top 10 famous traditional folk dances of India

India is known for its diverse culture. Famous Traditional Folk Dances Of India are performed during different festivals to express social values, joy, and cultural diversification.

There are many Famous Traditional Folk Dances Of India that are globally famous and performed internationally.

The List of 10 famous traditional folk dances of India are:

Garba | Dandiya | Taali Rasak | Gujrat | Folk Dance
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  • Garba: One of the Famous Traditional Folk Dances Of India is Garba which belongs to Gujrat. This dance has been performed in the circle around the statue of Goddess Amba during the festival of Navratri. This dance has been performed in two ways, one is by clapping hands which is known as Taal Raask i.e. Garba and the other is by beating a stick, known as Dandiya.
Bhangra | Punjab | Folk Dance | Garba | Dandiya | Taali Rasak | Gujrat | Folk Dance
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  • Bhangra: Bhangra is the Famous Traditional Folk Dances Of India, Punjab region of India. This Folk dance has been performed by the farmers in the harvest season of Baisakh. Bhangra is only performed by males. Females perform Giddha.
Ghoomar | Rajasthan | Folk Dance | Garba | Dandiya | Taali Rasak | Gujrat | Folk Dance
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  • Ghoomar: Ghoomar is the Famous Traditional Folk Dances of Rajasthan performed by women. This dance has been performed by women to please Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati for the long life of their husbands. This dance has been performed in a circle. Ghoomar is presented on the Rajasthani songs.
Bihu | Assam | Folk Dance | Garba | Dandiya | Taali Rasak | Gujrat | Folk Dance
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  • Bihu: Bihu is the famous Traditional Folk Dances Of Assam, India which is performed during the festive season of Bihu and represents the culture of the Indian state Assam. The festival of Bihu is a one-month-long festival performed in a group usually by young men and women.
Lavani | Maharashtra | Folk Dance | Garba | Dandiya | Taali Rasak | Gujrat | Folk Dance
image reference: svadesi
  • Lavani: Lavani Famous Traditional Folk Dances Of India is basically a traditional dance of the Indian state of Maharashtra which is performed on the beats of Dholaki. A powerful combination of traditional song and dance can be seen in Lavani Folk dance.
Raas-Leela | Raas Dance | Krishna Tandav | Uttar Pradesh | Folk Dance
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  • Raas-Leela: Raas-Leela is the Famous Traditional Folk Dances Of India and belongs to Uttar Pradesh. Raas- Leela emerges from the holy city Brij of Lord Krishna. Ras Leela/Dance or Krishna Tandav is performed on the stories of Lord Krishna like Makhan choir, Kalia Daman, Radha- Krishna etc.
rass leela | Kashmir | Folk Dance | Garba | Dandiya | Taali Rasak | Gujrat | Folk Dance
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  • Rouff Dance: Rouff is the Famous Traditional Folk Dance of Kashmir that originated from the Muslim community and basically practiced by women on different occasions. This Rouf folk dance of Kashmir is famous and simple. Dancers keep their hands around the waist of the other dancers and performed it on the traditional song.
Raut Naach | Chhattisgarh | Folk Dance
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  • Raut Naach– Raut Naach is the Famous Traditional Folk Dances of Chhattisgarh that is performed by the Yaduvanshi on the occasion of Dev Uthani Ekadashi (the 11th day after Diwali) in the worship of Lord Krishna. This shows the fight between Kind Kansa and cowherds.
Pulikali | Kerala | Folk Dance
image reference: swadesi
  • Pulikali – Pulikali is the Famous Traditional Folk Dances Of the Indian state Kerala which is also known as Tiger dance. It has been performed by the trained artist on the occasion of Onam i.e. harvest festival. Artists of Pulikali folk dance are painted like tigers on the beats of thakil, udukku and chenda (traditional instruments).
Karakattam | Tamil Nadu | Folk Dance
image reference: gosahin
  • Karakattam – Karakattam is the famous folk dance of Tamil Nadu which is performed to please the Rain Goddess by balancing pots on the head in decreasing order on the Carnatic Folk song.

FAQ’S Related: Top Most Famous Traditional Folk Dances Of India

Apart from above 10 top famous folk dances, what are the other famous folk dances ?

Apart from the above top 10 famous folk dances are Ghumura from Orissa, matki dance from Madhya Pradesh, Dollu Kunitha from Karnataka, Veeranatyam from Andhra Pradesh, Chhau from West Bengal, etc.

About the Author: – Neha Khunteta

Neha Khunteta is a highly experienced Kathak dancer and trainer with over 15 years of experience. She is the founder of Kathak By Neha, one of the Best Kathak Dance Academies. With her profound expertise and experience, Neha has established herself as one of the foremost educators in Kathak.

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