Looking back at Traditional Attire and Folk Dances at the Surajkund Crafts Fair-2020

You might be wondering about the title of this blogpost, thinking perhaps why the looking back when the fair has just concluded. Well, the reason, for obvious reasons is that anything that is not recorded tends to fade away from the mind! This year, I visited the Crafts Fair not once, but twice. In my post about the crafts fair, I focused on the handicraft exhibits, but the second time I visited the crafts fair, I decided to take some photographs of the cultural performances. Gladly enough, I was able to photograph some amazing performances by troupes from Kangra, Garhwal, Tawang in Sikkim and Namibia.

While most of us tend to link the Surajkund Crafts fair in Faridabad to handicraft items, fabrics, decoration pieces, we don't realise that the crafts fair is a melting pot of cultures not only from India but also from all over the world. I was able to watch an astonishing performance by the troupe from Namibia. Their dance performance started with a light, rather rhythmic and swaying performance followed by a round of leaps over fellow dancers. It was like watching gazelles leaping over obstacles.

Traditional Costumes of  Dancers of Namibia

The folk dance from the Kangra region in Himachal Pradesh, India was, on the other hand, more subtle and somehow with a beauty of its own. What was striking about them was the choice of colours of their costumes. If the Namibian dance was minimalistic, the Kangra folk was more elaborate. I was able to take quite a few photographs of them too. I was also able to photograph a group of traditional wandering musicians, artists belonging to one of the tribes of Himachal Pradesh. These people are nomads, shepherds who tend their flock of sheep.

Traditional Costumes, Nati Dance - Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

  Traditional Attire of the Gadi Tribe of Himachal Pradesh

The folk dance from the Garhwal region in Uttarakhand, India has much in common with the performance from the Kangra regions. Very subtle and fluid-like aggression was evident in the Garhwali dance in the use of bows and arrows. The traditional costume worn by the artists was similar to that worn by the Kangra dance troupe. Notice, however, the headdress and the nose ornaments.

Traditional Dance, Costume and attire of Garhwal, Uttarakhand

The dark blue colour of the costumes of the troupe from Tawan, Sikkim reminded one of the light blue colour of clear skies, a luxury that all of those living in the Delhi National Capital region can only dream of today. 

Traditional Dance Costumes of Sikkim