Home > Cooch Behar > Karam
Karam

Music and dance of the tribals are always closely associated with their rituals or festivals. The vibrant Karam dance is performed during the popular Karam festival in which the Karam tree (Haldina/Adina cordifolia, kadam, kadamba) is worshipped as a symbol of productivity and fecundity - to propitiate abundance in terms of children as well as crops. It is widely prevalent among the tribes of eastern and central India like Oraon, Munda, Santal, Ho, Kol, Bhumij and Kora. It was also adopted by non tribal communities like the Kurmi Mahatos and several scheduled castes of the region, who possibly Hinduized the rituals. Another school of thought opines that it started from the castes in the Chhota Nagpur belt and was later adopted by tribal communities. Whatever its origin, it has always been associated with agriculture and fertility.