Charkula
Is it easy to dance carrying a 108-lamp structure on your head?
Whether it is to celebrate a heavenly wedding or mark a victory, Charkula is a top-heavy dance which has the dancers balance a 108-lamp structure on their heads!
Every aspect of the culture of the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh in India is associated with Lord Krishna; hence it is natural that their dance forms and songs whisper his story. Braj region is the land of Lord Krishna and his lover Radha. According to the legend, Radha’s grandmother ran out of the house with the Charkula on her head to announce the birth of Radha.
The Charkula is a tapered wooden column with four to five circular tiers, each with earthen lamps on each level. The number of lamps may range from 51 to as many as 108. The dancer, balancing the Charkula on her head, moves with swift and graceful movements to the tune of Rasiya songs. The dance is performed at the festival known as Holi, especially the third day after Holi when Radha was born.
Another legend says that the Charkula dance is celebrated on the occasion of the happy victory over Indra by Krishna and the cowherd community of Braj. Lord Krishna raised the Mount Govardhan to protect the people from the rains shattered by Indra. The people took shelter under the mountain to escape from the harmful effects of the rain by angry Indra. To re-enact the Govardhan Leela of Lord Krishna, the dancing damsel of Braj carries Charkula while performing this dance.
Women are dressed in long skirts which reach up to the toes. There is a colorful blouse, and the dancer covers her body and face with the odhani or veil. These women carry a large multi-tiered circular wooden pyramid having 108 oil lamps on their heads while dancing. They perform their dances to the tunes of rasiya, which are the songs of Lord Krishna. The dance has synchronized steps to the beats of the drum. The movements of the dancers are limited due to the heavy load on their head. They cannot bend their body nor can they move their back. In spite of these limitations, the dancers glide and pirouette to the tune of the song. The collective merriment of the occasion marks the climax when the singers also start dancing to the swift beat of music and movement and onlookers find themselves carried away by the rejoicings.
