The increasing influence of western culture on the young generation has reduced the importance of Dhannach
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
Dhannach, a cultural dance of the Yakthung (Limbu) tribe originally living in eastern Nepal, has reached an endangered state. Along with the rituals of happiness in the Yakthung (Limbu) community, there is a culture of paddy dancing in a circular circle between young people holding hands in fairs, festivals and celebrations.
Sam Thamden, chairman of Kirat Yakthung Chumlung Myanglung Municipal Committee, said that Dhannach, which was very popular until the fifties, has recently become extinct.
According to him, at that time paddy dance was done not only in gatherings like Melahat, weddings, barkhants, but also by meeting at a certain place. But now, paddy dancing is nowhere to be seen as it was then. With the passage of time, Dhannach has become limited to the stage and video of the programs that are organized from time to time.
Rice dance is a respected cultural dance of the Yakthung (Limbu) caste, says Sesehang Hukpa Chongbang, president of Kirat Yakthung Chumlung. According to him, before the paddy dance, the relationship between the boy side and the girl side is done. If there is a sign-relationship, you should apologize and leave. During the rice dance, if one accidentally steps on the other's leg or touches the other's leg, they should join hands and ask for forgiveness.
Palam (a kind of song sung during the paddy dance) is sung during the paddy dance. Singing Palam in Dhannach is considered mandatory. In the Palam, which is sung step-by-step between the boy side and the girl side, questions and answers are discussed about the origin of creation, references to the development of human civilization, discussion of Mundhum and love.
Palami falls in love with each other and even gets married during the question and answer session. Chairman Chongbang said, 'In Yakthung (Limbu) villages, couples who are married in love are still seen singing palam while dancing in rice fields.'
According to the experts on the history and culture of the Yakthung (Limbu) race, the rice dance began after people entered the agricultural era. As described in Mundhum, after a bird named Phangbhanga brought seeds of ghaiya paddy, people started farming. However, birds started coming and eating the grain they grew day by day.
People sought a new way to preserve grain amid the condition that the birds could not be chased away. They gathered the ripe grain in a basket. The young people gathered together, held hands and formed a circle saying 'Chooi ha.. ha..' and started trampling the paddy.
It is said that Ya?lak (paddy trampling) later became Ya?lang (paddy dance) and Palam is derived from 'chui ha .. ha ..' used to drive away birds. Now the place where paddy dance is called 'Khala', while singing Palam, 'Chui ha .. ha ..' or 'Hai ha .. ha ..' is used, said Radha Fombo, a long time paddy dance conservation activist.
Tara Bahadur Kandangwa, the coordinator of the Yakthung Tangname Protection Committee, Atharai, says that it is sad that Dhanach, which carries the characteristics and identity of the Yakthung (Limbu) race, is about to disappear. He said that due to the growing influence of western culture, the youth generation is forgetting the rice dance along with other original cultural heritages.
