Picture shows Paika dancers

You may not know one fact.That is the Munda community of Jharkhand performs the Paika Dance.

This Paika dance is a stylized representation of the rituals connected with the preparations of war.The dancers hold bows,arrows,spears,swords and shields and the dance is, in style,is worship of arms.

The form of this tribal dance is retained by the use of arms-shield and sword. The dancers display their skills in handling these arms and the dance reaches a climax with the fast beat of the Manadr. Previously the dance was performed to welcome guests, but nowadays it is also performed on different happy occasions like weddings.

The spring and arrival of winter around Dussehra celebrations remain incomplete without this dance.The musical accompaniments of this dance are the Dhol, Nagara, Shehnai and Ranbheri. The Mundas originally came from North West India, but later moved to Jharkhand’s Chota Nagpur Plateau.

Mundas began their settlements in Chotanagpur by clearning forests. They were the first tribal people to resist colonization.

The Paika Dance of the Mundas depicts war of their community against the British.”Besides their protective chest blades, the dances also wear colourful headgear and bells around their ankles. This captivating dance form, which is indigenous to the Mundas, is a martial art with variations throughout Jharkhand”,sates a report.

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