Tipri (Luddi variant)

Understand

Where Tipri (Luddi variant) comes from

Tipri (or Aawat) is a traditional Punjabi men's dance performed at the harvest and the melas, named after the small tipri sticks (or aawat-clappers) used in the performance. The dance is closely related to the broader Bhangra / Luddi family but is distinguished by its stick-play and the characteristic step of the right foot. Tipri is documented as one of the lesser-known but still-practiced rural harvest dances of Punjab, performed particularly in the Majha and Doaba regions. The form is mentioned alongside Bhangra, Giddha and Luddi in the Government of Punjab's official list of folk dances of the state.

How it's practiced

Tipri is performed by men in a circle, each holding two small tips (sticks) which they strike against partners' sticks in coordinated rhythmic patterns. The focus is on the right-foot-thrusting step and the sidewise sway of the body to the dhol drum. The dance builds in tempo, with the pattern of the sticks growing more complex through the night. Costume is the everyday Punjabi kurta-lamba with the colourful turban. The dance is performed at weddings and at the harvest festivals (Lohri, Basant, Vaisakhi) and at the local melas of the Punjab villages.