← Dance-Fitness to Punjabi Music · Module 2 of 7 · 8 minutes
What is bhangra?
Roots in the harvest
Published accounts describe bhangra as a folk dance of the Punjab region, strongly associated with Vaisakhi, the spring festival marking the wheat harvest. It began as a celebration that farming communities did for themselves, together, after hard work. Accounts disagree on exactly where and when it started, and on where the word comes from, so treat any single tidy story with care.
One dance in a family
Bhangra is one of several Punjabi folk dances. Others include jhumar, luddi, giddha (the women’s dance of song, clapping and playful verses), sammi and kikli. Knowing the family keeps bhangra in proportion.
Noun or verb?
A noun is a thing you have, watch or point at. A verb is something you do. “Bhangra dancing” repeats itself, like “chai tea” or “naan bread”.
Seven versions so far
- v1.0 Origins: spiritual dance, widely thought to be named after bhang (cannabis).
- v2.0, 1400s to 1500s: farmers dance at harvest and Vaisakhi.
- v3.0, 1947: Partition carries it into East Punjab, and it spreads through college shows.
- v4.0, 1950s and 60s: it moves to the stage, with competitions and new moves.
- v5.0, 1970s and 80s: UK bands blend it with Western instruments.
- v6.0, 1990s on: it fuses with hip hop, house and reggae and goes international.
- v7.0, today: fitness classes and social media.
Each generation changed it to suit its time and place, which is why the word means different things to different people.
Why do many people think it is a noun?
- Anglicisation: made to fit English language and ways of thinking.
- Colonialisation: one culture’s framing laid over another’s.
- Nominalisation: an action turned into the name of a thing.
Sources and further reading
- Britannica: Bhangra: bhangra as folk dance and music of the Punjab, associated with the Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) harvest festival, the dhol, and later spread to Britain.
- Wikipedia: Bhangra (dance): the history after 1947, college shows, 1950s stage development, related dances, and scholarly disagreement about origins.
- Wikipedia: Punjabi dance: the family of Punjabi folk dances such as giddha, luddi, jhumar and sammi.
- Britannica: History of Punjab: the British province of Punjab being split between India and Pakistan in 1947.
Evidence notes: Scholars disagree about where and when bhangra began and about where the word comes from. The 'named after bhang' idea and the 1400s to 1500s dating are popular accounts that the sources checked do not confirm, so treat them with care, as the lesson says. The 'seven versions' timeline and the noun-or-verb idea are Pungra's way of summarising and explaining a long, contested history. Last checked 7 November 2026. Links open in a new tab, and some sites may ask you to accept cookies or sign in.