Firkal slowly decaying martial dance of ChotaNagpur of Jharkhand performed at Central Park Delhi IMG 0934 11

Firkal is a martial art folk-dance of

Bhumij Bhumij may refer to: *Bhumij people, tribal ethnic group of India * Bhumij language, the language of Bhumij people *Bhumija Bhumija is a variety of north Indian temple architecture marked by how the rotating square-circle principle is applied to ...

tribe. The main instruments of Firkal are swords, arrows, bows and shields. It can be found in ''

Potka block Potka block is a CD block that forms an administrative division in the Dhalbhum subdivision of East Singhbhum district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand. History The laying of the foundation stone of the steel plant by Tata Steel (then ...

'' of

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . It ...

and some parts of

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Older than

Kalaripayattu Kalaripayattu (; also known simply as Kalari) is an Indian martial art that originated in modern-day Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India. Kalaripayattu is known for its long-standing history within Indian martial arts, and is ...

, and even those martial art forms that trace its origins to

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and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, Firkal is still very much a living martial art-based dance form, performed mainly by the Bhumij tribes of Chotanagpur area in

. At first sight, Firkal appears to be like any other warrior dance performed by African tribes. The dance recitals were originally enactments of hunting scenes and self-defence, the focus being mainly of raw macho courage. Over time, however, the evolving lifestyle of the Bhumjis has led to the modification of dance movements. Over time, the dance movements have changed into a leisurely, recreational exercise rather than a ritualistic demonstration of courage. These dance steps are variously known as ''Bagh Taal'' , ''Birsa Munda Taal,'' ''Pahalbani Taal, etc.'' denotes the courageous struggle experienced by the

community. The younger generation, however, seem to be unfamiliar with these dance steps. Firkal is still alive thanks a great deal to the efforts of Kalamandir—The Celluloid Chapter Art Foundation (TCCAF), a

Jamshedpur Jamshedpur (, ) or Tatanagar is the largest and most populous city in Jharkhand and the first planned industrial city in India. It is a Notified Area Council and Municipal Corporation and also the headquarter of the East Singhbhum district. It ...

-based NGO. For many years now, the organisation has been tirelessly working for the revival and promotion of Firkal. Today, Firkal survives in just one obscure village, Janumdih, of

East Singhbhum district East Singhbhum is one of the 24 districts of Jharkhand, India. It was created on 16 January 1990. More than 50% of the district is covered by dense forests and mountains, where wild animals once roamed freely. It is known for being a centre of ind ...

. A group of about 25 Bhumij tribal families here still hang on to the traditions of the discipline. Experts say Firkal is, in fact, a variation of ''Kirpan Susun'' (Kirpan means sword and susun dance), a traditional dance form among the Bhumij tribes of Chhotanagpur. The dance portrayals are mostly enactments of hunting scenes and self-defence.

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References

{{Reflist Dances of India Indian folk dances Folk dances of Jharkhand Culture of Jharkhand Bhumij

See also

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