Bhangra (Delhi style)

Understand

Where Bhangra (Delhi style) comes from

Bhangra is performed in Delhi by the large Punjabi community of the capital, particularly at the Holi festival and at the wedding cycle. The Bhangra form in Delhi is the cultural continuation of the Punjab tradition (with the dhol, the chhalla and the vigorous jumps of the Sialkot-Majha tradition), adapted to the urban context of the city. The form is performed at the central cultural institutions of Delhi (the IIC, the Spic Macay festivals, the IIPA) and at the cultural programmes of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Board. The Bhangra of Delhi is recognised as one of the most distinctive cultural-dance traditions of the national capital.

How it's practiced

Bhangra is performed by groups of men of the Punjabi community in a circle at the central courtyard of the wedding or at the open ground of the festival. The men dance in vigorous steps (the kikkli, the jhummar, the dhamaal) to the dhol and the chhalla, with the small jumps and turns of the Punjab tradition. The dance builds in energy through the night, with the men lifting the dancers in acrobatic flourishes. Music is the dhol, the dholak, the chhalla and the brass shehnai. Costume is the colourful Punjabi dress — the dhoti-kurta with the colourful turban (the pagri) and the lamba (the decorative cloth). Performances are at the wedding cycle and at the Holi of Delhi.