Pranaam is derived from the Sanskrit word Pranama (pra as prefix means forward, in front, before and anama which means bending or stretching. Combined they mean 'bending much' or 'prostration'. In cultural terms, it is a respectful salutation along with reverential bowing. In some cases, it shows respect for elders, but in the case of a Bhangra dancer, they are showing respect to Dharthi Maa - (Mother Earth); thanking her for the abundance of crops and all that she provides. This gesture is also found in 'Kushti' wrestling arenas. Touching the floor and then touching either ear or your forehead and folding your hands are also other ways of giving deep respect.

A Hekh, is a vocal call in which one sings a note continuously in one breath. This is then followed by a short Boli, Vaar, or Shayar. These are poetic couplets have either a religious or secular theme, celebrating Sanjha Panjab, the land of five rivers. The Hekh is also used to call dancers forward and to lift their spirits in preparation to dance with gusto and zeal.

Shalla when translated is the joy of jumping in the air. There are a few variations of the jumps that are used within the repertoire of Bhangra. This version is a simple jump with the arms thrown straight up into the air.

Betakaan is a powerful squatting movement. This motion derives from 'Pehlwani' wrestling and is a squatting move that shows of the strength in the dancer's legs.

Although, Dhamaal has been inaugurated into the genre of folk dance, it has a significant spiritual background. It originates from the shrines if Sufi Fakirs and Malangs chanting and meditating on the name of Ali in a trance-like state, dancing and singing 'dam-dama-dam mast kalandar.' It has deep roots within the places of worship associated with Sufi shrines of Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh, Baba Farid Shakarganj, Hazrat Mian Mir, Madho Lal Hussain, Sai Bulleh Shah, and Syed Waris Shah. Dhamaal can be described more accurately as devotional worship through dance, otherwise known as, 'Mast malanga', mastaniya or Qalandara. We know from 13th Century Sufi history that, in the area of Sindh, a Sufi named 'Lal Shahbaz Qalandar' who was also known as 'Mast Qalandar'. He was believed that he used to dance in a circular fashion through worship and stay in tune with the almighty creator. A shrine dedicated to him still exists to this day in Sindh and devotees offer prayers to the almighty whilst dancing Dhamaal. Annual 'Urs' festivals that take place at the shrine bring many Sufi devotees together to pay their respects and dance Dhamaal. This beautiful spectacle of devotional dance and worship can still be witnessed at many Sufi shrines across Panjab. Dancers would dance in a circle around a Dhol drummer and dance into a state of ecstasy. These spiritual fakir's have a deep connection with the celebrated Persian poet and theologian, Jalaluddin Rumi of Iran, who practiced the Sufi whirling, a form of physically active meditation, and also called Dhamaal across the Panjab. The etymology of this word derives from the first part of the word 'Dhamak', which describes the loud sound of stamping on the ground or the beating of a dhol drum.## Those that practice this type of devotional dance have also been called Malang or Dhamaali because of the divine happiness they achieve.## This dance is a particularly energetic form, performed in a circle and danced to 'Taal' beat found in wrestling arena's / akhara. Dancers hold both their hands in the air to show stamina and usually hold one leg out and dance on the other leg. There are also words such as 'hoy-hoy', 'ahaa' and 'hurrr', that are sung out aloud as the dancers performs. ## There are some dances that bear a similar resemblance to Dhamaal such as Dhamaal or Damyaal found in Haryana, Damal in Rajasthan and Dhumal in Kashmir.## Although, Dhamaal has seen a decline in some areas of Western Panjab, it has found its way into Bhangra and has become a vibrant part of this artform where it is still celebrated with great enthusiasm.

The second Dhamaal continues with a show of masculinity and strength through the slapping of the upper arms. See 'Pehli Dhamaal' for more information.

The third Dhamaal has deep connections with the spiritual elements of Dhamaal's past as spinning was used to enter a trance-like state of ecstasy.

Some folk-dances have their roots in spiritual practices and Phumaniyan is one of them. It originated from the Kandi area of Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir). The dance 'phumni' is performed by the folks to invoke and express gratitude to the deity Gagaihl or Nagga Raj after the worshipers wishes are fulfilled or for the protection of their family and cattle. This dance is performed by the men of the area. Phumaniyan is performed in a shared open space and is danced around a dhol drummer who plays in the centre of the circle. The movements of this dance reflect the actions of someone making 'phuman' (pom-poms). This is where the name of this dance derives from.## Phuman (woolen pom-poms) are also worn by Bhangra dancers both on their wrists and on their arms.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play'. Over-time the word has become more closely associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Panjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands.## Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Panjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming back to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the Northern mountainous regions of Panjab it then found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala areas and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down.## Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice.## If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi.## Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master.## Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve.## Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol.## In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow.## As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move.## The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Panjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

Dancing Luddhi in a circular motion.

Luddhi, clapping and moving forward.

Luddhi, clapping and moving backwards.

Kharra Tharri simply translatest to clapping while standing.

Some movements are called 'chaal' as they also incorporate travelling steps. This one is depicted with one hand in front and the other on the hip.

Theen Tharri simply translates as 'Three Claps'

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Panjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands.## Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Panjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Luddiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Panjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down.## Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. ## The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice.## If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi.## Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve.## Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. ## The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The Jatts are a paradigmatic example of community and identity-formation in early modern Indian subcontinent and an elastic label applied to a wide-ranging, traditionally non-elite, community which had its origins in pastoralism ( a form of animal husbandry, historically by nomadic people who moved with their herds, livestock, such as cattle, camels and goats. Over time becoming Zameendar (landowners) and very proud of both their efforts in making the Panjab the 'Breadbasket' of India as well as the Jatts taking up arms against the Mughal Empire during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The name Jatta derives from the term of endearment given to the farmer,'Oh Jattan' (Oh Farmer). This exuberant move was showcased by the Deepak brothers and their teammates in the now famous Bhangra scene from Naya Daur (1957).

Lehriya denotes a flowing movement in this case moving in a circular motion.

Lehriya denotes a flowing movement.

Lehriya denotes a flowing movement, this one is performed whilst squatting down.

Sialkoti as its name suggests originated from the Sialkot area of 'Sanjha-Panjab'. This dance has sacred origins as it was once performed counter clockwise with one leg in the air, which some suggest was similar to the posture of the Hindu God Nataraja. Over the centuries it gained strong associations with the wrestling arenas around East Panjab, where young, strong-men wearing loincloths would show off their athleticism through dancing and jumping over three water pitchers, three times, before entering the wrestling arena.

This move was originally known as Sheesha as both hands were held straight in front as though you were holding up two mirrors.The majority of the motion was kept in the shoulders and elbows tucked in. When a rocking motion was added to this move with one arm being extended more and more, it became known as Madani. A madani is used to make butter by hand and the movement reflects the action of churning the milk.

Thunka is also known as Jhatka because of the short sharp, kick-back movement.

Thunka is also known as Jhatka because of the short sharp, kick-back movement, this is the same movement whilst travelling forward.

Luddhi with one clap.

Hans Chaal was named after the Hans or Hansa, an aquatic bird of passage, which various scholars have interpreted as the swan. The move evokes the motion of a swan, gracefully extending its long neck. As many aquatic birds are no longer seen across the Panjab the move has become more commonly known as 'Kabootar' chaal, named after the more commonly recognised pigeons.

Many of the movements that have a prop/instrument are used to reenact a 'Mela' scene. A Mela is a festival or fair, such as a cattle fair where the Jatt farmers would gather to buy and sell animals, and their agricultural harvests.## The Khunda is an important part of Bhangra and its history. It is a wooden stick, approximately five-foot in height and fashioned in the style of a shepherd's crook. Its significance is two-fold; the first is as a shepherds-crook, and it harks back to a time when Panjabi farmers would herd their animals such as goats and cattle. Secondly, the crook would aid in defending against predators or if he ever got into an altercation with someone.## Its importance of the Khunda is immortalised in the following Boli, Oj Jithe vajjda badal vang gajda, Jith vajda oh hoi, Wherever the dhol sounds it sounds like thunder!## Vadja Badal vang gajda oh Kala Khunda mithara da Balliye, Balliye With the sound of Thunder and the black Kuhnda, Ni chal Gurnam Kure' Mele Chalie', Ni mele chaliye Ni.## Let's go to the festival Gurnam Kaur.## In modern Bhangra this section is called the Mela scene, this vibrant section of a performance depicts the farmers enjoying life to the full and celebrating their success during the Harvest season of Vaisakhi. The Khunda is also known as 'Sammi Vali Daang'.

