Dhimsa Dance
Why in News?
Dhimsa Dance is in the news because on July 31, 2026, over 13,000 tribal women and young girl students performed it at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh, creating a Guinness World Records entry ahead of the inauguration of the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport by PM Narendra Modi.
Origin and Geography
- Primary Region: Dhimsa is widely celebrated as the official folk dance of Visakhapatnam and is deeply rooted in the Araku Valley region of Andhra Pradesh.
- Historical Roots: The word "Dhimsa" translates to the "sound of the footsteps". Its actual origin is traced back to the Koraput district of Odisha, the home of the Ghond tribe.
- Associated Tribes: It is traditionally performed by indigenous communities of the Eastern Ghats, including the Poraja (or Porja), Bagata, Valmiki, Khond, Gadaba, Kondadora, Mukadora, and Kotia tribes.
- Gender Roles: The dance is primarily performed by a group of 15 to 20 women forming chains or circles, while men play the musical instruments.
Occasions and Themes
- Festivals & Weddings: It is performed during major tribal festivals, community gatherings, and weddings to pray for a peaceful domestic life.
- Hunting Celebration: It holds a special significance during the "hunting festival" in April, when men and women dance together for hours.
- Everyday Life Themes: There are 12 distinct varieties of the Dhimsa dance. The choreography represents daily tasks like farming, picking leaves, marital rituals, and protection from wild animals.
Performance Style and Instruments
- Movement-Centric: The artistic beauty focuses purely on synchronized footwork and hand movements. It does not emphasize intense facial expressions or literary scripts.
- Formations: Dancers lock their arms behind each other's backs to form large, twisting chains or concentric circles.
- Traditional Musical Instruments: The rhythmic dance steps change dynamically with the beat of unique tribal instruments:
- Mori: A traditional wind instrument (pipe).
- Thudum / Tudumu: A prominent drum.
- Dappu: A circular percussion hand-drum.
- Other instruments: Includes the Kiridi, Jodukommulu, and Gilka.
