KARMA NAACH

 


KARMA NAACH


    Ballet, modern dance, and Indian classical dance are forms of theatre dance, the dancers usually being highly trained professionals performing for audiences in particular venues and on special occasions. Tribal and ethnic dance, on the other hand, may be characterized by a number of almost opposite features. They are not necessarily the province of trained specialists (although they may be). Such dances may be participatory (i.e., with no real distinction between dancer and spectator), and, while they may take place in special venues or on special occasions, these are often intimately related to the everyday life of the community.

    Indian Tribal Dances are performed strictly by aboriginal populations in the country. These people, sometimes denominated as adivasi, possess a culture, distinct from the pan Indian population. It may be noted here that Indian tribal dances are vastly dissimilar from Indian folk dances, which can never be related. Each of these aboriginal tribes possesses its own distinguishable dance traditions and invariably all of them are interwoven with the life of the people who dance it.

    Karma dance or Karma Naach is a traditional dance of central and Eastern India annually performed during the karma festival. Karma is a famous autumnal festival, it starts from the 11th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Bhadrab. It is performed in State of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. Karma means 'fate'.


    This folk dance is performed during the worship of the god of fate which is known as Karam Devta. People consider the god of fate as the cause of good and bad fortune.

 


                                                                                               (KARAM SAANI DEVI)

    The tribal group presents this folk dance in front of Karma Daal(branch) that symbolises the Karam Devta/Karam Saani Devi. The members of the tribal group try to propitiate Karam Saani Devi with the Karma tribal dance so that Karam- the God of Fate shower his blessings on them. The tribes believe that worshipping Karam Devta/ Karam Saani Devi brings prosperity in their lives. As the tribal people consider them as the reason behind their good and bad fate.

    This Karma tribal dance is not only associated with the worship, but also has different forms in different regions of the country. In Madhya Pradesh, it is a traditional folk dance and is a part of their entertainment. One thing is common among all the forms are that they are centered around the trees.

 

    Karma is a group dance. Generally, this dance is celebrated for three days from the tenth day of the bright moon of the month of Bhadrav to twelfth day. A small branch of Rengal or Halan tree is used as the Karma daal. Karma daal is brought to the puja pandal or karma gudi performing a special puja by the Pahan accompanied with the beats of karma mandal and kanstal. Then the karma daal is customarily planted and then follow the worship of karamsaani and rituals.

    This pastoral dance is performed during the worship of the God or Goddess of fate (Karam Devta or Karamsaani Devi), whom the people consider the cause of good and bad fortune. People with badiyan (personal wishes) came to urge their problems to karamsaani and on behalf of karamsaani, the pahan suggests them the solution at times. The pahan is believed as karamsaani – the deity who bestows children and good crops-in person on that day.

    The puja rituals are followed by the stories of karamsaani. There are many stories of karamsaani like the Dharam Karam brothers, Wealthy Saudagar, The Old Sadhab etc. All the residents of the tribal community gathered near the Karma Gudi to listen to the stories from the Kathanikaar (story teller) And the completion of the story is followed by the dance.



    The Karma dance continues till dawn. Group after group perform alternately throughout the night. The technique of the dance varies slightly from tribe to tribe. Tribes such as Khadias, Kisans and Orams dance in a circular pattern, where men and women dance together. It is always headed by a leader and generally a male person leads the line. Only the best of dancers joins next to or near him. Young girls and children join in at the tail-end to learn the steps.

    When the dance becomes more vigorous, the dancers of the tail-end withdraw to let the true dancers show their skill. The dancers hold hands in different ways in different dances. Sometimes they simply hold hands and sometimes hands are placed on the neighbor’s waist band or are crossed.


    It is the legs and the foot which play the principal role in the dance. The dance begins lightly with simple steps – forward and backward, left and right – then gradually the steps grow smaller and faster, enthusiasm accelerates until the dance reaches its height. Then it again returns the first steps as the music leads to give the dancers some rest. The dancers have no special costume for the occasion. They dance with their usual attires which they wear in their life.

    In the morning the pahan carries the karma daal and visits each house of the village singing and dancing. Further the karma daal is ceremonially immersed in the village pond or river.

    The Karma festival is basically associated with the development of cultivation. Most of its components are being reflected by the traditional heritage of the tribes. It is considered to be the mirror image of their simple living. But during these days the rituals the dance has been changed to many extents, coming in contact with the modernization. However, it was and will the real essence of the tribal peoples……………….


I owe my sincere thanks to :
Mr. Bharat Gaurab Dash
(Founder Director,
Folk Traditions & Academia)


Mr. Lalu Munda
Mr. Mangal Chand Munda
Miss Menka Munda
Master Amar Khadia
Miss Manju Khadia 
& The Villagers of Khulia, Sambalpur.

filmed By- Bhola Shankar & Kanchan  



Compiled by :
SUPRITEE MISHRA
Lecturer (Sambalpuri Dance)
School Of Performing Arts 
Sambalpur University
Odisha.
E-mail - supriteem@gmail.com



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