Mithila Region in Janakpur is the homeland of a number of folk dances in Nepal. Besides the classical standard, It was here the classical music and the folk dances blended together in perfect harmony. In the earlier days, Mithila females were forbidden to take part in form of dancing activities. As women, all over Nepal, but mostly in cities started understanding their fundamental rights Mithila ones too made their presence felt musical field. They singing and dancing in public is quite a common scene these days. There are some folk dances in which only the female dancers take interest. They never learn these dances in any school or any dancing institutes. These dances are handed down through generation to generation. The young girls learn dances from their elders and colleagues. The girls from the traditional community are often seen in the purdah ( the veil), but the educated girls are discarding this tradition. They dance skillfully and gracefully. By and large, there are five female folk dances that are still frequent in the Mithila region. They are Nayana Yogin, Ghaskatti, Jat-jatin, Sama Chakewa and Jhijhiya. Male dancers are not allowed to take part in these dances.

Nayana Yogin

This folk dance is performed on the happy occasion of the wedding ceremony in the Mithila region. In this dance, the married being well-dressed is brought to tastefully and beautifully decorated room which is called a honeymoon room. This room s also called Khobar in the logical language. Various sketches of Nayana Yogin are drawn on the four walls of the well-decorated room. They crack jokes among themselves and enjoy dancing. The married boys are asked to recognize their brides, as many girls are presents there. Sometimes the make a mistake while recognizing their own wives, So, it triggers fun. They laugh at mistakes. This funny and fantastic female dance is performed in the four walls of the house as the main source of entertainment. All the family members enjoy this dance. Romance is the basic theme of this dance.

Ghaskatti

This folk dance is also performed on the auspicious occasion of the wedding ceremony. This is performed on the first night of the wedding ceremony. The intimate friends take the bride and the bridegroom to the nearby grass field for recreation. They all carry burning lamps in pitchers on their heads and dance delightfully. The newly married girls and boys are requested to cut green grass. They dance keeping themselves in the circle. The girls keep the burden of green grass on the heads of newly married girls, but they refuse to carry it. They carry pitchers full of burning lamps back home singing and dancing all the way. The boys carry the burden of grass. This folk dance also teaches a good moral to the male member of Mithila. They take part in it, but they seldom dance. This dramatic performance is done mainly by the women folk. It is ritualistic in character and is performed in the courtyards of the bride’s house.

Jat-Jatin

This folk dance is performed in the rainy season. It is both a dual and group dance, in which two main dancers lead. Dialogue is also dramatized while dancing. This is also a chorus song that goes between the Jat (the male) and the Jatin ( the female). The lovely ladies of the village dance around under the starry sky. If there is no rain in the rainy season for rice plantation, then the girls sing and dance to pray to rain God, Indra. The Mithila region is mainly agricultural and sometimes there is a drought. So, the farmers of this region are not certain of their cultivation. That’s why the ladies sing and dance Jat-Jatin for asking for significant rain. This dance is performed in the courtyard of the house, in which the male members of the family are not allowed. The women dress up as men and perform their respective roles. In the words of Radha Krishna Chaudhary, the Jat-Jatin dance is a verified performance in which only young girls participate in the month of Aswin-Kartika.

Sama Chakewa

This female folk dance is also a dual dance in which the married and unmarried girls of the village take part. This dance is performed for the whole fortnight. It starts on the first fasting day on the auspicious occasion of the greatest festival of Chhatha. It ends on the full moon night of Kartik. This is also observed as a full moon festival in the Terai. The main theme of the dance is the expression of the sister’s love for their brothers. A symbolic dance is performed between brothers and sisters. The girls of the village assemble in an open field under the milky-moon. They may assemble in a barn and sing in groups and dance to folk songs. They dance in a group and express their thoughts and sentiments. This dance has a religious flavor to it. It is related to Lord Krishna, his son and daughter. The weather is very pleasant as it is performed on the advent of autumn. Radha Krishna Chaudhary opines that Sama Chakewa is an important folk dance of Mithila and its origin is traced back to the Skanda Purana and Padmapurana.

Jhijhiya

The folk dance is devoted and dedicated to Durga Bhavani, Mother goddess of Nepal Terai. This is performed on the auspicious occasion of Dashain and Dashhara. The main objective of this dance is to ward off evil spirit from the community. The girls of the village take part in this dance enthusiastically. All the actors of this dance are girls and young women of the community.