The Khunda is an important part of Bhangra and its history. It is a wooden stick, approximately five-foot in height and fashioned in the style of a shepherd's crook. Its significance is two-fold; the first is as a shepherds-crook, and it harks back to a time when Panjabi farmers would herd their animals such as goats and cattle. Secondly, the crook would aid in defending against predators or if he ever got into an altercation with someone.## Its importance of the Khunda is immortalised in the following Boli, Oj Jithe vajjda badal vang gajda, Jith vajda oh hoi, Wherever the dhol sounds it sounds like thunder!## Vadja Badal vang gajda oh Kala Khunda mithara da Balliye, Balliye With the sound of Thunder and the black Kuhnda, Ni chal Gurnam Kure' Mele Chalie', Ni mele chaliye Ni.## Let's go to the festival Gurnam Kaur.## In modern Bhangra this section is called the Mela scene, this vibrant section of a performance depicts the farmers enjoying life to the full and celebrating their success during the Harvest season of Vaisakhi. The Khunda is also known as 'Sammi Vali Daang'.

The Khunda is an important part of Bhangra and its history. It is a wooden stick, approximately five-foot in height and fashioned in the style of a shepherd's crook. Its significance is two-fold; the first is as a shepherds-crook, and it harks back to a time when Panjabi farmers would herd their animals such as goats and cattle. Secondly, the crook would aid in defending against predators or if he ever got into an altercation with someone.## Its importance of the Khunda is immortalised in the following Boli, Oj Jithe vajjda badal vang gajda, Jith vajda oh hoi, Wherever the dhol sounds it sounds like thunder!## Vadja Badal vang gajda oh Kala Khunda mithara da Balliye, Balliye With the sound of Thunder and the black Kuhnda, Ni chal Gurnam Kure' Mele Chalie', Ni mele chaliye Ni.## Let's go to the festival Gurnam Kaur.## In modern Bhangra this section is called the Mela scene, this vibrant section of a performance depicts the farmers enjoying life to the full and celebrating their success during the Harvest season of Vaisakhi. The Khunda is also known as 'Sammi Vali Daang'.

The Khunda is an important part of Bhangra and its history. It is a wooden stick, approximately five-foot in height and fashioned in the style of a shepherd's crook. Its significance is two-fold; the first is as a shepherds-crook, and it harks back to a time when Panjabi farmers would herd their animals such as goats and cattle. Secondly, the crook would aid in defending against predators or if he ever got into an altercation with someone.## Its importance of the Khunda is immortalised in the following Boli, Oj Jithe vajjda badal vang gajda, Jith vajda oh hoi, Wherever the dhol sounds it sounds like thunder!## Vadja Badal vang gajda oh Kala Khunda mithara da Balliye, Balliye With the sound of Thunder and the black Kuhnda, Ni chal Gurnam Kure' Mele Chalie', Ni mele chaliye Ni.## Let's go to the festival Gurnam Kaur.## In modern Bhangra this section is called the Mela scene, this vibrant section of a performance depicts the farmers enjoying life to the full and celebrating their success during the Harvest season of Vaisakhi. The Khunda is also known as 'Sammi Vali Daang'.

The Khunda is an important part of Bhangra and its history. It is a wooden stick, approximately five-foot in height and fashioned in the style of a shepherd's crook. Its significance is two-fold; the first is as a shepherds-crook, and it harks back to a time when Panjabi farmers would herd their animals such as goats and cattle. Secondly, the crook would aid in defending against predators or if he ever got into an altercation with someone.## Its importance of the Khunda is immortalised in the following Boli, Oj Jithe vajjda badal vang gajda, Jith vajda oh hoi, Wherever the dhol sounds it sounds like thunder!## Vadja Badal vang gajda oh Kala Khunda mithara da Balliye, Balliye With the sound of Thunder and the black Kuhnda, Ni chal Gurnam Kure' Mele Chalie', Ni mele chaliye Ni.## Let's go to the festival Gurnam Kaur.## In modern Bhangra this section is called the Mela scene, this vibrant section of a performance depicts the farmers enjoying life to the full and celebrating their success during the Harvest season of Vaisakhi. The Khunda is also known as 'Sammi Vali Daang'.

Karton is one of the traditional musical instruments of the Panjab. It is used in various cultural activities specially in folk dances. Originally found in Malwai Giddha it has become an integral part of Bhangra. Karton literally means squirrel Panjabi, hence its name as the wooden instrument is fashioned into the shape of a squirrel. It is attached to a stick and ropes tied to the Squirrels mouth and tail create a clapping sound. Originally the Karton would be represented on its hind legs, but in some parts of the Panjab the squirrel is on all four legs.## The squirrel also has great symbolism as it depicts happiness. There is a saying in the Panjabi language that when one is asked "How do you do?" the reply is "Ajj Taan Kaato Phullan Te Aa", which evokes a sense of great happiness as a 'Squirrel dancing on flowers!'

Karton is one of the traditional musical instruments of the Panjab. It is used in various cultural activities specially in folk dances. Originally found in Malwai Giddha it has become an integral part of Bhangra. Karton literally means squirrel Panjabi, hence its name as the wooden instrument is fashioned into the shape of a squirrel. It is attached to a stick and ropes tied to the Squirrels mouth and tail create a clapping sound. Originally the Karton would be represented on its hind legs, but in some parts of the Panjab the squirrel is on all four legs.## The squirrel also has great symbolism as it depicts happiness. There is a saying in the Panjabi language that when one is asked "How do you do?" the reply is "Ajj Taan Kaato Phullan Te Aa", which evokes a sense of great happiness as a 'Squirrel dancing on flowers!'

Karton is one of the traditional musical instruments of the Panjab. It is used in various cultural activities specially in folk dances. Originally found in Malwai Giddha it has become an integral part of Bhangra. Karton literally means squirrel Panjabi, hence its name as the wooden instrument is fashioned into the shape of a squirrel. It is attached to a stick and ropes tied to the Squirrels mouth and tail create a clapping sound. Originally the Karton would be represented on its hind legs, but in some parts of the Panjab the squirrel is on all four legs.## The squirrel also has great symbolism as it depicts happiness. There is a saying in the Panjabi language that when one is asked "How do you do?" the reply is "Ajj Taan Kaato Phullan Te Aa", which evokes a sense of great happiness as a 'Squirrel dancing on flowers!'

Karton is one of the traditional musical instruments of the Panjab. It is used in various cultural activities specially in folk dances. Originally found in Malwai Giddha it has become an integral part of Bhangra. Karton literally means squirrel Panjabi, hence its name as the wooden instrument is fashioned into the shape of a squirrel. It is attached to a stick and ropes tied to the Squirrels mouth and tail create a clapping sound. Originally the Karton would be represented on its hind legs, but in some parts of the Panjab the squirrel is on all four legs.## The squirrel also has great symbolism as it depicts happiness. There is a saying in the Panjabi language that when one is asked "How do you do?" the reply is "Ajj Taan Kaato Phullan Te Aa", which evokes a sense of great happiness as a 'Squirrel dancing on flowers!'

This is a movement where you crouch down in pairs in a Bhetak motion found in wrestling arena's.

Faslaan is named after the wheat fields of Panjab. Bhangra was mainly celebrated by Panjabi farmers whilst they did their agricultural chores, or during the harvest season of Vaisakhi. After harvesting, their wheat crops were taken to the markets to sell. Farmers would dance Bhangra at these cultural festivals and Melas. Farmers performed Bhangra to showcase a sense of accomplishment and to welcome the new harvesting season. The move itself mirrors the flowing movement for the wheat fields as they move with the wind. This movement is not seen in Bhangra anymore.

Faslaan is named after the wheat fields of Panjab. Bhangra was mainly celebrated by Panjabi farmers whilst they did their agricultural chores, or during the harvest season of Vaisakhi. After harvesting, their wheat crops were taken to the markets to sell. Farmers would dance Bhangra at these cultural festivals and Melas. Farmers performed Bhangra to showcase a sense of accomplishment and to welcome the new harvesting season. The move itself mirrors the flowing movement for the wheat fields as they move with the wind.

