The beautiful land of Punjab possesses a captivating charm that is accentuated by the state’s exotic and diverse folk dances. Sammi is one such exquisite folk dance that originated from Pakistan’s Sandal Bar region and is shrouded in ancient Indian mythology.

Sammi is primarily performed by the charming and attractive Punjabi women who dress up vibrant kurtas with billowing lehengas and embellish their hair that is fully braided into thin plaits with a hair piece, the phul-chowk, typically associated with this dance.

There are several conjectures and surmises regarding the origin of the Sammi dance form. Legend has it that the fairies that frequented the court of the Lord of the Gods, Indra taught the Punjabi lasses the intricacies of the Sammi. The dance was supposedly named after one such angelic fairy, Sammi.

This dance is performed among the privacy of women. It is currently not very popular and is confined to the villages of Punjab. The women folk of the villages that are populated by the Baazigars, Rai Sikhs, Lobanas and Sansi tribes also perform this exquisite dance.

This energetic dance is performed by women who make brisk, swift movements as they sway to the lilting music. They dancers move in sync and form a closed circle where they vigorously swing their hands and clap to keep the beat. A unique feature of this dance is that it requires no additional percussion instruments to create a resonating effect.

Sammi is an enchanting Punjabi folk dance whose colorfully bedecked dancers with controlled grace even mesmerize the intoxicated Gods and Goddesses.