Dances of Tripura

Garia Dance

Garia dance is held during Garia Puja, an important festival for the Tripuri tribal community of the state. Every day after Garia Puja where Lord Garia or Lord Shiva is worshipped, rejoicing and dancing follows.

Garia puja is held for 7 days in the month of April (Baisakh) beginning from the last day of the month of Chaitra. Everyday, young boys and girls of the community form groups and visit all the houses in the village carrying the idol of Lord Shiva. They place the idol of deity in the middle of the courtyard of the house they visit and dance around the idol anti clockwise accompanied by devotional songs. Most of the dance forms of the Tripuri people are derived from Garia dance or the dance of Shiva.

The Garia dance is very popular among the Tripuris and the Reangs. Symbolic of the worship of the deities as well as of the socio-economic activities of the households, these dances represent hunting, fishing, food-gathering and various other activities.