Faslaan is named after the wheat fields of Panjab. Bhangra was mainly celebrated by Panjabi farmers whilst they did their agricultural chores, or during the harvest season of Vaisakhi. After harvesting, their wheat crops were taken to the markets to sell. Farmers would dance Bhangra at these cultural festivals and Melas. Farmers performed Bhangra to showcase a sense of accomplishment and to welcome the new harvesting season. The move itself mirrors the flowing movement for the wheat fields as they move with the wind.

Faslaan is named after 'Wheat fields of Punjab'. Bhangra was mainly done by Punjabi farmers during the harvesting season. It was mainly performed while farmers did agricultural chores. As they did each farming activity, they would perform bhangra moves on the spot. This allowed them to finish their job in a pleasurable way. After harvesting their wheat crops during the Vaisakhi season, people used to attend cultural festivals while dancing Bhangra. For many years, farmers performed Bhangra to showcase a sense of accomplishment and to welcome the new harvesting season. This is the most common type of Fasla move seen in modern Bhangra.

Also known as Lehiria. This movement embodies the flow of the graceful 'Moor' peacock.

Kharra Bhangra is Bhangra performed stationary in one position.

The first ever recorded reference to Bhangra is by English historian Arthur as far back as 1838, as noted in Hardeep Sahota's book; Mystics, Music & Migration. Professor Gibb Schreffler, also confirms that reference was made to Bhangra in a British colonial report from the Kohat district (a Pashtun area) - the ethnographic work for which was conducted in 1883 or earlier. One finds the Khattak tribal sword dance referred to as Bhangra. The author notes, incidentally, that the Muslim clergy of the area had within the last few years prohibited much music and dance. Although there is some implication that the community's sword dance may not have been included in this ban, the prohibition of its accompanying instruments, the pipe (surnai) and drum (dhol) had more or less stifled it. Attribution of the dance to the North-West frontier gets support in the form of a report of 1930s on the local Pashtun people, who it says were 'well known for' 'Bangra.'' and more recently, the Khattak tribe located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan has been said to practice a 'bangra' dance variant of the more general Afghan dance. ## According to Dhillon, Bhangra is related to the Panjabi dance 'bagaa', which is a martial dance of Panjab and finding its home in the area of Sialkot and Gujranwala in pre-partition Panjab. ## After partition, it was the Deepak brothers who teamed up with members of a distinguished Bazigar clan, also refugees from Western Panjab. Manohar Deepak's attendance at Mohindra College, Patiala, allowed him to team up with others there. Notable members of this legendary team would be the Deepak brothers, Manohar, Gurbachan, and Avtar along with the great, Balbir Singh Sekhon. The Bazigar members brought essential expertise as performing artists. They included the Master Dholi Ustaad Bhana Ram and Master Algoza player, Ustaad Mangal Ram. They practiced a mixture of dance styles, including Jhummar, and which reflected the regions of West Panjab they hailed from. They were all very keen on 'reviving' the dying art forms. ## By 1952, the group performed at a cattle fair in front of the Maharaja of Patiala who gave them financial support to enhance their performance. In 1954 the performed at the national republic day parade in New Delhi. Their actions sealed the upwards trajectory of this artform when they decided to call their presentation - Bhangra! ## Traditional Bhangra is performed in a circle and is performed using traditional dance steps. Traditional Bhangra is now also performed on occasions other than during the harvest season as well as many University competitions.

A faster rendition of the first Bhangra move and also used to travel.

The fastest incarnation of the 'Bhangra' moves which is usually employed towards the crescendo of the Bhangra performance.

This movement is called Kichaan because of the the pulling motion of the arms and legs towards oneself. Also referred to as Cross khichaan or cross Bhangra.

This movement is called Kichaan because of the the pulling motion of the arms and legs towards oneself.

'Jugni' translates as 'female fire-fly' in Panjabi. It is a term used to refer to a loved one, a special girl in one's life and is an age-old narrative device used in Panjabi folk music and sung at Panjabi weddings across Sanjha Panjab. It has been used as a metaphor to express an essence of love for many generations. Less known, is that its original iteration was spiritual in nature. In spiritual poetry Jugni means the spirit of life, or essence of life. The 'Aatma', soul, is also referred to as Jugni; someone who is in divine-love with God and is wandering to meet him one day, as expressed by Baba Bulleh Shah. ## In folk-music it stands in for the poet-writer who uses Jugni as an innocent observer to make incisive, often humorous, sometimes sad but always touching observations.## This abstract concept became more worldly as Sufi saints began to use this word in their poems to give soul a particular shape of a girl named Jugni. It also describes the state where one is carried towards her end knowingly and happily. ## The last few decades have seen Jugni explored by artists such as Bishna Jatt and Manda Mirasi in 1906, and more recently, Shiv Kumar Batalvi, Alam Lohar, Kuldeep Manak and Malkit Singh. Jugni has now become synonymous with the expression of the beauty of a woman by their beloved. In Bhangra the movement of Jugni both of the hands 'flutter' and one of the hands is held close to the heart.

As in 'Jugni', with an added squat position.

A travelling chaal with the arms crossed along with the clapping of the upper-arms.

Tandav is derived from the divine dance performed by Hindu Gods in ancient mysticism. In Shaiva Siddhanta tradition, Shiva as Nataraja, is considered to be the supreme Lord of dance. This move evokes Shiva as he stikes his Tandav or trident downwards. This puratan variation can be found in Bhangra up until the late 80's until it changed.

This movement is quite literally fashioned on the movement of a water pump as the handle is pushed up and down to irrigate the water from underground.

This movement is based on the old water pump, with a variation.

This is the most contemporary version of the 'Pump' movement and found within modern stage performances.

This is similar to the previous 'Kichaan' movement only this is performed in pairs at a faster pace.

A movement performed in pairs where each individual mirrors the other to create a synchronised movement.

This movement is known by both names of Bhari Chaal (Heavy steps) or Kangan which translates into bracelets.

This movement is also performed as a duo.

This movement emulates the motion of someone using a homemade butter churner.

This movement has a connection with Bhangra's spiritual past as gratitude towards the Almighty is shown with a salutation of giving in the middle of the movement towards the sky. This denotes that we as dancers offer our thanks towards the Heavens.

Maiya is also known as side-tharri Jhummar.

Also known as 'Chakardar' or Drilling on Dhol Beats. It's the movement in preparation for the new chaal beat to begin.

Some believe that the 'Chikka' also known as 'Sap' originates from Malwai Giddha - This folk dance is practised by the men of the Malwa region of Panjab. It originated in the Village Chatha, district Sangrur, as it was once termed 'Chathian Waley Baabeyan Da Giddha' which then became 'Baabeyan Da Giddha' and presently called Malwai Giddha. Originally it was performed by old men who would also use an array of instruments in their performances such as the algoze', tumbi, chimta, kato and of course Chikka sap.

This Chikka Sap move has elements of Dhamaal.

A more fast past Chikka Sap movement.

A circular motion of Chikka Sap.

Chikka Sap with a pulling motion.

Chikka Sap with a Mahiya motion.

Chikka Sap with a Panjab motion.

Travelling with the Chikka Sap

Jumping with the Chikka Sap

Chikka Sap - in a circular motion with a clap.

Chikka Sap - movement in a stationary spot.

Chikka Sap - in a straight horizontal movement.

Chikka Sap flowing through the air towards the heavens.

Chikka Sap movements now seen in Bhangra performances.

Chikka Sap moving up and down on both sides.

Chikka Sap in a circular motion.

Chikka Sap with a circular motion in a travelling direction.

Chikka Sap with a straight clapping motion.

This is a contemporary Chikka sap step usually found in UK Bhangra.

Chikka Sap with a squatting action.

An old movement of sitting on one's knees whilst playing the Chikka Sap.

This is the jumping movement that evokes happiness and ecstasy.

A jumping movement with the spinning of the arms.

This movement reflects the rounding up of cattle or goat herds with the Hurr sound.

Also known as Dankaraan.

A puratan move with a delicate movement of the hands.

Named after the Land of the five rivers the Panjab, also one of the first moves to be taught to new students.

Also known as 'Side Taari Bhangra' this is a variation with the addition of a clap.

More commonly known as 'Jindua' this movements original name is Phakka meaning fan and reflects the old fashioned fans that were large pieces of fabric hung up on the ceiling and moved with a string in a back and forth motion.

Also known as Double Jindua, this is shown at a slower pace.

Also known as Double Jindua, this is shown at a faster pace.

This is a puratan movement that has very small movement transfering the weight from the balls of the feet to the heels as you travel.

A Bhangra movement with a distinct circular clapping motion.

