Themes
tribal dance
Budigali dance, odisha
The Budigali dance is a vivid example of Santal culture in Odisha and is performed with zest during Sakraat festival. To the Santals, dance and music are not entertainment but life-if you want to live, dance, or sing. Every other dance or song is for some unique occasion like Lagre, Danta, and Baha. In Santali, Enec means 'dance' and Serenj means 'song.'
Budigali dance also known as kalasi dance is an important event whereby women perform. They present a specious beauty by putting dainty decorated pots at their heads and joining to form a huge circle by holding their hands. The whole movement pattern thus becomes synchronized with the music, resulting in excellent steps that speak of the mood of the festival. The pot of the head dancer is usually highly garlanded so that it becomes the eye of the performance.
Men play instruments during the Budigali. The male performers here join together about the dancing actresses but deepen the space. The lively Tamak jumpers, Mandal drummers, gong players, cymbal players, and hissers would put life into this atmosphere. Budigali is said to have originated as a jolly rejoicing kind of expression for the freedom declared at the end of feudal oppression in the region.
The Sakraat celebrations are generally finished with three more days of dance expeditions, when men and women dance in different neighboring villages. Such dances may involve men dressing up as women, during Budigali, which brings an element of fun and humor into the event. Other events include inter-village competitions, thus opening an avenue for youth to meet and socialize, thereby strengthening community ties across settlements.
It is great to note that despite the increasing movement of Santal youth to urban areas for education and employment, they still carry their cultural values. Through active participation in traditional dances, composing songs in the Santali language, and celebrating heritage with pride, they ensure that the Santal worldview is kept alive even in a transforming world.