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Dances In Mizoram
Khual, in the Mizo language, means guest, and lam stands for dancing. So,
Khuallam is the dance of the guest. To have a position in paradise, one had to prove one's mettle either in war or in hunting or by being a man of distinction in society. To claim a distinguished place in society, one had to perform various ceremonies which included offering community feasts and dances.
These ceremonies, taken together, were known as 'Khuangchawi'. While performing "Khuangchawi" one was obliged to invite relatives from nearby villages. The guests entered the arena of the "Khuangchawi" dancing
Khuallam. The dance is usually performed by men dressed in 'Paundum'
(traditional Mizo clothes with red and green stripes) to the accessory of a set of gongs known as
Darbu.
Thangchhuah therefore could be attained only by the daring or by the rich. The ceremonies performed in the second method are known as
Khuangchawi. Guests invited from the other villages at the Khuangchawi ceremony enter the arena dancing
Khuallam.
Traditional hand woven Mizo cloth known as Puandum is wrapped over the shoulders and the dance is performed by swaying the cloth.
Puandum has the colors black, red, yellow and green stripes. Significantly
Puandum is an essential item which every girl has to take along with when she gets married.
It is used when her husband dies to cover the dead body. As most extra folk dances of the Mizos, this dance is accompanied by a set of gongs recognized as
Darbu and no song is sung. It is generally performed in large numbers
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