Dhimsa is a tribal dance form that is performed primarily by people of Koraput, a town and a Municipality in Koraput district in the Indian state of Odisha.
Photo: Department of Language and Culture, Government of Telangana · CC BY-SA 4.0+ Add licensed photo →
Understand in 30 Seconds · In Plain Words
Quick guide to Dhimsa
Sourced or Silent · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dhimsa is a tribal dance form that is performed primarily by people of Koraput, a town and a Municipality in Koraput district in the Indian state of Odisha.
01 · What it is
Dance
Live movement, rhythm, costume, or staged dramatic performance passed between generations.
02 · Where & name
Geography awaiting source
Add a cited source naming the region or community that carries it.
03 · How it is doing
□□□□ (Not yet assessed)
Documented in open cultural records, but no cited field assessment of its current vitality has been added here yet.
04 · Proof & reuse
2 cited sources
Every claim links to a public record below. Free to quote, teach, and share under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Chapter Takeaways
OriginDhimsa originated in Koraput district in the Odisha State.
Style of danceThis expressive dance is dominated by the movements of feet and hands of the group performing the dance in a circle.
InstrumentsThe members play Dappu (drum with a short stick), Tudumu, Mori, Kiridi and Jodukommulu.
CostumeThe attire is bright and colorful with earthy tones of green, red and yellow.
Common Questions Answered on Record
What is Dhimsa in plain words?
Dhimsa is a tribal dance form that is performed primarily by people of Koraput, a town and a Municipality in Koraput district in the Indian state of Odisha.
Where is Dhimsa practised or documented?
No verified geographic place has been linked on record yet — editors can add a cited place from the edit page.
What is the current condition of Dhimsa today?
□□□□ (Not yet assessed): Documented in open cultural records, but no cited field assessment of its current vitality has been added here yet.
How do I cite or share this Dhimsa entry?
Cite as: "Dhimsa." folkroom, https://folkroom.org/art-forms/dhimsa, text CC BY-SA, with attribution.
Dhimsa is a tribal dance form that is performed primarily by people of Koraput, a town and a Municipality in Koraput district in the Indian state of Odisha. 1
Origin
Dhimsa originated in Koraput district in the Odisha State. Dhimsa means "sound of the foot steps". Dhimsa is in the groove with the culture of this region, especially with places near Araku Valley and Borra Caves. Earlier unmarried youth used to dance. There is no discrimination as to who gets to join in the dance.
It is generally played as a relief time during their working hours. Each dance movement resembles their daily activity like picking leaves or plants, farming activities, traditional culture during matrimonial alliances, protecting them from wildlife etc. 1
Style of dance
This expressive dance is dominated by the movements of feet and hands of the group performing the dance in a circle. Though this dance can be performed by men and women, young and old, typically around 15-20 women form a chain and move their feet according to the rhythm and make formations of smaller to larger circles. There are several variations in this dance. The popular twelve variations are:
1) Bhag Dhimisa
2. Natikari Dhimsa
3. Kunda Dhimisa
4. Pathartola Dhimisa
5. Pedda Dhimisa
6. Sambor Nisani Dhimisa
7. Bayya Dhimisa
8. Mouli Dhimisa
8.Choti Dhimisa
9. Boda Dhimsa (Involves worship of their ritual goodness or god in villages.)
10. Goddi Beta Dimsa (Dancer moves both backward and forward with the swinging of body.) 1
Instruments
The members play Dappu (drum with a short stick), Tudumu, Mori, Kiridi and Jodukommulu. The performers dance to the drum beats and usually the music is played by men. 1
Costume
The attire is bright and colorful with earthy tones of green, red and yellow. The dancers wear sarees that fall just below the knee. Their necks are adorned with tribal ornaments. 1
The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Dhimsa”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. 1
Dhimsa is type of dance, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. 2
The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation. 2