Lebang Boomani

Understand

Where Lebang Boomani comes from

Lebang Boomani is the post-harvest insect-catching dance of the Tripuri people, performed at the end of the harvest season. The dance is associated with the tradition of catching the colourful lebang (a type of colourful insect of the region) and is performed in the fields. The men use bamboo clappers (tokkas) to set the rhythm, while the women wave colourful scarves to attract the lebang from their hiding places. The dance is one of the most distinctive regional traditions of Tripura and is performed at the central courtyard of the village and at the cultural programmes of the state.

How it's practiced

Lebang Boomani is performed by men and women of the Tripuri community in the fields at the end of the harvest. The men use the tokkas (the bamboo clappers) to set the rhythm, while the women wave colourful scarves to attract the lebang from their hiding places. The dance is gentle, with the rhythmic play of the clappers attracting the lebang. Music is the dhol, the small flutes and the bamboo clappers. Costume is the everyday Tripuri dress — the colourful rignai and the men's dhoti-kurta. Performances are at the central field of the village and at the cultural programmes of the state.