Chindu (Telangana)

Understand

Where Chindu (Telangana) comes from

Chindu is a traditional folk-dance form of Telangana (particularly of the Mahbubnagar and the southern Telugu-speaking districts), associated with the Bhamakalpam tradition of the women of the community. The dance is performed at the Sivaratri festival and at the regional temple celebrations, and is part of the broader Telugu-courtesan cultural heritage. The form is less documented in English-language sources but is regularly performed at state cultural programmes of Telangana and is recognised as a distinctive community-dance form. The Chindu is performed with the high-energy steps and the rhythmic claps of the Bhamakalpam tradition and includes both classical and folk elements of the Telugu dance vocabulary.

How it's practiced

Chindu is performed by groups of women (the Bhamakalpam of the community) in a circle at the Sivaratri celebrations of the Telangana villages. The dance is energetic, with the women performing rhythmic claps and jumps in time to the song of the Chindu (a song-cycle drawn from the Siva-Parvati myth). Music is the dhol, the shehnai and the small cymbals, with the lead singer guiding the dance. Costume is the regional festival dress — the colourful sari with the heavy silver jewellery and the small regional ornament (the jhoomar) of the community. Performances are at the central village temple at Sivaratri and at the regional celebrations of the Telangana cultural festivals.