13,000 Women, One Koraputia Song: Odisha's Dhimsa Dance Steals the Show at PM Modi's Andhra Airport Launch| Special Report

Bhubaneswar: The inauguration of the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Andhra Pradesh carried an unmistakable Odisha signature.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived to dedicate the greenfield airport to the nation, the venue reverberated with the rhythmic thump of thousands of synchronized footsteps performing the iconic Dhimsa dance to the tune of a Koraputia folk song.

In a breathtaking spectacle, nearly 13,000 tribal women and schoolgirls performed in perfect unison, scripting a Guinness World Records feat and leaving the audience, including the Prime Minister, mesmerised. The performance once again showcased the magnetic appeal of Koraput's tribal music and dance, whose cultural influence extends far beyond Odisha's borders.

Koraputia Song Dances Into Guinness World Records

The record-breaking performance unfolded at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram district, where around 13,000 tribal women artists and students from Araku Valley, Paderu, Rampachodavaram, Sitampeta and Parvathipuram Manyam welcomed Prime Minister Modi through the synchronized Dhimsa dance.

The dancers performed to a celebrated Koraputia folk song originally penned by Roshan Kumar Kartik, former Deputy CEO of the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS). The song was composed specifically for Parab, Koraput's flagship tribal festival that celebrates the region's indigenous heritage.

Guinness World Records officials present at the venue verified the performance as the largest gathering performing the traditional Dhimsa dance, adding an international milestone to an art form deeply rooted in Odisha's tribal landscape.

Prime Minister Modi later said he was "deeply touched" by the grand cultural welcome and praised the participants for their discipline, enthusiasm and preservation of India's rich tribal traditions.

A Song That Carries the Soul of Koraput

A Koraputia folk song is much more than traditional music – it is the living voice of the tribal communities of southern Odisha. Emerging from the forests and hills of Koraput, these songs reflect the collective identity of tribes such as the Paraja, Gadaba, Kondh, Mali and Desia communities.

Rather than being composed for commercial entertainment, Koraputia songs celebrate everyday tribal life. Their lyrics revolve around changing seasons, sowing and harvesting, marriages, village festivals, forests, rivers, hills and reverence for ancestral deities. The songs preserve oral history while strengthening the bond between people, nature and community.

These folk compositions are inseparable from the Dhimsa dance. The changing tempo of the song guides the dancers' movements as they hold hands or lock arms around one another's waists, creating flowing circles, chains and serpentine formations that symbolise harmony with nature.

Dhimsa: The Dance of Rhythmic Footsteps

The word "Dhimsa" literally translates to the "sound of footsteps" or "rhythmic thumping", aptly describing the synchronized stamping that defines the dance. Native to the tribal communities of the Koraput-Araku belt spanning Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, Dhimsa has historically been a sacred ritual rather than a stage performance.

Traditionally performed during Chaitra Parva, the spring harvest festival, the dance seeks blessings from the village deity for abundant crops, healthy livestock and protection from disease. Over generations, as tribal communities moved through the Eastern Ghats, Dhimsa naturally spread into Andhra Pradesh's Araku Valley, where today it has become the region's cultural flagship.

One of the dance's defining features is its message of equality. Children, women, youth and elders all participate together, symbolising that the entire village functions as one family without social hierarchies.

The complete Dhimsa repertoire consists of eight distinct variations, each narrating a different aspect of tribal life – from welcoming guests and mimicking birds or snakes to gathering forest produce, greeting neighbours and celebrating community festivals.

Music That Drives Every Step

The heartbeat of Dhimsa lies in its traditional orchestra. The Mohuri, a wind instrument resembling the shehnai, leads the melody with its piercing notes, instantly signalling changes in the dancers' footwork.

The rhythm is maintained by indigenous percussion instruments such as the Dhol, Madal, Tamak, Duffle and Muri, whose booming beats dictate the synchronized stamping that gives Dhimsa its identity. Every movement, turn and formation follows these rhythmic cues, creating a seamless blend of music and choreography.

Why a Koraputia Song Stole the Show in Andhra Pradesh

The choice of a Koraputia folk song for such a historic occasion was no coincidence. The tribal belts of Koraput in Odisha and Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh share centuries-old cultural, linguistic and social ties. The Dhimsa dance evolved across this common Eastern Ghats tribal landscape, making it a shared heritage rather than a tradition confined by state boundaries.

By choosing a Koraputia composition for the Guinness World Record performance, Andhra Pradesh highlighted this enduring cultural continuum while paying tribute to the indigenous communities whose traditions continue to thrive across both states. As Prime Minister Modi inaugurated one of India's newest airports, it was an age-old tribal melody from Odisha – and the thunderous rhythm of Dhimsa – that ultimately became the defining image of the ceremony.

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