Uttar Pradesh folklore

thumb|Dr. Devendra Sharma as Sultana Daku and Palak Joshi as Phoolkunwar in Sultana Daku Nautanki is one of the most popular folk performance forms of South Asia, particularly in northern India. Before the advent of Bollywood (the Hindi film industry), Nautanki was the biggest entertainment medium in the villages and towns of northern India. Nautanki's rich musical compositions and humorous, entertaining storylines hold a strong influence over rural people's imagination. Even after the spread of mass media (such as television, DVDs, and online streaming), a crowd of 10,000 to 15,000 can be see

poetic artform in India

Kajari (Bhojpuri: 𑂍𑂔𑂩𑂲) also spelled Kajri is a traditional folk song and dance form originating from the Bhojpuri region of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India. It is a semi-classical music genre within the broader tradition of Hindustani classical music, typically performed during the monsoon season (late June to September), when the lush greenery reappears and agricultural activities resume. The term Kajari is derived from the word kaajar (or kohl), symbolizing the dark, rain-laden clouds that characterize the monsoon, often associated with beauty and longing in the songs' imagery.

Bhojpuri folklore

Saang, also known as Swang (meaning "imitation") or Svang, is a popular folk dance–theatre form and a traditional style of storytelling in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. Swang incorporates suitable theatrics and mimicry (or naqal) accompanied by song and dialogue. It is dialogue-oriented rather than movement-oriented. Religious stories and folk tales are enacted by a group of ten or twelve persons in an open area or an open-air theatre surrounded by the audience. Swang as an art of imitation means Rang-Bharna, Naqal-Karna.

Chaiti or Chaita (Bhojpuri: 𑂡𑂆𑂞𑂲) are semi-classical songs, originating from Bhojpuri region corresponding to the calendar month of Chait. These songs are rendered during the holy month of Sri Rama Navami in March/April. It falls under the light classical form of Hindustani classical music. It is a part of the rich Bhojpuri music tradition. The songs typically invoke the name of Lord Rama and celebrate the spring season.

thumb|right|250px|The Sonva Mandap in the Chunar fort, the place, where according to a popular belief, [[Alha married Sonva]] The term Alha Khand is used to refer to poetic works in Bhojpuri and Bagheli and other regional languages which consists of a number of ballads describing the brave acts of two 12th-century commanders in chief from rajput clan ( Alha and Udal ), generals working for king Paramardi-Deva (Parmal) of Mahoba (1163–1202 CE) against Prithviraj Chauhan (1166–1192 CE) of Ajmer. The works have been entirely handed down by oral tradition and presently exist in many recensions, wh