Chholiya is a dance form practiced in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand, India. It is basically a sword dance accompanying a marriage procession but now it is performed on many auspicious occasions. It is especially popular in the districts of Pithoragarh, Champawat, Bageshwar, and Almora of Kumaon division and has even spread to the Garhwal division. This sword dance has a history of more than a thousand years and is rooted in the martial traditions of the Kumauni people. Dating back to over a thousand years, the Chholiya Dance has its origins in the warring Kshatriyas of Kumaun- the Khasas, when marriages were performed at the point of the swords.
The native Kshatriyas were united by the Chand Kings who arrived on the scene in the 10th century. The flux of immigrant Rajputs who made native kshatriyas a small minority also took on the hill customs and influenced Pahari culture with their traditions & language. The days of marriages on the point of the sword were over but the traditions attached to it still continued. That is why the groom is still known as Kunwar or Raja (King) in Kumaun. He rides a horse in the marriage procession and wears a Khukri in his belt.
Apart from its origins in the martial traditions of the people of Kumaun, it also has religious significance. This art form is mainly performed by the Rajput community in their marriage processions. Chholiya is performed in marriages and is believed to be auspicious as it provides protection from evil spirits and demons. Marriage processions were believed to be vulnerable to such spirits who target people's happiness. It was a common belief that demons followed a marriage procession or Baryat/Barat to bewitch the newly married and the performance of Chholiya could prevent this.
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