singers narrate some text on which dancing is done
by the Gwatari dancers.
Rouf
• Famous traditional dance form usually performed in
kashmir region
• Practiced on festival occasions like Eid and Ramzan
days
• Performed by group of women standing face to face
each other
• And notable feature of this dance is footwork of
dancers which is known as chakri in native language
Surma
• Song in dogri
• For newly married girl whose husband is away in the
army
• Desire of Re-union
Bakhan
• Pahari song
• Without the use of any musical instrument
Wan wan
• Wedding Songs- also called
• These songs are sung at weddings in Kashmir and
without these songs wedding is considered
incomplete
 Dandaras
• Jammu region
• Performed during the time of Lohri festival or Makar
sankranti
• This is a highly professional dance in which a model of
peacock
• Dancers carry sticks of Bamboo
• While dancing, the performers hit the stick in the hand of
other person in different postures which makes it difficult
Ladishah
• It is a sarcastical form of singing in the Kashmir music
tradition
• present social and political conditions in a humorous
manner
• Dehara – musical instrument used
Nend Baith
• Famous among the farmers of Kashmir
• These songs are sung by farmers in groups when they
start their daily schedule at the time of nend (removing
weeds from newly grown plants)
Hikat
• Two girls joined their hands in Clockwise or anticlockwise
• Kashmir region
Keekli
• It is a simple but entertaining dance, in which no
instrument is used.
• It is performed only by girls, and no males take part in
it
• The girls catch hold of each other’s opposite hands
and rotate themselves quickly but in a balanced way.
• Jammu region
Wuegi Nachun
• Ritual of wedding when bride is about to leave her
parental home
• Kashmiri pandits mostly females performed
Jagarana
• Performed mainly on occasions of the marriage
ceremonies
• Jammu region
• On marriage ceremonies
• Song cum dance
• Mostly performed by females
Letri dance
•Also called labour dance
•It is a dance performed by the people
who are invited to cut the grass
Phummaniyan
• Phummaniyan actually means movement of the body
with gestures
• Phummaniyan is performed by young people on the
occasion of Gugga Navami around August to
September months
• It is a religious festival celebrated the day after
Janmashtami
MCQS
• Geetru is a dance form of Dogri-Pahari area of Jammu
• Chowki nach – honour of Kul devta
• Which dance is performed in kashmir by women
wearing colorful pherans clothes with heavy
embroidery?- Rouf
• The folk music of Jammu and Kashmir is discussed in
which of the following ancient texts? – Both
Rajtarangini and Nilmat purana
• Traditional Dikku/Dikko dance belongs to which place in
Jammu region – Bhaderwah
• In the kashmir valley Shivaratri is also known as – Herat
• The Hafiz Nagma dance was introduced in Kashmir by?-
Mughals
• A famous folk dance of Kashmir, Bhand Jashan is also
popularly known as the Festival of Clowns
• In which dance form a special instrument called ‘Santoor is
played- Hafiza dance
• Name the dance form of grass cutters in Jammu region-
Letri dance
• It is a dance performed by young boys during Lohri
celebration – both kud and heren
• Which musical instrument is used in Ladishah songs? –
Dehara
• Which of the following folk dances is mostly performed in
the hilly areas of Jammu region?- Heren
 Dance in Ladakh Region
•Shondal
• Royal dance of Ladakh
• Originally, this dance is presented in honour of the
kings of Ladakh on the eve of New Year
• Created history by entering into the Guinness Book of
World Records as the largest Ladakhi dance.
