Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Ghumura - A Popular Folk Dance Form of Orissa

BreakingNewsonline, July, 28, 2010

NewsRoom: Numbers of national recognition have been given to different dance forms such as Odishi, Chhau, Ranapa etc and in various other spheres from Orissa, but not any single recognition for Ghumura so far?


Is it because scholars of Ghumura lack political lobby or because it belongs to KBK and does not belong to a particular region continuously favored by the Orissa state? Ghumura is more popular than Ranapa.

Ghumura is much ahead of many other dance forms in Orissa in terms of popularity of folk dance. It is more scholarly researched, cultivated and has a history of at least thousand years.

Not to blame achievement of any other folk dance, however, despite not being suitable in terms of connectivity and distance for rest of South Orissa, the favoritism, including for RDC office, educational institutions, High Court branch etc, by various chief ministers towards their home district Ganjam in the name of South Orissa may be well established by making rest of South Orissa including undivided Kalahandi, Koraput and Kandhama—Boudh backward, neglected and marginalized in various areas that include culture too.

Ghumura is one of the most sought and leading folk dance form in Orissa. It is classified as folk dance as the dress code of Ghumura resembles more like a tribal dance, but recent researchers argue different mudra and dance form present in Ghumura bear more resemblance with other classical dance form of India and the dance is not limited to tribal only.

The dance is associated with social entertainment, relaxation, love, devotion and friendly brotherhood among all class, creed and religion in the present days and can be classified as classical dance. Traditionally this dance is also associated with Nuakhai and Dasahara celebration in large parts of South and Western Orissa.

Ghumura dance is still popularly hidden in the village level in South Orissa, Western Orissa, Central Orissa and some parts of bordering Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Kalahandi is mainly known as land of Ghumura and has taken a leading rule in popularizing and retaining its unique identity of Ghumura dance.

Ghumura dance has got the opportunity to represent the nation in various international events Delhi, Moscow, Kolkata, and various other cities in India.

Despite that it’s most neglected and marginalized by Government of Orissa, which is not giving equal recognition to Ghumura and its scholars and playing politics over the matter.

Contributed by Dr. Digambara Patra, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.

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