Dumhal (Dumhal Dance)

Understand

Where Dumhal (Dumhal Dance) comes from

Dumhal is the men's folk-dance of the Jammu region, performed by the men of the Rajput and Gujjar communities at the spring (the Baisakhi celebration) of the Jammu and the Pir Panjal area. The dance is associated with the spring-festival of the region and with the men wearing the colourful tall-conical caps (the Dumhal cap) of the community. The form is one of the most distinctive regional traditions of Jammu and is regularly performed at the cultural programmes of the state. The dance is performed at the courtyard of the host and at the open ground of the village.

How it's practiced

Dumhal is performed by men of the Jammu community in a circle at the central courtyard of the village or at the open ground of the festival. The men wear the colourful tall-conical caps (the Dumhal cap) of the community and perform the small steps of the dance in coordinated sequences. Music is the dhol, the nagara and the small cymbals of the regional ensemble. Costume is the everyday Jammu dress — the dhoti, the kurta and the colourful Dumhal cap. Performances are at the spring festival of the Jammu community and at the cultural programmes of the state.