Alley yate
• Popular in the shepherd community in Zanskar
area of Ladakh region
• Combination of poetry and Dance
Jabro dance
• Jabro dance is mainly performed by nomadic people
of Changthang and Rong areas of Ladakh region
during Losar festival
Chham
• It is believed that cham dance was started by Guru
Padmasambhava
• It is mask and costume dance performed by Buddhists
of Ladakh
 Festivals of Jammu
• Lohri
• It is known as Pongal in South India
• Every 13th of January
• It signifies end of peak winter
• Associated with the harvest of rabi and sugarcane crops
• Bonfire is developing and people dance around it on drum beats
• Famous festival of Jammu
• It is also known as Makar Sankranti
• A special Chajja dance is performed on this occasion
Baisakhi
• April 13 or 14th April
• It is also known as harvest festival
• For Sikhs of Jammu – 10th Guru Gobind Singh
Bahu Mela
• Bahu Mela festival at Kali Temple in Bahu fort (
Jammu)
• Celebrated twice a year - March to April and
September to October
Jhiri Mela
• Village of Jhiri , 14km away from Jammu
• Celebrated in memory of farmer Baba Jitu who
committed suicide to protect against unfair demands
of the cruel Landlord regarding his crop
• Farmers fair also known
Purmandal Mela
• Held in Purmandal Town
• Three day fair organized
• On occasion of Maha shivaratri
• Town transformed for 3 days
• It is a marriage celebration of Lord Shiva to Goddess
Parvati
Food and Craft Mela
• Is organized by Jammu and kashmir tourism during
Baisakhi at Mansar Lake
• This festival lasts for three days and people visit this
fair with special handicrafts, unique arts and cuisine of
J&K
Mela Patt
• Famous festival of Bhaderwah
• Celebrated at Khakhal a centrally located placed in the
township of Bhaderwah
• Celebrated in memory of memorable meeting of King
Akbar with Raja Nagpal of Bhaderwah
Holi
• Popular Hindu Festival also known as Indian Festival of
spring, the Festival of Colours Or the Festival of Love
• This festival signifies victory of good over evil
• It lasts for a night and a day starting on the evening of
the Punima ( Full Moon day )
• The first evening is known as Holika Dahan ( burning of
demon Holika) or choti Holi and the following day as
Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi or Phagwah
Navratri
• Navratri ( sanskrit- Nine nights)
• Also called Durga Puja in Hinduism
• Celebrated to worship the goddess Durga
• It is essentially a nine day festival where different nine
form of the devi Durga are worshipped
• Celebrated two times in a year – April and October
• It ends with Dussehra
Diwali
• Main celebration of the year is Diwali
• Also known as Festival of Lights
• People dress up in brand new clothes light diyas and
candles and play with fire crackers
Subar Dhar Mela
• Bhaderwah
Festivals of Kashmir
• Tulip Festival
• At Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden
• Srinagar
• Month of April every year
• The tulip festival is celebrated during the spring
season
Eid UL Fitr
• First day of the Islamic month of Shawwal
• It marks end of Ramzan
Eid UL Adha
• Bakra Eid
• Celebrated in honor of Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion to
Allah SWT and his readiness to sacrifice his son, Ismail.
• Therefore Eid UL Adha means Festival of Sacrifice
Aharbal Festival
• Held in Kulgam
Shikara Festival
• Celebrated on the Banks of Dal lake in Srinagar
• To promote tourism
• July Or August
• Started in 2016
Kheer Bhawani Mela
• Held at Tulmulla Ganderbal
• 30th May
• Celebrated in honor of Goddess Ragyna Devi
Navroz
• Navroz means A New Day
• Is the beginning of the New Year of Persian Calendar
• Also marks beginning of Farming and plantation in
kashmir Valley
• On Navroz, the duration of day and night is same
• Celebrated by Shia Muslims
Saffron Festival
• Celebrated in Pampore
• The Annual festival of saffron harvest is celebrated in
this region around the beginning of November.
• A conventional tea, called the ‘Kahva’, prepared with
saffron, is very common in this festival
Shivratri
• Herath in kashmir- Kashmir Pandits
• Herath – Night of Shiva
• Other Festivals-
• Snow festival – Gulmarg and Sonamarg
• In the beginning of winter
• To promote tourism
• Tihar Festival –
• Bhaderwah and Kishtwar In the month of Chaitra ( March –
April)
• Bungus Festival- LG Manoj Sinha inaugurates
• Kupwara district
• To promote tourism within Bungus valley
 Festivals Of Ladakh
• Hemis Festival
• Ladakh
• In honor of Guru Padmasambhava
• Who is known as the founder of Tibetan Buddhism
• Every year 9th- 11th June
Losar Festival
• Ladakh
• Making the beginning of Tibetan new year
• 15 days long
Sindhu Festival
• Ladakh
• Bank Of river Indus
• 3 day festival
• Held from 1st to 3rd June
Dosmoche Festival
• Celebrated as the last festival of the Tibetan New
Year
• Other festivals in Ladakh-
• Saka Dawa Festival
• Tak Tok Festival
• Matho Nagrang Festival
• Ladakh Festival
• Phyang Tsedup Festival