Uttarakhand is home to different cultures, traditions, and folk dances. Local people of Uttarakhand believe that dancing is not just to entertain people but also to impress gods. BaradaNati is one such folk dance form practiced by the people of JaunsarBawar. Jaunsar is a small town located in Chakrata hill station.
In Barada, Nati, men and women are dressed in beautiful traditional clothes as they perform a drama out of the dance. The BaradaNati is a dance form in which a story is embedded. Special occasions are selected for the dance performance to prepare for the dance and practice well and then perform on the function day and entertain the people. Some call it a tribal dance because it started in Jaunsar by the Jaunsar tribe performing the dance. People from all over the Uttarakhand state participate in this act, and it is attended by people from all over India.
The major goal behind the BaradaNati folk dance is to rejuvenate people from their stressful and busy lives, make them realize what fun they are missing out on. It is a reminder bell to those who have forgotten the actual meaning of life and enjoyment. The dance form aims at returning happiness to people’s lives.
The BaradaNati Dance got a place in the Guinness Book of world records in the second week of January 2016, listed as the most prominent folk dance in the world. It is mentioned in the Guinness book as the largest folk dance with respect to the number of participants. Total 9892 women participated in this folk dance in their traditional Uttarakhand unique colourful Kullvi dress on 26 October 2015 during the International Dussehra festival.
This dance is also performed on marriages and the birth of a child to welcome the new Life with joy and happiness.