A Bhangra movement with a distinct circular clapping motion and a twist above the head.

A travelling movement.

This movement depicts the motion of a chakki as the handle is turned of a flour mill of two heavy stones.

This movement can also be performed by sticking out a thumb on the forward motion.

A movement that was probably introduced by the Bazigar dancers with their acrobatics during the Deepak brothers and their troupe.

Variation of the squatting movement with the addition of claps.

Variation of the squatting movement.

Variation of the squatting movement.

Variation of the squatting movement.

This is a contemporary version of Siyalkoti.

This movement gets its name from the action created when cooking of chapatis (aka Phulka) and how they are flipped or tossed between the hands.

A similar move to phulka but carried out in four directions.

This motion shows the adornment of a flower.

This is the contemporary version of the Sheesha movements.

A Bhangra step with a clap to the side.

Makhani is named after the motion of home-made Butter making as two strings are pushed and pulled, churning the butter.

Gola is so-called because of a ball motion.

Two claps

Dhamaal with squats.

A release transition type motion.

Chutkiyan translates as the clicking of the fingers.

Named after the motion of an elephants (Haathi) trunk swaying.

A puratan travelling move not seen in contemporary Bhangra anymore.

This step is very rarely seen in contemporary Bhangra and is a forward traveling movement.

This movement reflects the movement of a cobra snake. Sometimes performed as a duo and the other person pretends to be a snake charmer.

Translates as four claps.

Translates as nine claps.

Dhamakka translates as an explosion.

Dangal has its origin in the wrestling arenas. This movement shows the bravado of wrestlers facing off each other.

This is a transition movement.

Hai shava is also known as 'Bomb'

This is a contemporary version of Phumaniyaan with extra movements.

Latt translates as 'Leg' and is a version of Phumaniyaan where most of the movement is focused in the legs.

Pehlwani, also known as kushti, is a form of wrestling contested in the Indian subcontinent. One of the main posturing done in Pehlwani is slapping the inner thigh to show strength.

This is movement is a combination of pulling in and a circular motion.

Another travelling movement, can be performed with a crouching position also.

A chaal giving salutations and showing happiness through open arms.

Another transition movement.

Throughout 'Sanjha-Panjab' there are many areas, one of which was home to the Pathaans at one point. Traders and travellers from Iran and Afghanistan who wanted to come to India would pass through these areas. Many of these travellers settled and became part of the fabric of Panjab. Areas such as Multan, Miawali, Kasoor, Khanewal, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Jalandhar and Malerkotla. Overtime the names of the places reflected the people that lived their; for example, those that lived in Kasoor were called Kasori Pathan and those from Multan were called Multani Pathan. Their language and script also became part of the Panjabi melting pot such as Pashto and Shamukhi. ## The dance that that was celebrated in these areas became known as Pathaniyaan. In this dance handkerchiefs are tied to the small finger on each hand. Many of the hand gestures are carried out above the head in beautiful circular movements so that the handkerchiefs flutter freely in the air. This dance is performed in a circle primarily with the dhol along with the accompaniment of instruments like the Shenai. The dhol is the driving force of the dance and speeds up as the dancers gathers pace. Some of these movements can still be seen within contemporary Bhangra.

Throughout 'Sanjha-Panjab' there are many areas, one of which was home to the Pathaans at one point. Traders and travellers from Iran and Afghanistan who wanted to come to India would pass through these areas. Many of these travellers settled and became part of the fabric of Panjab. Areas such as Multan, Miawali, Kasoor, Khanewal, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Jalandhar and Malerkotla. Overtime the names of the places reflected the people that lived their; for example, those that lived in Kasoor were called Kasori Pathan and those from Multan were called Multani Pathan. Their language and script also became part of the Panjabi melting pot such as Pashto and Shamukhi. The dance that that was celebrated in these areas became known as Pathaniyaan. In this dance handkerchiefs are tied to the small finger on each hand. Many of the hand gestures are carried out above the head in beautiful circular movements so that the handkerchiefs flutter freely in the air. This dance is performed in a circle primarily with the dhol along with the accompaniment of instruments like the Shenai. The dhol is the driving force of the dance and speeds up as the dancers gathers pace. Some of these movements can still be seen within contemporary Bhangra.

Throughout 'Sanjha-Punjab' there are many areas, one of which was home to the Pathaans at one point. Traders and travellers from Iran and Afghanistan who wanted to come to India would pass through these areas. Many of these travellers settled and became part of the fabric of Punjab. Areas such as Multan, Miawali, Kasoor, Khanewal, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Jalandhar and Malerkotla. Overtime the names of the places reflected the people that lived their; for example, those that lived in Kasoor were called Kasori Pathan and those from Multan were called Multani Pathan. Their language and script also became part of the Punjabi melting pot such as Pashto and Shamukhi. ## The dance that that was celebrated in these areas became known as Pathaniyaan. In this dance handkerchiefs are tied to the small finger on each hand. Many of the hand gestures are carried out above the head in beautiful circular movements so that the handkerchiefs flutter freely in the air. This dance is performed in a circle primarily with the dhol along with the accompaniment of instruments like the Shenai. The dhol is the driving force of the dance and speeds up as the dancers gathers pace. Some of these movements can still be seen within contemporary Bhangra.

Also known as 'Side Taari'. The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play'. Over-time the word has become more closely associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Panjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands.## Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Panjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming back to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the Northern mountainous regions of Panjab it then found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala areas and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down.## Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. ## The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice.## If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi.## Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. ## Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. ## Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol.## In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow.## As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move.## The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Panjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands.## Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Panjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Punjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down.## Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. ## The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice.## If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi.## Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. ## Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. ## Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. ## The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play'. Over-time the word has become more closely associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Panjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands.## Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Panjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming back to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the Northern mountainous regions of Panjab it then found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala areas and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down.## Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. ## The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice.## If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi.## Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve.## Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. ## The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play'. Over-time the word has become more closely associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Panjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands.## Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Panjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming back to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the Northern mountainous regions of Panjab it then found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala areas and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down.## Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. ## The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice.## If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi.## Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve.## Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. ## The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

Believed to have originated from the area of Multan, now located in West Panjab, near the banks of the Chenab River. Multani Luddi was once a dance celebrated by women, we know this as the womenfolk of Multan would wear long skirts and sing; Assi Kurriyaan Shehar Multan Diyan. - (We are the girls of the city of Multan) Assi hass hass kushiyaan manayiee - (We laugh and enjoy our happiness) Eh Mela Pir Fakir da ae - (This festival is for our holy-men) Assi Luddiyan Dhamala Payie. (Let's perform Luddiyan and Dhamaal). The Multani dhol beat has also become famous within Bhangra dance. In some villages, Multani Luddhi can be celebrated by men and women together as a family celebration, along with close family members. It is danced in a circle with the dholli in the middle and is also known as Dham Luddhi.

Believed to have originated from the area of Multan, now located in West Panjab, near the banks of the Chenab River. Multani Luddi was once a dance celebrated by women, we know this as the womenfolk of Multan would wear long skirts and sing; Assi Kurriyaan Shehar Multan Diyan. - (We are the girls of the city of Multan) Assi hass hass kushiyaan manayiee - (We laugh and enjoy our happiness) Eh Mela Pir Fakir da ae - (This festival is for our holy-men) Assi Luddiyan Dhamala Payie. (Let's perform Luddiyan and Dhamaal). The Multani dhol beat has also become famous within Bhangra dance. In some villages, Multani Luddhi can be celebrated by men and women together as a family celebration, along with close family members. It is danced in a circle with the dholli in the middle and is also known as Dham Luddhi.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Panjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Panjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Panjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Panjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Panjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Panjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Panjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Panjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Panjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Panjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Panjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Panjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Panjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Panjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Panjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Panjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Punjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Punjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Punjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Punjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Punjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Punjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Punjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Punjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Punjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Punjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Punjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Punjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Punjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Punjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Punjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Punjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Punjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Punjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Punjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Punjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Punjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

