Nati (dance)


Nati refers to the traditional folk dance of Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur, Chamba and Kinnaur districts of Himachal Pradesh. The dance is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as largest folk dance. It is quite popular in whole Himachal Pradesh. Dance is also popular in Chandigarh where Himachali youth perform this on cultural programmes. It is performed on Pahari and Kinnauri folk songs.

Varieties

Several types of Nati dances are popular in Himachal Pradesh including Kullvi Nati, Mahasuvi Nati, Sirmauri Nati, Kinnauri Nati and Lahauli Nati. The Kinnauri Nati dance is mime-like and includes languid sequences. Important among the dances of Nati is 'Losar shone chuksom'. The name from Losai, or the New Year. Activities such as sowing the crop and reaping it are included in it.

Records

The Nati Dance in the second week of January 2016 was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest folk dance in the world. Nati entered in the book as the largest folk dance in terms of participants’ number. Total 9892 women participated in this folk dance in
their traditional colourful Kullvi dress on 26 October 2015 during International Dussehra festival which is a centuries-old festival and celebrations begin on Vijaya Dashami, the day when the festivities end in rest of the country.