» Music & Dances of North India

» Dances of North India

The enigmatic swirling of the feet, the gracefully gyrating bodies and the rhythm of the soulful music, transports one to that beautiful realm of relaxing solitude! Indian dance forms are in fact, beautiful expression of the moods, celebration and gaiety of the people.

There are many types of dances in India, from the classical indian dance forms, which are deeply religious in content to the lively and mirthful folk dances of india, which are danced on more trivial happy occasions.

Major Dances of North India
  »  Chholia
  »  Ghoomer
  »  Gair
  »  Kucchi Ghodi
  »  Kathak
  »  Raslila

» Music of North India

North Indian classical music has developed for more than 4000 years into its contemporary styles of instrumental and vocal performance. The music of India, both North and South, is based on the ancient principles of Rag and Tal, or melody and rhythm, although in each system the rags and tals are somewhat different. Rag, or melody, has no exact definition in western musical terminology. Rags are defined by the notes used in the scale, but some rags use the same notes yet are recognized as different, so scale alone is not the only feature that separates them. The element of Rasa, or the feelings expressed by a rag, is the distinguishing characteristic which makes a rag more than just a scale or series of notes. Tal literally means "clap" and refers to the rhythm cycles, such as 7 beats or 16 beats, in which pieces are performed.

In the 20th century, some of the important factors which define rags are That, or mode, Jati, or scale permutation, Prahar, or time of day, and Gharana, or the musical tradition in which any musician may have been trained. Many musicians use a system of 10 Thats, or parent modes, to group North Indian rags. This system is not perfect, because there are numerous rags which do not quite fit into the scales. However, it is a generally useful heuristic device.