with a carefully choreographed routine to welcome in the summer. The dancers spread out over three kilometres to perform an eight-minute jig with bamboo sticks, setting a record at the expense of the previous holders – a 7,700-strong group in Cebu, in the Philippines. “A new Guinness world record was created with 10,780 dancers performing the bamboo dance for eight minutes in perfect rhythm,” a representative of the Guinness Book of World Records, Lucia Sinigagliesi, said after the event. Sinigagliesi handed over a certificate to the arts and culture minister of the state of Mizoram. The bamboo dance, locally known as the Cheraw dance, is the harbinger of the Chapchar Kut festival of the Mizo tribal group, which marks the end of winter and advent of summer. The total number of dancers in the Cheraw were 10,736 in 671 groups spread between a 2.5 km stretch of the main city road between Sikulpuikawn in the south and Chanmari in the north as well as inside the Assam Rifles ground.
The record attempt was organized a day after the state celebrated the Chapchar Kut festival, which is a curtain raiser to the bamboo dances. The state has three kuts (festivals), which are spread over the agricultural year.
Chief Minister Lathanhawla was named the Father of the Kut while cultural affairs minister Zoramsangliana, credited with organising this mass dance, was named the Host of the Kut.
The previous record for the largest dance gathering was held by the Phillippines’ Cebu province where about 7,000 people had joined hands to dance together last year.
Cheraw dance is a combination of rhythm and skill. Four people hold two pairs of long bamboos across one another on the ground. As the bamboo sticks are clapped together, the main dancers in traditional attire weave patterns through them in time with the rhythm.
The whole of Mizoram was united for the common cause-organising the World’s Largest Bamboo Dance. For a month, the sounds of the bamboo and music were heard literally everywhere, and it was the only talk on people’s lips. The day drew closer, and the practice and the anxiety increased. Finally, the day arrived.
I was there, amidst the crowd, the pride, the hope and eventually, the celebration. Yes, I had witnessed one of the greatest moments of Mizo history, where literally the whole state was united for a common cause.The faces of those who had actually danced the dance are now a part of the history of this beautiful and varied culture; their smiles, their pride and the hope in their eyes will always be on my mind. Not only the people back home, but our brothers and sisters living in other parts of the world were a part of this momentous occasion, in spirit and prayers, if not in person.
The days after followed with a buzz, and a feeling of pride amongst everyone, especially for the fact that, now, we may have finally made a name for ourselves, in some ways, if not in other. And no more will the Mizos be just another ‘tribal’ people.
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