Dance
The Mizos, blessed as they are with a beautiful environment and rich culture, are a vibrant and sociable society. They love to dance and sing. As a result of which a number of folk and community dances have been handed down from one generation to the other through the ages. Indian packages with Indian Travel Agent. The dances are the expressions of the gay, carefree spirit of the Mizos. It should be mentioned here that these dances are not intended for stage performances, rather, they have been evolved for community involvement and participation.

Cheraw
The most colourful and distinctive dance of the Mizos is called Cheraw. Little is known about the origin of Cheraw. Possibly the forefathers of Mizos brought it with them when they left their homes in far-east Asia. Cheraw is performed on any occasion these days. But, as the legend goes, it used to be performed in earlier times only to ensure a safe passage for the soul of a mother who died at childbirth. Cheraw is, therefore, a dance of sanctification and redemption performed with great care, precision and elegance. Indian packages with Indian Travel Agent.

Long bamboo starves are used for this dance, therefore many people call it 'Bamboo Dance'. The dancers move by stepping alternatively in and out from between and across a pair of horizontal bamboos, held against the ground by people sitting face to face on either side. They tap the bamboos in rhythmic beats. Indian packages with Indian Travel Agent. The bamboos, placed horizontally, are supported by two bases, one at each end. The bamboos, when clapped, produce a sound which forms the rhythm of the dance. It indicates the timing of the dance as well. The dancers steps in and out to the beats of the bamboos with ease and grace. The patterns and stepping of the dance have many vibrations. Sometimes the steppings are made to imitate the movement of birds, sometimes the swaying of trees and so on.

 Khuallam
Khual, in Mizo language, means a guest, lam means dancing. So, Khuallam is the dance of the guest. The Mizos, in the pre-Christian days, believed that the soul, after death went either to 'Pialral' or paradise, or 'Mitthi Khua', a land of sorrow and misery. To have a place in Paradise, one had to prove one's mettle either in war or in hunting or by being a man of distinction in society. To claim a distinguished place in society, one had to perform various ceremonies which included offering community feasts and dances. These ceremonies performed together, were known as 'Khuangchawi'. While performing Khuangchawi one was obliged to invite relatives from nearby villages. The guest entered the arena of the Khuangchawi dancing Khuallam- hence, Khuallam is the dance for the visitors or guests Indian packages with Indian Travel Agent..

The dance is normally performed by men dressed in Puandum (traditional Mizo clothes with red and green stripes) to the accompaniment of a set of gongs known as Darbu. A group dance, the more the merrier, they dance to the tune of gongs and drums. Travel Tours India with Indian Travel Agent.

Chheih Lam
It is the dance over a round of rice beer in the cool of the evening. The lyrics in triplets are normally fresh and spontaneous on-the-spot compositions, recounting their heroic deeds and escapades and also praising the honoured guests present in their midst.

Joie de vivre would be the appropriate term to describe Chheih lam, a dance that embodies the spirit of joy and exhilaration. Chheih lam is performed to the accompaniment of a song called Chheih hla. The song is sung to the beats of a drum or bamboo tube or clapping of hands. People squat on the floor in a circle while a dancer stands in the middle reciting a song with various movements of limbs and body. Travel Tours India with Indian Travel Agent. An expert Chheih dancer performs his part in such a manner that the people around him leave their seats and join the dance. Any one can try this dance, for it has no specific choreography. All that one has to do is to get into the mood and live up to it. Chheih lam is performed on any occasion normally in the evenings, when the day's work is over.

Chai
Chai is a festival dance. It is a community dance with men and women standing one after another in a circle, holding each other on the shoulder and the nape. The dancers sway to and fro and swing their feet to the tune of the song, sung in chorus by all of them, while a drummer and gongman beat their instruments used in the dance. Chai presents a grand show, but it is not exactly suitable for performing on the stage. In olden days, the Chai dancers used to consume rice-beer continuously while dancing, they did not know when to stop. Travel Tours India with Indian Travel Agent.
 
Rallu Lam
Strictly speaking, Rallu lam is not a dance as such. It is rather a celebration or a rite in honour of a victorious warrior. When a warrior comes back after a successful campaign, he is given a warm and colourful reception by the village Chief. The celebration consists of a re-enactment of the warrior's heroic exploits. The mode of celebration, however, varies from village to village. Ensure a special holidays with us.

