History
In the beginning of the Mahabharata period, this dance called Dhamaal had originated in Haryana. The Ahirs (a tribe) in the Gurgaon area are famous for performing this dance. In the month of Phalgun, the men perform this dance in the moonlight. Along with the rhythm of the Dhamal, the men sing and dance. This dance is especially for the farmers when they see the crops well grown and ripe, they dance and it is known as Dhamal.
Instruments
The dance is also performed by people living in the district of Mahendrahgarh. At first the first note is played by the Been, this is continued by the Dhol, Nagara and Tasha. With the large Daphs in hands of a few players, the whole troop walks into the arena. The Daphs are decorated with a colourful cloth with frills.
Performance
After taking the blessings of Goddess Bhavani, the trinity of Bhrahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, with their heads bent towards the ground, standing in a semi circular position, they rise with the rhythm and tempo. Some of the performers carry Shuntis or sticks of medium length that are wrapped with tinsel and also their both ends are tasselled.
In this folk dance, the performers jump a lot which is one of the expressions of joy and a part of the choreo. Sometimes, they even imitate the non participant women and make everyone laugh. The performers individually show their prowess while using the shuntis and Daphs for creating the musical effects.