Northeast to showcase its dance, music during Games

AGARTALA/AIZAWL - Northeast India’s cultural prowess will be in full flow during the Commonwealth

Games, with artists from Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram set to perform in Delhi.

On show will be a range of traditional dances and songs during the 12-day mega international event.

The lively Mizo bamboo dance, which symbolises excellence and skills, will entertain spectators at the opening

ceremony Oct 3.

“The artists and dance performers from Assam, Tripura, Manipur and Nagaland would stage their traditional

cultural proficiencies in different cultural venues set up for the foreign and domestic spectators across the

national capital,” said Kumar Sinha, a senior official at Tripura’s information and cultural affairs department.

“The artists of the northeastern states coordinated by the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC) left for

New Delhi earlier this week,” Sinha told IANS.

Nagaland’s Dimapur-based NEZCC is one of many regional cultural centres established by the union

government to preserve and promote the traditional cultural heritage of India and respective regions.

“Around 80 Mizo dancers, comprising men and women, will perform the bamboo dance, traditionally known as

Cheraw dance, at the inaugural function of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi Oct 3,” a Mizoram

government official said in Aizawl.

This year the Cheraw dance made it to the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest and longest

dance ensemble.

From Tripura, the 10-member Hozagiri dance troupe comprising tribal men and women will mesmerise

spectators in New Delhi.

“The Hozagiri dance troupe has earned a huge name for Tripura by showing their skills and competence in many

countries, including the US, Russia, Japan and Bangladesh,” Kumar Sinha stated.

While its theme remains almost the same as that of other tribes, the dance form of the Reang tribal community is

quite different from others. The movement of hands or even the upper part of the body is somewhat restricted,

whereas the movement waist down to their feet creates a wonderful wave.

Sinha explained: “Standing on an earthen pitcher with a bottle on the head and a lighted lamp on it, when the

Reang women dance twisting the lower part of the body rhythmically, the dance bewilders onlookers.”

“The Reangs, known as a primitive tribe, also use musical instruments like the Khamb, a flute made of bamboo,

and bamboo cymbal. The Reang women prefer to put on the black Pachra and Rea traditional dress.”

Reang tribal women put on coin rings to cover their entire upper body and also big rings made of coins in their

ears.

“Wearing colourful costumes and jewellery, Manipuri, Naga dancers and also those doing Assam’s Bihu attract

spectators,” Sinha added.