Khul (Khullana)

Understand

Where Khul (Khullana) comes from

Khul (or Khullana) is the traditional war-dance of the Garo community of upper Assam (the Goalpara and Kamrup regions of the Brahmaputra valley). The dance is performed in the context of the Garo weddings and the festival of Wangala (the hundred drums festival, recognised as the most important Garo festive occasion of the year). The dance tradition includes elements drawn from the martial-arts vocabulary of the early Ahom kingdoms (with whom the Garo had a long martial interaction). The dance is performed in the courtyard of the village or the chief's house, with the Garo warriors showing the formal gestures of the court-martial — the poised stance, the sword-cut, the shield-thrust and the bounding advance. The dance is performed at the Wangala festival and at ceremonial events of the Garo chief.

How it's practiced

Khul is performed by groups of Garo men, traditionally the warriors of the village, standing in a circle and performing coordinated martial gestures. The dancers carry the longsword (the chiltra) and the round-shield (the thuigot) and chant the heroic songs of their clan. Music is the gongs (the rang), the drums (the durra) and the percussion of the footfall. The dance is cyclical, with the lead singer-choreographer announcing the next movement and the dancers responding. Costume is the Garo ceremonial dress — the dhoti and the dhoti-kurta with the head-cloth, with the silver ornaments of the Garo tradition. Performances are at the Garo Wangala festival and at the community celebrations.