Jhumur Dance

PRELIMS BITS – ART AND CULTURE

Why in News?
The Prime Minister will attend the largest Jhumur dance performance at Guwahati’s Sarusajai Stadium during Jhumoir Binandini 2025, celebrating 200 years of Assam’s tea industry.

About Jhumur Dance:

• Origin: Jhumur is a traditional folk dance of Assam’s indigenous tea-tribe communities. These communities migrated from Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal in the 19th century to work in British tea gardens.
• Community Status: In Assam, tea tribes are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC) but have been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Subgroups like the Munda and Santhal have ST status in their native states but not in Assam. These communities remain socio-economically disadvantaged.
• Cultural Roots: Jhumur has its origins in the Sadan ethnolinguistic group from the Chotanagpur plateau and was brought to Assam by migrant workers. It is central to tea garden festivals, especially during Tushu Puja and Karam Puja, marking the harvest season.

Performance and Significance:

• Dance Form:
  • Performed mainly by women who sing and dance, accompanied by men playing traditional instruments like the madal, dhol, dhak, cymbals, flutes, and shehnai.
  • Dancers wear vibrant red and white sarees, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, moving in sync while singing folk songs.
• Languages & Themes:
  • Songs are sung in Nagpuri, Khortha, and Kurmali, mixed with Assamese.
  • They narrate stories of migration, identity, and the hardships faced by tea workers.
• Cultural Importance:
  Jhumur is not just a dance but a reflection of the community’s history, struggles, and cultural identity, helping preserve their heritage and tell their collective story.