Performing Art · Karnataka

Dollu Kunitha

ಡೊಳ್ಳು ಕುಣಿತ

A vigorous drum dance from northern Karnataka, performed by troupes beating large dollu drums in acrobatic formation.

Understand

Where Dollu Kunitha comes from

Dollu Kunitha originated among shepherd communities of northern Karnataka as an offering to Beereshwara and Mailaralinga, and has since become one of the state's most recognisable folk dance forms.

How it's practiced

A troupe of dancers, each with a large dollu drum slung around the neck, performs synchronised formations and acrobatic moves while drumming a driving rhythm.

A vigorous drum dance from northern Karnataka, performed by troupes beating large dollu drums in acrobatic formation.

From discovery to practice

The Journey

Understand

Where Dollu Kunitha comes from, why it started, and what it means today.

See it

Catch it live at Dasara, Hampi Utsava.

Experience it

Request a booking to watch Dollu Kunitha performed live — with the option to meet the practitioners afterwards.

Practice

Hire Dollu Kunitha performers for your community, college or government event.

Experience it

Book the Dollu Kunitha experience

Want to watch Dollu Kunitha performed live? Tell us when and where you'd like to experience it, and we'll confirm the details.

Bring it to your event

Hire Dollu Kunitha performers for your community, college or government event

Every performer WRIKSH connects you with has been personally verified. Tell us the occasion — a community celebration, a college festival, a government program — and we'll find the right group.

See it

Festivals where Dollu Kunitha lives

Religious

Karnataka · September/October

Dasara

Karnataka's ten-day state festival built around the Mysuru Palace, culminating in a torch-lit procession where a bejewelled elephant carries the Chamundeshwari idol through the old city.