Solakia
Originally, the dance used to be performed mainly by the people of the Maras and Pawi communities of Mizoram. They remain the best exponents of the dance to-date. Like Rallu lam, Solakia was also performed in earlier times to celebrate a victory in war. Marked with five principal movements, the dance seeks to recapture the actions of a hero at war. Men and women stand in profile, while the hero, brandishing a sword and a shield, dances in the middle to the accompaniment of gong beats. Ensure a special holidays with us.

Sarlamkai
One of the most impressive Mizo community dances, Sarlamkai is a variation of Solakia. The two dances are almost identical. The only difference lies in the dress and tempo. No song is sung, only gongs or cymbals or drums are used to beat time. Sarlamkai has been taken up by most of the schools in Mizoram for cultural activities these days. Indian Travel Agent offers Visit India and explore India.

Par Lam
The land of enchanting hills has yet another dance, the Par lam. Girls attired in colourful dresses, with flowers tucked in their hair, dance to the tune of songs sung by themselves. Indian Travel Agent offers Visit India and explore India.The principal movement in the dance involves the waving of hands. A couple of boys lend musical accompaniment by playing guitars. Comparatively, this is a new dance. Nevertheless, it has become a part of the Mizo culture.

 Handlooms
Mizoram has rich and colourful range of handlooms. However, of all these the 'Puan' occupies a place of pride in a Mizo lady's wardrobe. A Mizo lady is more fond of her "Puan" than any of her other dresses as the Puan consists of a colorful and breathtaking display of intricate
designs. Indian Travel Agent offers Visit India and explore India.

'Puanchei', this is one of the most beautiful dresses worn by the Mizo girls. This is worn  on occasions such as weddings and festivals such as 'Chapchar Kut' and 'Pawl Kut'.

In earlier times, these were all hand woven but nowadays these are mostly machine made. They are made from cotton and the colors are made by a thing called 'Ting'. Along with this, a blouse which is of the same pattern is usually worn.

Ngotekherh is worn in all festivals such as 'Chapchar Kut', 'Mim Kut' and 'Pawl Kut'. The colours used in this cloth are black and white. These are also hand - woven and are made of cotton. The black portion of the handloom is made from some kind of an artificial fur.

Puandum is one of the most important handlooms of the Mizos. These are made from cotton and are handmade. This traditional hand-woven cloth called 'Puandum' is also wrapped over the shoulders while performing 'Khuallam', one of the famous traditional dances of the Mizos. Indian Travel Agent offers Visit India and explore India.

A Puandum consists of black, red, yellow and green stripes. Significantly, Puandum is an indispensable item which every girl has to take along with her when she gets married. It is used to cover her husband's body when he dies. Scintillating Special Holidays with us. This is an integral part of the Mizo marriage and failure to bring the cloth entails punishment leading to a reduction in the bride price.

Hnika is also worn on the various festivals. It is one of the finest handlooms of the Mizos. It is made from silk and cotton and were all hand-woven in the olden days, but nowadays they are all machine-made. It has its origin among the Pawi tribe.It is equivalent to the 'Puanchei' cloth among the Pawi tribe. They wear it while performing the various dances such as Cheraw and Sarlamkai during the 'Kut' festivals. Scintillating Special Holidays with us.

Hmaram is also known as 'Kawkpui zikzial' and are mostly worn by the children and girls. They are worn on the occasions such as 'Chawn Day', 'Chhawnghnawh Day' and 'Chapchar Kut'.

This is one of the first handlooms made by the Mizos. They are usually made of cotton and they are hand-woven.

Kawrchei is worn on every 'kut' such as 'Chapchar Kut', 'Mim Kut' and 'Pawl Kut'. It is one of the most beautiful blouses worn by the girls. Like other clothes they are hand-woven and are made from cotton. Scintillating Special Holidays with us.

This are usually worn along with 'Puanchei' and while performing the various dances of the Mizos

Taking home a water-proof Mizo hat (Khumbeu) made with bamboo and leaves, as a souvenir of Mizoram, is a must.

You will find a good selection of traditional handloom shawls, bags and bamboo handicrafts in Bara Bazar. If you are looking for a variety and better quality crafts, the State Government Emporium and Hnam Chhantu are good places to start your shopping spree. Scintillating Special Holidays with us.

Some of the other markets you can explore are New Market, Ritz Market, Bazar Bungkawn, Thakthing Bazar and Solomon's Cave in Aizawl. Shopping centers at Lunglei, Saiha, Champhai, Kolasib and other towns are also good places to shop. Explore the hotels and packages with Indian Travel Agent.