The Giddha is a folk dance of Punjab – a north western state of India. It is a women’s dance form where the men are not allowed. The Giddha is a fairly loose dance as there are no standard dance moves involved.

In the north western region of India the Giddha evolved in the lines of Bhangara dances and is said to be its feminine parallel. This dance is performed by the women when several households have gathered together in the celebration of festivities or other joyous social occasions. The women and young girls, married or unmarried, gather together and sing the folk poetry known as the ‘Boliyan’. These poems are short and of a few lines, that describe the everyday lives of the women in the villages. The subject matter of these folk couplets varies from nature to the funny anecdotes relating to the common relatives. The Giddha is an important social for the Punjabi women and everyone is dressed in the colorful ‘Salwar Kameez’ attire and it is also an occasion for the women to flaunt their prized gold jewelry. The songs describe the daily experiences of the women and often highlight the various emotions and special events in a girl’s life.

Dance Form

The dances performed at a Giddha are very feminine and graceful. It involves the dramatic enactment of the scenes described by the folk poems and songs. The women usually form a circle and then may stand or sit while the dances are performed. There is a lot of indirect communication between the ladies, through the singing. The movements of the dance and the tempo of the clapping are very energetic and comparable to that of the Bhangara of men. The dance movements are short in durations.

Musical Instruments

There are no musical instruments used in the Giddha. The women prefer the clapping of hands to keep the beat. At times a ‘Dholak’ is employed by the women. The dholak is the smaller cousin of the popular Dhol and has a higher range in the bass regions. The chorus singing of women in the meter of the poetry also gives a sense of rhythm to the music created.

Significance

The Giddha is very important for the ladies in the Punjabi community, since is a patriarchal and highly male oriented community. It gives the women a chance to socialize with women from other families and express their emotions. Today the Giddha has spread all over India among different peoples.

Variations

There are no variations of the Giddha except very different Punjabi dances performed only by women.