Nati

Understand

Where Nati comes from

Nati is the state-dance of Himachal Pradesh and is one of the oldest recognised folk-dance traditions of the state. The dance is performed in the various districts of the state with regional variations — Kullu Nati, Shimla Nati, Bilaspur Nati and the famous Mandi Shivaratri Nati. Nati is the central social dance of the Himachali people and is performed at marriages, at the regional fairs and at the religious festivals (particularly the Kullu Dussehra and the Mandi Shivaratri). The dance is one of the most widely practised folk-dance forms of Himachal Pradesh and is recognised by the Government of India as a distinctive folk-dance tradition. The traditional songs of the Nati are in the Pahari dialect and are an important part of the Himachali folk literature.

How it's practiced

Nati is performed by men and women in a circle at the courtyard of the host's home or at the central village ground of the festival. The men and women perform the small clapping-step in coordinated rhythm, with the women's small hand-gestures and the men's claps. Music is the dhol, the shehnai, the brass cymbals and the regional instruments (the nagara, the karnal). Costume is the colourful Pahari dress of Himachal Pradesh — the women's ghagra-kurti with the colourful Himachali cap and the heavy silver jewellery, the men's dhoti-kurta with the regional Pahari cap. Performances run for several hours at the festival and at the marriage, and the dance can be seen in the major state cultural festivals of the year.