The word Luddhi comes from the Unani language and its original meaning was to 'play', over-time the word has become associated with dance. 'Luddhi pauna' has also become an important saying within the Punjabi language to represent someone who is ecstatic with happiness. Exploring its etymology, we discover that it derives from the root-word of 'Luddh' which means to spin around, to move with the wind. It also described the rocking motions given by the currents of a river whilst in a boat. This is perhaps why this dance was given this name, due to these movements of nature reflected with the moments of the dancer. Within the region of Peshawar the dance is also known as 'Lugti'. Luddhi also has close resemblances to the dance of 'Katak', the main difference between the two being Katak dancers have swords in their hands. Luddi has been celebrated in Sanjha Punjab on occasions of happiness. It has been said that when a returning army was coming to the homeland it was greeted by the young men performing 'Ludiyan'. This celebratory element found its way into competitive events, such as, racing horses and the wrestling arenas, where the individual or teams win was celebrated through Luddhi. Once a dance performed by those living in the northern mountainous regions of Punjab and then it found its way into Patohaar, Jehlum, Gujranwala and some of the upper regions of Sialkot. When neighbouring villages would compete in 'Kushti' wrestling matches they would celebrate their victory with Luddhiyan, it also served the purpose of putting the other team down. Luddhi was also danced in open areas during moon-lit nights; dancing into a state of ecstasy underneath a blanket of shining stars above. Luddhi has many associations with youthfulness, virility and courage. The beat that Luddhi is danced to is called 'Kerwah Taal' an eight-beat cycle is employed by the dholiie (drummer) as the original four-beat is performed twice. If you listen carefully to a master dhol player you will hear the variations of pitch and speed. As the pace changes into a slow regal pace, this beat is also called Luddhi. Movements of the dancers include the placing arms outstretched, clapping with a steady regal pace. The dancer will have their arms outstretched and their hands curled up in a fist. In a very unique way, dancers will then open their hands to clap before closing their hands again into a fist. The wrists also make small circular movements. Hands can be swung up above their heads, then low and back to the chest. It can be danced in partners. A great deal of balance is used in movements where one leg is picked up in the air as they balance their weight on the other. These slow controlled movements take a great deal of practise to master. Traditional Luddhi does not have songs, but instead has loud words such as 'Ho Ho', 'Oh hat ke', Balle Luddhi, Shava Luddhi, Ashke Luddhi and Bachke mor ve. Dancers will also have ankle-bells on their feet, this sound emphasizing the rhythm of the dhol when they dance. Other distinct features are the synchronised movements of the shoulder and the hips. Dancers often tilt their heads to the beat of the dhol. In comparison to Bhangra, you find that Bhangra has many jumps, squats, loud celebrations and whistling; Luddhi on the other hand employs subtle 'nakhre' which have an air of flirtatious mannerisms; or whimsical behaviour such as the raising of an eyebrow. As every part of your body is moving there is an essence of fluidity in each move. The word Luddhi also appears in 'Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh', known by its more popular name of Mahan Kosh, this is a Punjabi language encyclopedia which was compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabh and published in 1924. In it, he states that Luddhi is danced in circles with clapping and shoulders moving in unison with their weight distributed on the balls of their feet. Where Bhangra is associated with flamboyant and loud celebrations, Luddhi reflects the sweetness of life and its life cycles found in nature.

This type of Luddhi is performed in West Panjab area of Pakistan.

This movement is similar to the devotional ringing of Temple bells that take place in a Mandir.

This movement is named after the movement of someone reaching for the stars and plucking them out of the night sky.

Mirza is the male protagonist in the famous love-legend of Mirza-Sahiba; one of the five popular tragic romances of the Panjab. The popular story was written by Pilu. Mirza and Sahiba were lovers who lived in Khewa, a village in the district of Jhang, Sahiba's ancestral village. They loved each other and ran away together to live with each other and marry against Sahiba's parents' wishes. While eloping Mirza and Sahiba stopped under a jand tree and he rested and fell asleep. Sahiba's brothers were in pursuit of them both and she noticed them in the distance. Sahiba knowing that Mirza, being a master bow-man would kill her brothers in self-defence. She began to think about their safety before her lovers. She decided to break all of Mirza's arrows so that he would not be able to harm her brothers. Sahiba's brothers eventually caught up to them and Mirza awoke with the commotion. He realized the treachery of his beloved and was eventually murdered by her brothers. This is the legend of Mirza-Sahiba. Mirza has always been depicted with his trusted steed and this movements named after him replicate the riding of a horse as well as his strength.

Mirza is the male protagonist in the famous love-legend of Mirza-Sahiba; one of the five popular tragic romances of the Panjab. The popular story was written by Pilu. Mirza and Sahiba were lovers who lived in Khewa, a village in the district of Jhang, Sahiba's ancestral village. They loved each other and ran away together to live with each other and marry against Sahiba's parents' wishes. While eloping Mirza and Sahiba stopped under a jand tree and he rested and fell asleep. Sahiba's brothers were in pursuit of them both and she noticed them in the distance. Sahiba knowing that Mirza, being a master bow-man would kill her brothers in self-defence. She began to think about their safety before her lovers. She decided to break all of Mirza's arrows so that he would not be able to harm her brothers. Sahiba's brothers eventually caught up to them and Mirza awoke with the commotion. He realized the treachery of his beloved and was eventually murdered by her brothers. This is the legend of Mirza-Sahiba. Mirza has always been depicted with his trusted steed and this movements named after him replicate the riding of a horse as well as his strength.

Mirza is the male protagonist in the famous love-legend of Mirza-Sahiba; one of the five popular tragic romances of the Panjab. The popular story was written by Pilu. Mirza and Sahiba were lovers who lived in Khewa, a village in the district of Jhang, Sahiba's ancestral village. They loved each other and ran away together to live with each other and marry against Sahiba's parents' wishes. While eloping Mirza and Sahiba stopped under a jand tree and he rested and fell asleep. Sahiba's brothers were in pursuit of them both and she noticed them in the distance. Sahiba knowing that Mirza, being a master bow-man would kill her brothers in self-defence. She began to think about their safety before her lovers. She decided to break all of Mirza's arrows so that he would not be able to harm her brothers. Sahiba's brothers eventually caught up to them and Mirza awoke with the commotion. He realized the treachery of his beloved and was eventually murdered by her brothers. This is the legend of Mirza-Sahiba. Mirza has always been depicted with his trusted steed and this movements named after him replicate the riding of a horse as well as his strength.

Kachaan translates to armpits, and has connotations with the wrestling arena.

Kachaan translates to armpits, and has connotations with the wrestling arena.

Kachaan translates to armpits, and has connotations with the wrestling arena.

Kachaan translates to armpits, and has connotations with the wrestling arena.

Khora translates simply as Horse. There has been a long association and love for horses in the Panjab over the centuries. From the love-legends of the Panjab such as Mirza to the spiritual Master, Guru Gobind Singh ji, whose horse 'Neela' is still revered. In fact, Akali Nihang Singh's give their horses names and treat them as brothers-in-arms. In western Panjab in Pakistan, prized horses are taught to dance to the rhythm of the dhol drum.

This is a motion of pulling towards oneself.

This is a motion of pulling towards oneself.

This is a motion of pulling towards oneself.

This is a classic move where by two dancers interlock their feet and turn around.

Single Taari Shaalaan translates to jumping and claping.

The jutti is a type of footwear common in Panjab. They are traditionally made up of leather and with extensive embroidery, in real gold and silver thread as inspired by Indian royalty over 400 years ago. They are usually made of fine leather and are delicately embroidered with threads or beads. Juttis are slip-on in style and are characterized by rising high to the Achilles' tendon in the back and covering the toes with a round or M-shaped heavily-embroidered upper, leaving the top of the foot nearly bare and a long end at the front curled upwards.

This movement includes both a clap and finger-clicks..

