Laudi Khela

The tradition & historical record

Several folk dance forms evolved in different regions of Odisha, Odissi and Chhau being some popular forms. Sambalpuri dance is most popular dance of western Odisha and is enjoyed by many. ¹

Laudi Khela, also known as Gauda Nacha, is a form of dance practiced in some coastal districts of Odisha, including Cuttack, Jajapur, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Bhadrak, Baleswar, Dhenkanal, and Angul. Traditionally, the performers are young boys of the 'Gauda' or 'Gopal' castes. This dance is performed during Dola Purnima (Holi). The dance is dedicated to Krishna and his consort Radha. The dancers wear clothes associated with Krishna, ghagudi (small bells as girdles), and peacock feathers. Each dancer carries two sticks, striking each other's sticks in a rhythmical manner. Singha (buffalo's horn) and flute usually accompany the dance. ¹

Ghumura Dance (or Ghumra Dance) is one of the most sought and leading folk dance form in Odisha. It is classified as folk dance as the dress code of Ghumura resembles more like a tribal dance, but recent researchers argue different mudra and dance form present in Ghumura bear more resemblance with other classical dance form of India. The timeline of Ghumura dance is not clear. Many researchers claim it was a War dance in ancient India and used by Ravana in Ramayana. Ghumura dance is depicted in Sun Temple of Konark confirming this dance form is from the medieval period. In the 'Madhya Parba" of "Sarala Mahabharata" Ghumura has been mentioned as: Dhola Madala Gadi je Ghumura Bajai Ghumura je Ghumu Ghumu Hoi Garajai In Chandi Purana mentions: Biratwara Biradhola Daundi Ghumura Kadamardala Bajanti Mari Galatura Ghumura was also used as a Darbari dance in the princely state of Kalahandi and played by the erstwhile Kalahandi state during war times. The typical mixed sound that comes out of the musical instruments like Ghumura, Nishan, Dhol, Taal, Madal etc. and the expressions and movements of the artists make this dance to be a "Heroic Dance". Since thousands of years Ghumura dance has evolved from a war dance to a dance form for cultural and social activities. The dance is associated with social entertainment, relaxation, love, devotion and friendly brotherhood among all class, creed and religion in the present days. Traditionally this dance is also associated with Nuakhai and Dasahara celebration in Kalahandi and large parts of South Western Odisha. Ghumura dance is still hidden in the village level in South Western Orissa and some parts of bordering Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Laudi Khela”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Laudi Khela is orm of dance practiced in some coastal districts of Odisha, 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