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377 dance, music, theatre, puppetry and martial traditions across 35 states and union territories — filter by state, or by how you'd like to take part.
33 performing arts
Performing ArtKarnataka
Dollu Kunithaಡೊಳ್ಳು ಕುಣಿತ
A vigorous drum dance from northern Karnataka, performed by troupes beating large dollu drums in acrobatic formation.
Performing ArtWest Bengal
Baul Danceবাউল
The ecstatic dance-songs of Baul mystics of Bengal — wandering minstrels whose tradition blends elements of Sufi and Vaishnava spirituality.
Performing ArtWest Bengal
Alkap Danceআলকাপ
A composite song-dance-theatre form from Murshidabad, Malda and Birbhum districts — a five-part programme of devotional songs, verse and satirical sketch.
Performing ArtGujarat
Hudoહૂદો
A Gujarati folk song-and-dance form cited alongside Garba, Doha, Sanedo and Bhavai among the state's most distinctive folk traditions.
Performing ArtMaharashtra
Lavaniलावणी
A high-tempo Marathi folk song-and-dance tradition, performed by women in the nine-yard nauvari sari to the beats of the dholki drum.
Performing ArtMaharashtra
Povadaपोवाडा
The Marathi ballad tradition of martial valour — narrative poems sung by shahirs to the dholki drum, recounting the deeds of the Maratha heroes.
Performing ArtKerala
Oppanaഒപ്പന
A song-and-clap dance of the Mappila (Kerala Muslim) community, traditionally performed by women around a bride at a wedding.
Performing ArtRajasthan
Rasiyaरसिया
A men-and-women paired song-and-dance tradition of Braj and eastern Rajasthan — based on the medieval Vaishnava love poetry and performed at weddings and festivals.
Performing ArtTamil Nadu
Parai Attamபறை ஆட்டம்
The Tamil drum-dance tradition — performed with the Parai frame drum in groups at festivals, weddings and processions, considered one of the most ancient Tamil folk arts.
Performing ArtPunjab
Daffa (Sapp) Danceਸੱਪ ਡੱਫ ਨ੍ਰਿਤ
A devotional drum-dance of Punjabi Sufi dargahs and melas — performed by holding the daff (frame drum) aloft and dancing to its beats in circles, often associated with the Sufi Urs festivals.
Performing ArtOdisha
Palaପାଳା
The Pala song-and-dance of Odisha — performed by the Ghara and Gopal communities of Puri as a devotional offering to Lord Jagannath, with dance and sung narrative.
Performing ArtOdisha
Dasakathiaଦାସକାଠିଆ
The two-person ballad-tradition of Odisha — a form of sung narrative performed by a Gahana and a Palia with paired wooden percussion instruments (the Ramtali and the Dasakathi).
Performing ArtUttar Pradesh
Chaita (Chaiti)चैती
A women's song-and-dance cycle of Uttar Pradesh — sung and danced during the month of Chaitra (March-April) at Holi, with themes of love, marriage, and the reunion of Radha with Krishna in the Braj region.
Performing ArtUttar Pradesh
Kajriकजरी
A women's monsoon song-and-dance of eastern Uttar Pradesh (Mirzapur-Banaras-Vindhya region) — sung during the rainy season with themes of longing for the absent lover.
Performing ArtBihar
Soharसोहर
A women's birth-celebration song-and-dance of Bihar and eastern UP — performed by women upon the birth of a child, especially a male child, with joyful songs and dance in honour of the new baby.
Performing ArtChhattisgarh
Sua Song-Danceसुआ गीत
The women's cradle-rocking song-dance of Chhattisgarh — performed at the cradle of the bride before the marriage, with the women dancing around the decorated cradle.
Performing ArtChhattisgarh
Karma Bhajan Danceकरमा भजन नृत्य
The devotional song-and-dance tradition of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand — performed at the Karma festival with the celebrants circling the Karma branch and singing the Karma bhajans.
Performing ArtJharkhand
Tusu Tusu Song-Dance (Jharkhand variant)तुसु - झारखंड
A women's harvest-festival dance of the Munda-Adivasi belt of Jharkhand — performed in procession with the Tusu idol at the Magh-full-moon Tusu Parab, with songs dedicated to the goddess Tusu of the harvest.
Performing ArtHaryana
Dhamalधमाल
The men's vigorous drum-dance of Haryana — performed by rural men at weddings and Holi with the heavy beat of the dhamal (the large drum), widely associated with the State's cultural identity.
Performing ArtAndhra Pradesh
Tappeta Gulluతప్పెట గుళ్లు
The drum-ritual-dance of the Andhra community of coastal Andhra — performed by the Gandla drummer-community at festivals of the village deity, particularly during the Bonalu festival.
Performing ArtAndhra Pradesh
Dappu (Andhra)దప్పు
The Telugu dappu drum-dance — performed by men in the community-dance style with the dappu (the cowhide frame drum) at marriages, festivals and political rallies.
Performing ArtTelangana
Oggu Kathaఒగ్గు కథ
The traditional folk-narrative-song-and-dance of the Golla and Kuruma communities of Telangana — performed in honour of the caste-deities Mallana, Beerappa and Yellamma with the Jaggu damarukam (a percussion instrument) and the gait of the Oggu performers.
Performing ArtTelangana
Dappu (Telangana)దప్పు
The cowhide-frame-drum dance of the Telugu community — performed by men in the procession-of-festival-and-political-rally tradition, with the dappu drum at the centre of the Telangana identity-expression.
Performing ArtDelhi
Qawwali (Qawwali dance)क़व्वाली
The Sufi devotional-song tradition of the dargah (shrine) of Delhi — performed by the Qawwals (the singer-dancers) of the Sufi shrines in the rhythmic-clapping and the ecstatic musical tradition.