Although, Dhamaal has been inaugurated into the genre of folk dance, it has a significant spiritual background. It originates from the shrines if Sufi Fakirs and Malangs chanting and meditating on the name of Ali in a trance-like state, dancing and singing 'dam-dama-dam mast kalandar.' It has deep roots within the places of worship associated with ­­Sufi shrines of Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh, Baba Farid Shakarganj, Hazrat Mian Mir, Madho Lal Hussain, Sai Bulleh Shah, and Syed Waris Shah. Dhamaal can be described more accurately as devotional worship through dance, otherwise known as, 'Mast malanga', mastaniya or Qalandara.## We know from 13th Century Sufi history that, in the area of Sindh, a Sufi named 'Lal Shahbaz Qalandar' who was also known as 'Mast Qalandar'. He was believed that he used to dance in a circular fashion through worship and stay in tune with the almighty creator. A shrine dedicated to him still exists to this day in Sindh and devotees offer prayers to the almighty whilst dancing Dhamaal. Annual 'Urs' festivals that take place at the shrine bring many Sufi devotees together to pay their respects and dance Dhamaal. This beautiful spectacle of devotional dance and worship can still be witnessed at many Sufi shrines across Panjab.## Dancers would dance in a circle around a Dhol drummer and dance into a state of ecstasy. These spiritual fakir's have a deep connection with the celebrated Persian poet and theologian, Jalaluddin Rumi of Iran, who practiced the Sufi whirling, a form of physically active meditation, and also called Dhamaal across the Panjab. The etymology of this word derives from the first part of the word 'Dhamak', which describes the loud sound of stamping on the ground or the beating of a dhol drum.## Those that practice this type of devotional dance have also been called Malang or Dhamaali because of the divine happiness they achieve.## This dance is a particularly energetic form, performed in a circle and danced to 'Taal' beat found in wrestling arena's / akhara. Dancers hold both their hands in the air to show stamina and usually hold one leg out and dance on the other leg. There are also words such as 'hoy-hoy', 'ahaa' and 'hurrr', that are sung out aloud as the dancers performs. ## There are some dances that bear a similar resemblance to Dhamaal such as Dhamaal or Damyaal found in Haryana, Damal in Rajasthan and Dhumal in Kashmir.## Although, Dhamaal has seen a decline in some areas of Western Panjab, it has found its way into Bhangra and has become a vibrant part of this artform where it is still celebrated with great enthusiasm.

Sammi is a graceful dance that originated in the Western areas of Panjab. It is a dance that was originally celebrated by the women-folk dressed in brightly coloured flowing Lehengas. They would perform Sammi and the men traditionally performed Jhummar. Both dances share similar characteristics, such as some instruments, boliyaan as well as the clapping and clicking of the fingers. In the 18th century it could be found flourishing in the areas of, Sandal Bar, Ravi Bar and Nili Bar; between the flowing waters of the Ravi and Chenab rivers and surrounding jungle regions. ## In 1892, the largest colonisation project in the Panjab began. The Chenab Colony covered the entirety of the Lyallpur district, along with parts of the Jhang, Gujranwala and Lahore districts. This project created a deep divide and also had an impact on the native folk-arts of the area as they became more isolated from the developing land.## Those that celebrated Sammi would herd their cattle and then celebrate this beautiful dance at the edge of the river banks or a clearing in the jungle forest. Many academics have researched the origins of Sammi and have put forward suggestions that Sammi may refer to the unrequited love of Princess Sammi for Prince Dhola. In the past, many of these jungle Bar areas have belonged to the Rajputs and as time went on the devotional themes were replaced by secular themes of love and relationships. One version of the love-legend recounts the story of a Rajput Princess and how she reclaims her husband, the prince of Kot Narwar.## Dhola was the son of King Bir Sain and Queen Savaranmati of Narvarkot, and 'Sammi' was the daughter of King Soor Sain and Queen Bir Kala of Marvar. Both were engaged during childhood. When Dhola grew up he was betrothed to Malvaani, a princess of Malva. As Sammi grew up the fame of her beauty spread far and wide. When Sammi found out about her childhood finance' Dhola, she tried to get a message across to him, but is unsuccessful as Malwani had all her messages intercepted. Sammi then sends her messengers disguised as musicians, and they finally manage to get through to Dhola. He is deeply touched by Sammi's message and when Dhola came to know the facts of his engagement to Sammi, he went to Marwar, on the pretence of going hunting. Their he falls in love and marries Sammi and brings her back. Malvaani who was furiously jealous caused Bir Sain to become angry with his son. Dhola was exiled him for twelve long years. According to folklore, Sammi became restless in the pain of separation from Dhola and through the dance of 'Sammi' she displayed her feelings and her yearning for him. ## This expression developed in two ways, firstly in the song form of 'Dhola-s', and secondly, Sammi was adopted as a form of dance, depicting passion, love and separation from her one true love, Dhola. The dance reflects the grace and flowing nature of the female force, from a bashful glance to playful seduction, youth and fertility. In particular, 'Salaam Sammi' is a move that is done by placing the right hand on the hip and bringing the left towards the forehead with the greeting gesture of 'salaam'. Often the salaam is done by bowing slightly at the waist and bringing both hands touching up towards the forehead; then, swinging the hips and clapping, the remaining movements of the dance are done. Sammi, the dancer, is gesturing her welcome as well as sharing her grievances with her imagined lover, Dhola.## Academics have looked further back at Sammi's age-old past and suggest it is in fact an ancient fire dance. It is noted that the Shammi tree is given great reverence within Hinduism and Shammi is also a Sanskrit word referring to the dense branches or brush of a Jand tree. These would be set alight and they would dance around this as it's smoke was believed to have purifying properties. It was also believed that the fire and smoke both had a mystical connection through which deities could be worshiped; such as the Agan Devta. In the winters Sammi would be performed around a fire and has created an intrinsic link between the two. Bhai Khan Singh Nabha makes reference to Sammi in the 'Mahaan Kosh' Panjabi dictionary as Sammi being performed around the burning brush of a Jand tree; hence Shammi became Sammi over time. One can say that this dance was born out of a deep devotion and spiritual practice and once can still find devotional songs being recited along with the dance.## Sammi is performed in a circle where once girl would perform sing her song whilst the others would dance. There is a very distinct type of clapping which involves the artist bringing both hands from their sides in a circular motion and clapping in front of themselves. The other girls would also join in with the song in a type of call and response whilst dancing and spinning. The ketmeta or dadara, dhol beat employed in this type of dance is as follows, Dhin, Dhin, Na , Dhin, Dhin ,Na - Dhin, dhin, na, dhin, - - . During the partition of India in 1947, the art-form of Sammi was overshadowed by the dark events of the time and remained hidden in the collective memory of those that endured the mass migration. It wasn't until 1975 that Sammi was presented in India by the Bazigar who became the custodians of this art-form. Following this, Dr Desi Valiyia took the opportunity to breathe new life into this artform in Panjab and presented it on stage and in-turn influenced many other students to once again to learn this beautiful art-form and celebrate it once more.## Sammi can now be seen as an individual art-form, in its own right as well as having certain steps that have been adopted by Bhangra dancers over the decades.

