| Haryana Culture |
| Haryana has a rich cultural heritage that dates back to the Vedic times. The people of Haryana have preserved their own religious and social traditions. The age old customs of meditation, Yoga and chanting of Vedic Mantras, are still observed by the masses. The seasonal and religious festivals glorify the culture of this region and are celebrated with great enthusiasm and traditional fervor. Dance is said to be the mother of all arts. The dance is just not a form of recreation but something needed to release the physical and emotional energy. Dance Haryana has its own hip shakers. Phag is a seasonal dance, when the farmer, unable to control his happiness on seeing his blooming harvest, breaks into dancing. No kidding, he actually shakes a leg, and shakes it for 15 days, stopping only in March when it’s time for Holi, the festival of colours. Both men and women do it, either with each other or by themselves. Then there’s the Dhamal, whose origin goes back to the days of the Mahabharat. The Raas is also an ancient dance and is associated with Krishna, the flirtatious god. The Loor is performed by girls during the month of Phalguna (spring), and is so named because the word loor means girl in the Bangar area of Haryana. Women do the Jhoomar, whose name is derived from an ornament worn by married women on their foreheads. Another all-women affair is the dance during the Teej festival. During the rains, the famous Ratvai dance is the favourite of the Mewati’s. The Been-bansuri dance goes on with the accompaniment of been (a wind instrument) and bansuri (flute). An earthen pitcher is used as a miniature drum, with its mouth covered with strips of rubber and played with both hands. For the Gugga dance, devotees of Gugga (a saint) dance around his grave in his honour and sing songs in his praise. Folk Music Haryana has a rich tradition of folk music. Even villages have been named after classical ragas. The folk music of Haryana generally falls in to two categories. The classical form involves group songs, usually with mythological themes. The other group is countryside music and includes legendary tales, ceremonial songs, seasonal songs and ballads. Theatre Better known as Sang in Haryana, theatre forms an integral part of the state's culture. Theatre here is usually performed in rural areas, complete with a touch of folklore, music and narration from the sidelines. The word sang is a corrupted form of swang, which literally translates as meaning imitating or diguising. The sang is a rural folk drama which expresses the interplay of love, depicting mythological and modern tales of valour, sacrifice, humour and whatever else comes to mind. With a deep rooted tradition, the sang is based on the open theatre style, Haryana has a rich cultural heritage that dates back to the Vedic times. The people of Haryana have preserved their own religious and social traditions. The age old customs of meditation, Yoga and chanting of Vedic Mantras, are still observed by the masses. The seasonal and religious festivals glorify the culture of this region and are celebrated with great enthusiasm and traditional fervor. Dance is said to be the mother of all arts. The dance is just not a form of recreation but something needed to release the physical and emotional energy. |
Dance Haryana has its own hip shakers. Phag is a seasonal dance, when the farmer, unable to control his happiness on seeing his blooming harvest, breaks into dancing. No kidding, he actually shakes a leg, and shakes it for 15 days, stopping only in March when it’s time for Holi, the festival of colours. Both men and women do it, either with each other or by themselves. Then there’s the Dhamal, whose origin goes back to the days of the Mahabharat. The Raas is also an ancient dance and is associated with Krishna, the flirtatious god. The Loor is performed by girls during the month of Phalguna (spring), and is so named because the word loor means girl in the Bangar area of Haryana. Women do the Jhoomar, whose name is derived from an ornament worn by married women on their foreheads. Another all-women affair is the dance during the Teej festival. During the rains, the famous Ratvai dance is the favourite of the Mewati’s. The Been-bansuri dance goes on with the accompaniment of been (a wind instrument) and bansuri (flute). An earthen pitcher is used as a miniature drum, with its mouth covered with strips of rubber and played with both hands. For the Gugga dance, devotees of Gugga (a saint) dance around his grave in his honour and sing songs in his praise. Folk Music Haryana has a rich tradition of folk music. Even villages have been named after classical ragas. The folk music of Haryana generally falls in to two categories. The classical form involves group songs, usually with mythological themes. The other group is countryside music and includes legendary tales, ceremonial songs, seasonal songs and ballads. Theatre Better known as Sang in Haryana, theatre forms an integral part of the state's culture. Theatre here is usually performed in rural areas, complete with a touch of folklore, music and narration from the sidelines. The word sang is a corrupted form of swang, which literally translates as meaning imitating or diguising. The sang is a rural folk drama which expresses the interplay of love, depicting mythological and modern tales of valour, sacrifice, humour and whatever else comes to mind. With a deep rooted tradition, the sang is based on the open theatre style, |