Dhan Naach: A Cultural Heritage of the Limbus

                             

Culturally rich Limbu people, residing mainly in the eastern part of our country covering Mechi and Koshi zone, perform different cultural practices, rituals, rites and ceremonies in different occasions.  Dhan naach (Yalangma), one of such cultural practices, performed with the singing of Palam, not only reflects the history of the communal way of the life and mythical aspects of Limbu community, but also bestows the glorious history of the clan to the new generations helping for promoting their culture and identity with different texture.

Origin

As many other cultural ceremonies of Limbu people, dhan naach is also associated with nature. Dor Bahadur Bista, a pioneering indigenous anthropologist of Nepal, in his book People of Nepal approves the same when he writes "Yalangma is said to have originated as a dance song for the harvest of paddy and has been called the dhan nach, 'the rice dance.'"  Though history doesn’t pinpoint its exact beginning, available myths date us back to ancient time when human beings had just begun engaging in farming activities, tired only running after animals as hunters.

According to a myth associated with its beginning, a bird, nyauli, (fellere fembuna pusha), came to the earth.  Hunter-like instinct of human beings, at that time, was still active; as a result they got ready to kill him. Seeing their preparedness to kill him, the bird requested them to hear him--since he was going to share a skill; a skill that, according to him, benefits both the parties in the long run--before killing him.  Getting permission from them, firstly, he appreciated human beings for being intellectual /rational and expressed his discontent on their merciless killings of innocent birds. Also reminding them the limited number of birds, he suggested them to cultivate land and harvest crops, which they both, humans and birds, will enjoy equally later. He also assured them of bringing the seed of paddy (marimba) and in return he conditioned them that they wouldn’t kill his generations as their food in the days to come. Persuaded by the bird they approved the conditions and readied for the debenture of truth, satya dharma muchulka (ingdanihup)­­.

Later the bird returned with ghaiyadhan (tamyaroya). Human beings did as suggested by the bird. The birds as well as human beings gathered to enjoy the dhan (paddy) when it was harvested, as per their agreement. The agreement worked properly for some years but when the number of birds increased, human beings, breaking the agreement with the bird, decided to make a heap of paddy but it too didn’t work; birds ate almost all of it. Exhausted human beings decided to protect the dumped paddy by encircling the heap of it by joining hands to hands. While doing so they also uttered the expressions like ha . . . ha… ha….he…he…he… hui… hui… hui, which later became the part of dhan naach. Still to survive, the birds had to eat and they did it when people are tired and sometimes fell asleep. When those awaken farmers shouted ha … ha… hui … hui to the birds, those slept woke up and asked about the whereabouts of the birds. Sometimes those awaken showed to the birds living in the trees.  Whatsoever, the myth justifies that it began with the promise of farming between the bird and human beings.

Dance

There are certain rules and parameters of dancing dhan naach. Since this dance is performed mainly in the happy occasions like festival, feast, marriage ceremony, mela bazaar (fair) etc., it is not danced during the time of mourning in the house and in the neighborhood.

Khamar (yasummaden), the place of its performance, gets its relevance in the presence of both boys and girls (nalingben thangben). Before singing palam, they worship all of their gods including nature gods like sime bhume, sikar deu and their tribal gods. Then the boys and girls scrutinize their relations and if found too close relatives, they beg excuse with each other and don’t dance together but if the dance is only of old people relation doesn’t matter.  Sometimes, very interestingly, the newly introduced boy and girl's relation turns into husband and wife. Age can't be a barrier for dhan naach; people belonging to various age groups--be senior people as well as young-- can be the participants.

Doing/observing all these, participants dance dhan naach enjoying with palam. It is like a duet song; asking questions by one side and responding by the next. In intervals, collectively they utter he…ha….ee… by stepping few steps front and back repeatedly --following rules-- holding hands with each other. To watch the rhythmic dance is really a spell bounding one as Dor Bahadur Bista rightly claims, "This harvest song [dhan naach] has a catchy tune and the dance is fascinating to watch. The rhythm and dance steps, some people believe, were developed as people trampled paddy for threshing."   

Exchanging of the 'token of love', known as miksenna, is an important part of dhan naach. With this they promise to meet again in the next life if not possible in this life. Murchunga, Dhaka topi, ascot, maflar, khandi's plain for daura suruwal are some things that girls give to boys and in return they get comb, thunche, namlo, ring, gunyu choli etc.  They also exchange bottles of whisky.

If felt tired of dancing, participants can take rest for a while and can continue later. They declare of its end through palam itself and with the greeting of sewaro, dance comes to an end.

This dance is mainly performed by the Limbus of Limbuwan area but others too who have knowledge of it can take part in it making it as an example of socio-cultural harmony.  The performance of such an important cultural heritage is the way to preserve the saga of Limbu culture amidst the growing influence of alien cultures and modernization. So it is a high time to save its originality and fame and to sustain socio-cultural identity of Limbus in the globalized world of 21st century.