Sammi is a graceful dance that originated in the Western areas of Panjab. It is a dance that was originally celebrated by the women-folk dressed in brightly coloured flowing Lehengas. They would perform Sammi and the men traditionally performed Jhummar. Both dances share similar characteristics, such as some instruments, boliyaan as well as the clapping and clicking of the fingers. In the 18th century it could be found flourishing in the areas of, Sandal Bar, Ravi Bar and Nili Bar; between the flowing waters of the Ravi and Chenab rivers and surrounding jungle regions.## In 1892, the largest colonisation project in the Panjab began. The Chenab Colony covered the entirety of the Lyallpur district, along with parts of the Jhang, Gujranwala and Lahore districts. This project created a deep divide and also had an impact on the native folk-arts of the area as they became more isolated from the developing land. ## Those that celebrated Sammi would herd their cattle and then celebrate this beautiful dance at the edge of the river banks or a clearing in the jungle forest. Many academics have researched the origins of Sammi and have put forward suggestions that Sammi may refer to the unrequited love of Princess Sammi for Prince Dhola. In the past, many of these jungle Bar areas have belonged to the Rajputs and as time went on the devotional themes were replaced by secular themes of love and relationships. One version of the love-legend recounts the story of a Rajput Princess and how she reclaims her husband, the prince of Kot Narwar. ## Dhola was the son of King Bir Sain and Queen Savaranmati of Narvarkot, and 'Sammi' was the daughter of King Soor Sain and Queen Bir Kala of Marvar. Both were engaged during childhood. When Dhola grew up he was betrothed to Malvaani, a princess of Malva. As Sammi grew up the fame of her beauty spread far and wide. When Sammi found out about her childhood finance' Dhola, she tried to get a message across to him, but is unsuccessful as Malwani had all her messages intercepted. Sammi then sends her messengers disguised as musicians, and they finally manage to get through to Dhola. He is deeply touched by Sammi's message and when Dhola came to know the facts of his engagement to Sammi, he went to Marwar, on the pretence of going hunting. Their he falls in love and marries Sammi and brings her back. Malvaani who was furiously jealous caused Bir Sain to become angry with his son. Dhola was exiled him for twelve long years. According to folklore, Sammi became restless in the pain of separation from Dhola and through the dance of 'Sammi' she displayed her feelings and her yearning for him. ## This expression developed in two ways, firstly in the song form of 'Dhola-s', and secondly, Sammi was adopted as a form of dance, depicting passion, love and separation from her one true love, Dhola. The dance reflects the grace and flowing nature of the female force, from a bashful glance to playful seduction, youth and fertility. In particular, 'Salaam Sammi' is a move that is done by placing the right hand on the hip and bringing the left towards the forehead with the greeting gesture of 'salaam'. Often the salaam is done by bowing slightly at the waist and bringing both hands touching up towards the forehead; then, swinging the hips and clapping, the remaining movements of the dance are done. Sammi, the dancer, is gesturing her welcome as well as sharing her grievances with her imagined lover, Dhola.## Academics have looked further back at Sammi's age-old past and suggest it is in fact an ancient fire dance. It is noted that the Shammi tree is given great reverence within Hinduism and Shammi is also a Sanskrit word referring to the dense branches or brush of a Jand tree. These would be set alight and they would dance around this as it's smoke was believed to have purifying properties. It was also believed that the fire and smoke both had a mystical connection through which deities could be worshiped; such as the Agan Devta. In the winters Sammi would be performed around a fire and has created an intrinsic link between the two. Bhai Khan Singh Nabha makes reference to Sammi in the 'Mahaan Kosh' Panjabi dictionary as Sammi being performed around the burning brush of a Jand tree; hence Shammi became Sammi over time. One can say that this dance was born out of a deep devotion and spiritual practice and once can still find devotional songs being recited along with the dance. ## Sammi is performed in a circle where once girl would perform sing her song whilst the others would dance. There is a very distinct type of clapping which involves the artist bringing both hands from their sides in a circular motion and clapping in front of themselves. The other girls would also join in with the song in a type of call and response whilst dancing and spinning. The ketmeta or dadara, dhol beat employed in this type of dance is as follows, Dhin, Dhin, Na , Dhin, Dhin ,Na - Dhin, dhin, na, dhin, - - .## During the partition of India in 1947, the art-form of Sammi was overshadowed by the dark events of the time and remained hidden in the collective memory of those that endured the mass migration. It wasn't until 1975 that Sammi was presented in India by the Bazigar who became the custodians of this art-form. Following this, Dr Desi Valiyia took the opportunity to breathe new life into this artform in Panjab and presented it on stage and in-turn influenced many other students to once again to learn this beautiful art-form and celebrate it once more.## Sammi can now be seen as an individual art-form, in its own right as well as having certain steps that have been adopted by Bhangra dancers over the decades. ##

Sammi is a graceful dance that originated in the Western areas of Panjab. It is a dance that was originally celebrated by the women-folk dressed in brightly coloured flowing Lehengas. They would perform Sammi and the men traditionally performed Jhummar. Both dances share similar characteristics, such as some instruments, boliyaan as well as the clapping and clicking of the fingers. In the 18th century it could be found flourishing in the areas of, Sandal Bar, Ravi Bar and Nili Bar; between the flowing waters of the Ravi and Chenab rivers and surrounding jungle regions. ## In 1892, the largest colonisation project in the Panjab began. The Chenab Colony covered the entirety of the Lyallpur district, along with parts of the Jhang, Gujranwala and Lahore districts. This project created a deep divide and also had an impact on the native folk-arts of the area as they became more isolated from the developing land. ## Those that celebrated Sammi would herd their cattle and then celebrate this beautiful dance at the edge of the river banks or a clearing in the jungle forest. Many academics have researched the origins of Sammi and have put forward suggestions that Sammi may refer to the unrequited love of Princess Sammi for Prince Dhola. In the past, many of these jungle Bar areas have belonged to the Rajputs and as time went on the devotional themes were replaced by secular themes of love and relationships. One version of the love-legend recounts the story of a Rajput Princess and how she reclaims her husband, the prince of Kot Narwar. ## Dhola was the son of King Bir Sain and Queen Savaranmati of Narvarkot, and 'Sammi' was the daughter of King Soor Sain and Queen Bir Kala of Marvar. Both were engaged during childhood. When Dhola grew up he was betrothed to Malvaani, a princess of Malva. As Sammi grew up the fame of her beauty spread far and wide. When Sammi found out about her childhood finance' Dhola, she tried to get a message across to him, but is unsuccessful as Malwani had all her messages intercepted. Sammi then sends her messengers disguised as musicians, and they finally manage to get through to Dhola. He is deeply touched by Sammi's message and when Dhola came to know the facts of his engagement to Sammi, he went to Marwar, on the pretence of going hunting. Their he falls in love and marries Sammi and brings her back. Malvaani who was furiously jealous caused Bir Sain to become angry with his son. Dhola was exiled him for twelve long years. According to folklore, Sammi became restless in the pain of separation from Dhola and through the dance of 'Sammi' she displayed her feelings and her yearning for him. ## This expression developed in two ways, firstly in the song form of 'Dhola-s', and secondly, Sammi was adopted as a form of dance, depicting passion, love and separation from her one true love, Dhola. The dance reflects the grace and flowing nature of the female force, from a bashful glance to playful seduction, youth and fertility. In particular, 'Salaam Sammi' is a move that is done by placing the right hand on the hip and bringing the left towards the forehead with the greeting gesture of 'salaam'. Often the salaam is done by bowing slightly at the waist and bringing both hands touching up towards the forehead; then, swinging the hips and clapping, the remaining movements of the dance are done. Sammi, the dancer, is gesturing her welcome as well as sharing her grievances with her imagined lover, Dhola.## Academics have looked further back at Sammi's age-old past and suggest it is in fact an ancient fire dance. It is noted that the Shammi tree is given great reverence within Hinduism and Shammi is also a Sankrit word referring to the dense branches or brush of a Jand tree. These would be set alight and they would dance around this as it's smoke was believed to have purifying properties. It was also believed that the fire and smoke both had a mystical connection through which deities could be worshiped; such as the Agan Devta. In the winters Sammi would be performed around a fire and has created an intrinsic link between the two. Bhai Khan Singh Nabha makes reference to Sammi in the 'Mahaan Kosh' Panjabi dictionary as Sammi being performed around the burning brush of a Jand tree; hence Shammi became Sammi over time. One can say that this dance was born out of a deep devotion and spiritual practice and once can still find devotional songs being recited along with the dance. ## Sammi is performed in a circle where once girl would perform sing her song whilst the others would dance. There is a very distinct type of clapping which involves the artist bringing both hands from their sides in a circular motion and clapping in front of themselves. The other girls would also join in with the song in a type of call and response whilst dancing and spinning. The ketmeta or dadara, dhol beat employed in this type of dance is as follows, Dhin, Dhin, Na , Dhin, Dhin ,Na - Dhin, dhin, na, dhin, - - ## During the partition of India in 1947, the art-form of Sammi was overshadowed by the dark events of the time and remained hidden in the collective memory of those that endured the mass migration. It wasn't until 1975 that Sammi was presented in India by the Bazigar who became the custodians of this art-form. Following this, Dr Desi Valiyia took the opportunity to breathe new life into this artform in Panjab and presented it on stage and in-turn influenced many other students to once again to learn this beautiful art-form and celebrate it once more.## Sammi can now be seen as an individual art-form, in its own right as well as having certain steps that have been adopted by Bhangra dancers over the decades.

Chimta can be translated into English as metal 'tongs'. Over time it has evolved into a traditional instrument of South Asia by the permanent addition of small brass jingles. This instrument is often used in popular Panjabi folk music and dance. The player of the chimta is able to produce a chiming sound if he holds the joint of the instrument in one hand and strikes the two sides of the chimta together. The jingles are made of metal and thus it produces a metallic sound and helps to keep up the beat of the song. Artist such as Alam Lohar was famous for employing the chimta in his performances.

This spinning movement has been used by Sufi dancers in the past and has now found its way into Bhangra performances.

Elements of Shaster Vidhyia, more commonly known as Gatka found its way into Bhangra. It was quite prominent in the 80's when UK based Bhangra dancers would use a Kirpan during their performances.

Basic movements would be employed such as the 'Marora' spinning of the Kirpan.

The 'double' marora would also be used towards the end of their performances to enhance their performance.

