Panthi Dance of Chattisgarh

Panthi dance originated in the district of Durg in Chattishgarh. This dance belongs to the people of the Satnami community.

Panthi Dance Origin

The is religious in nature. It is performed on Maghi Purnima, the birth anniversary of Guru Baba Ghasidas. A Jaith Khamb set-up is organized for the occasion. The performers dance around it celebrating the birth anniversary of their Guru.

The zeal in their hearts is reflected in the melodies of their songs and the actions of their dance performance. The songs cover Nirvana philosophy and the teaching of saint poets like Kabir, Ramdas, Dadu, etc.

Dance performance

The performers of this dance are generally male, as it requires a lot of strength, stamina, and flexibility for its movements. The dance is started off by a single member which is often the leader of the dance troupe. He kicks off the performance with a song. It is followed by slow body movements and then the rest of the group follows him.

These actions soon turn energetic as displayed by the bending of the torso and waving of hands in various fashions. Human pyramids and acrobatic are also involved in the later stage of the dance. This dance is extremely difficult. It is generally performed by the members of Panthi Nritya Mandir only. They train very hard for it.

Panthi Dance Costume

The attire for the performance is completely traditional. It looks very pleasing to the eye as it complements the entire set-up in the best way possible. The ornate themselves minimally by wearing bead necklaces and metal bangles.

Musical Instruments

The musical instruments involved in the dance are Mridinga, Jhanjh, and Drums of different kinds.

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