Jhumar or Jhoomar (also called Ghumbar in

Sandalbar The Sandal Bar ( pa, ) is a region between the rivers Chenab and Ravi in Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of Rechna Doab. It spreads over almost in width (west to east) and in length (north to south). "Bar", in the local l ...

area) is a lively form of music and dance that originated in the

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the List ...

and

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

, also thrived in

areas (Faisal abad, Jhang, Chiniot, Nankana Sahib, Toba Tek Singh districts) of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

. It is slower and more rhythmic form. The word "Jhumar" comes from ''Jhum/Jhoom'', which means Swaying. The songs evoke a quality which reminds of swaying. Though the content of these songs is varied - they are usually love with emotional songs too. The Jhumar is a dance of ecstasy. Jhumar is performed at the wedding ceremonies usually. It is a living demonstration of the happiness. The dance is mostly performed by the Balochi and people of Southern and central Punjab. The emphasis of Jhumar is recreating the gaits of animals and birds. The movement of animals, the ploughing of the field, sowing of seeds and harvesting are shown in the original progression. The dance is also performed in circle, to the tune of emotional songs.

Dancing style

Performed exclusively by men, it is a common feature to see three generations - father, son and grandson - dancing all together at weddings. The dance is without acrobatics. Each region of Southern Punjab has its own variation of Jhomar. The movement of the arms only is considered its main forte. Feet are musically placed in front and backwards and turnings are taken to the right, sometimes the dancers place their one hand below the ribs on the left and gesticulate with the right hand. This dance does not tire out its performers and it is normally danced on moonlight nights in the villages away from the habitation. The dancers of this dance let-off a sound, "''Dee Dee''" in tune with the beat of the dance which adds to its grace. This dance has also been integrated into Bhangra in the eastern parts of Punjab.

Types

There are three main types of Jhoomar, each of which has a different mood and is therefore suited to different occasionally, reason of its predominating mood. They are: * Satluj Jhoomar * Beas Jhoomar * Chenab Jhoomar * Multani Jhoomar * Jhoomar Taari

Dancers

After the

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

in 1947, many dancers moved away and the dance started disappearing, but Pokhar Singh (1916-2002) learned Jhoomar from his uncle and performed it since. Before his death he taught the dance to the students at D.A.V. College, Jalalabad, Eastern Punjab.

References

{{reflist

External links

Watch Jhumar Performance Video Online
Punjabi culture Folk dances of Punjab Dance in Pakistan Bhangra (music) Punjabi words and phrases

Dancing style

Types

Dancers

See also

References

External links