Double Lehria.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar.## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar.## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar.## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison.## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

The jutti is a type of footwear common in Panjab. They are traditionally made up of leather and with extensive embroidery, in real gold and silver thread as inspired by Indian royalty over 400 years ago. They are usually made of fine leather and are delicately embroidered with threads or beads. Juttis are slip-on in style and are characterized by rising high to the Achilles' tendon in the back and covering the toes with a round or M-shaped heavily-embroidered upper, leaving the top of the foot nearly bare and a long end at the front curled upwards.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

thumbnail/195-Jhummar-Kulle.gif">195. Jhummar Kulle Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar.## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar.## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more.## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more.## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

Jhummar is the beloved dance of 'Sanjha-Panjab' and celebrated from the area of Lahore to Multaan. It originates from the area between Ravi-Bar, Sandal-Bar and Nili-Bar. The people from this area would once herd animals such as cows, buffalo, goats and sheep between the rivers of the Chenab and Ravi. The area was once heavily populated by jungle forests and the word bar in Panjabi language refers to a threshold, an outer space, an area away from the human settlement, a barrier between populated area and wild forest, a natural jungle. The Jhummar of Ravi-Bar and Sandal-Bar were once danced together. The areas around the Sandal-Bar river that would see much of this type of dancing was places such as Shikarpur, Jhang Sialan, and Lyallpur. This fertile land has often been described as the 'Land of the Lovers' as the great Panjabi folk tales or epic love stories like those of Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiban happened in the Sandal Bar area. It was also was home to Dulla Bhatti who rebelled and fought against the centralised scheme of agricultural revenue collection (Lagaan) of Mughal Emperor Akbar. ## There is a similar dance that take place in Rajasthan called 'Ghoomer' and is also performed in a circular motion. Further South, in Orissa the ancient dance of Ghumura has also intertwined into the history of its land. It's not too ¬¬far-fetched to believe that these ancient dances may have been the origins of Jhummar and the pronunciation changed over time as the dialects differ from one region to the next. Therefore, the dance that is performed with a spinning motion of Jhumna has become known as Jhummar. The eminent Panjabi Sufi poet, Waris Shah, known for his contribution to Panjabi literature, mentions Jhummar in his writings. In the sacred Bani of the fourth Guru, Siri Guru Ram Das Ji, and forever enshrined in Siri Aadh Granth Sahib is a quote of 'Harjas Jhommar Paveh' which also records the art-form of Jhummar. ## The men-folk of the Sandal-Bar area would have lived a very straight-forward life, and would often gather in a clearing to listen to the Dhol and dance together. It is said the most beautiful Dhol playing comes from this area, and as many of the men had a close association with horses they also taught their horses dancing to the beat of the dhol-drum. Its origins may have initially been tribal, but soon became traditional folk-dances of the area and celebrated on the occasion of an engagements, weddings or a Mela festival. The dhol drummer would play the dhol and folk would gather around and then once in a circular formation around him would begin to dance by moving their arms and legs in unison. ## There are variations of Jhummar that are distinct to the region the belong to. Over-time some of these variations became more popular while others fell out of fashion. The single most negative impact that took place on this art-form was the partition of India and the folk of 'Sanjha-Panjab' were separated based on their spiritual beliefs. After partition there were many great personalities who looked towards the preservation of this art-form, such as Baba Pokhar Singh, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah, Chacha Iqbal Singh, Dholi Baba Jattu-Ram, Sardar Nidhaan Singh Farida amongst others. Baba Pokhar dedicated his life towards the art-form of Jhummar, he had learnt from his Chacha from the early age of five. He would refer to 'playing' Jhummar rather than performing Jhummar. After leaving his homeland during partition he settled in Ferozpur. After the wounds of partition began to heal, he began to play Jhummar once more. ## In 1960, Baba Partaap Singh Shahenshah and Baba Balwant Singh held a camp for Jhummar. Between 150 - 200 artists from across the Panjab attended this. It ran for five days, and from the attendees 35 were chosen to go forward. On the 26th of January 1960 Baba Phokhar Singh asked for these artists to perform and to continue to develop this art-form. ## Chacha Iqbal and Baba Pokhar Singh also developed the art-form of Jhummar whilst at the 'Song and Drama division ministry of information and broadcast regional centre' in Simla. The director there said that women should also be part of this art-form to intensify its beauty, instead Baba Phokar emulated some moments from women such as field-work, charka Katna, Surma pauna, and making chapatis and incorporated it into his repertoire'. This has now become the norm in performances across the Panjab. ## Other distinct elements of Jhummar are the turban being tied with a high turla on the side, a chola, a waistcoat jacket and box pattern chadar, traditional shoes and ankle bells. You will also find a 'Boli-kar' who will sing the boliyaan along with a dholi and other instruments such as the toomba, sarangi and wanjali. ## Jhummar can be found within Bhangra performances as well as being an ancient art from in its own right and separate performances and competitions of Jhummar also take place.

This movement replicates a dancer moving an imaginary ball in a circular motion in the air.

This movement replicates a dancer swinging a ball out as seen in a game of cricket.

A dancer would be held aloft whilst being seated on his friends shoulder.

Beitkhaan is a powerful squatting movement. This motion derives from Pehlwani wrestling and this squatting move that shows of the strength in the dancer's legs.

In this movement the dancer fits his feet under his partners arms.

This movement shows off the strength and flexibility of the dancer by the jumping over a Dang.

In this highly energetic move the dancer will jump into the air as high as possible and touch his ankles alternately.

In this movement the dancer will swing his arms around in a fast circular motion and twist his hips at the same time.

Holding the Dang above the head and using your heel on the floor.

Walking in a squatting position.

This movement is very special as it takes the whole Bhangra to join hands and create a spinning wheel which resembles the irrigation wheel used by farmers.

In this movement the dancers depict the pumping of water.

In this movement the dancers depict the cutting of grass to feed the cattle.

In this movement the dancers depict the sawing of wood.

In this movement the dancers depict the throwing of seeds in the sowing of a crop field.

In this movement the dancers depict the pouring of water into a water pitcher.

In this moment the dancers depict the lookout of their crops

In this movement the dancers depict lifting something and putting it down.

In this movement the dancer depicts the ploughing of a field with a Kehi.

Bruahh is a nonsensical noise that derives from the time where the Jatt would herd the goats and cattle. Its now used to show bravado and presence.

The first ever recorded reference to Bhangra is by English historian Arthur as far back as 1838, as noted in Hardeep Sahota's book; Mystics, Music & Migration. Professor Gibb Schreffler, also confirms that reference was made to Bhangra in a British colonial report from the Kohat district (a Pashtun area) - the ethnographic work for which was conducted in 1883 or earlier. One finds the Khattak tribal sword dance referred to as bhangra. The author notes, incidentally, that the Muslim clergy of the area had within the last few years prohibited much music and dance. Although there is some implication that the community's sword dance may not have been included in this ban, the prohibition of its accompanying instruments, the pipe (surnāī) and drum (dhol) had more or less stifled it. Attribution of the dance to the North-West Frontier gets support in the form of a report of 1930s on the local Pashtun people, who it says were 'well known for' 'Bangra.' and more recently, the Khattak tribe located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan has been said to practice a 'bangrā' dance variant of the more general Afghan dance. According to Dhillon, Bhangra is related to the Panjabi dance 'bagaa', which is a martial dance of Panjab and finding its home in the area of Sialkot and Gujaranwalla in pre-partition Panjab. ## After partition, it was the Deepak brothers who teamed up with members of a distinguished Bazigar clan, also refugees from Western Panjab. Manohar Deepak's attendance at Mohindra College, Patiala, allowed him to team up with others there. Noteabler members of this legendary team would be the Deepak brothers, Manohar, Gurbachan, and Avtar along with the great, Balbir Singh Sekhon. The Bazigar members brought essential expertise as performing artists. They included the Master Dholi Ustaad Bhana Ram and Master Algoza player, Ustaad Mangal Ram. They practiced a mixture of dance styles, including Jhummar, and which reflected the regions of West Panjab they hailed from. They were all very keen on "reviving" the dying art forms. ## By 1952, the group performed at a cattle fair in front of the Maharaja of Patiala who gave them financial support to enhance their performance. In 1954 the performed at the national republic day parade in New Delhi. Their actions sealed the upwards trajectory of this artform when they decided to call their presentation - Bhangra! ## Traditional Bhangra is performed in a circle and is performed using traditional dance steps. Traditional Bhangra is now also performed on occasions other than during the harvest season as well as many University competitions.

In this move the three dancers depict the farmer and his two cattle ploughing the fields.

In this variation, the five dancers depict the three cattle with two dancers on top.