The Bhangra is perhaps the most virile form of Indian Folk Dances. Springing from the land of five rivers, it abundantly reflects the vigor, the vitality, the heaven of exuberance, and the hilarity permeated among the rural folk by the promise of a good harvest.

According to a folk tradition, Bhangra comes from Bhaungra, which means action on land, activity on land. Bhangra, through dance, expresses all human endeavour with nature and with each other. Whatever one does for production and reproduction of life, Bhangra reflects it through dance.

According to another tradition, farmers and their families, in celebration of a good harvest, drink Bhang, (Shiva's herb), and dance, this dance is called Bhangra. This dance is in thanks giving to mother earth, Bhaun, and celebration of their own endeavor and effort, their own hardwork and toil. Peasants and farmers in Punjab are seen even now at Vaisakhi, the first day of harvest drinking and dancing, doing Bhangra in the fields, villages and lanes.

Another folk tradition claims that the whole creation was started by Mahadev-Shiva, by the three beats Da, Da, Da from his hand drum-Damroo. Everything in this cosmos came into being with these three beats. Bhangra also started with these beats, from Bhu-to be. It is for this reason that even today the Dholi (Drummer) starts Bhangra with three beats. Since Bhangra has been with creation right from the beginning, it also reflects Maya-the world and its awagaman, (coming into being and fading away). This tradition is closer to the classical Indian tradition according to which, Jag and Jog (world and Yoga), Geet and Sangeet (music), Natya and Naach (dance) are creations of Shiva and that's why he is also called Natraj-king of all dancers. Bhangra through dance shows relations of humans with nature and relations of humans with each other.

The Bhangra season starts with the wheat sowing. Every full moon attracts teams of young men in every village who dance for hours in open fields. The dancers begin to move in a circle around the drummer, who, now and then, lifts the two sticks as he beats the drum to beckon the dancers to a higher tempo of movement. They start with a slow movement of their feet. As the tempo increases, the hands, the feet and in fact the whole body comes into action. They whirl round and round bending and straightening their bodies alternatively, hopping on one leg, raising their hands, clapping with their handkerchiefs and exclaiming Bale Bale! Oh Bale Bale to inspire themselves and others to the abandon of the dance.

At intervals the dancers stop moving, but continue to beat the rhythm with their feet. One of the dancers comes forward near the drummer and covering his left ear with his palm sings a boali or dholla, derived from the traditional folk songs of Punjab. Picking up the last lines, the dancers again start dancing with greater vigour.

In addition to a drum, chimta-musical tongs and burchu and sound of the beats from earthen vessels are used as accompanying instruments. The costume of a Bhangra dancer consists of a bright, coloured Patka on the head, a lacha or lungi of the same colour, a long tunic and a black or blue waistcoat and ghunghroos on the ankles. Some dancers also wear small rings (nuntian) in their ears.

When the wheat crop is nearing ripening, the breeze softly touches the surface of the golden crop creating a ripple and reckoning the sickle, when the hard labour of the farmer is about to bear fruit, it is time of rejoicing and merry making and through Bhangra their emotions find uninhibited and spontaneous expression of genuine happiness. The Bhangra season concludes with the Baisakhi fair when the wheat is harvested.