Which dance of Mizoram, known as the 'dance of the guests', is traditionally performed by the guests at a community feast?

The correct answer is Khuallam. Khuallam, which means "the dance of the guests", is a traditional dance of Mizoram. It is performed by guests who are invited to attend the Khuangchawi, a grand ceremony or feast held by a wealthy or important person in a Mizo village to celebrate his success and to earn honour and status in the community.

The Khuangchawi was a costly ceremony, and only a few people in a village could afford to hold one. The host invited friends and relatives from neighbouring villages, and as these guests entered the village, they performed the Khuallam dance. The dancers wear the puandum, a traditional Mizo cloth with distinctive black, red and green stripes, draped over their shoulders, and they dance to the beat of gongs and drums, without songs. The movements are graceful and dignified, with the dancers spreading their arms and moving the cloths in time with the rhythm. Today, Khuallam is performed at festivals, especially the Mim Kut and Chapchar Kut festivals, and at cultural events across Mizoram.

About the other options:

• Cheraw is the bamboo dance of Mizoram, in which women dance between bamboo staves that are tapped together by men.
• Chheih Lam is a dance of joy, performed by men and women squatting in a circle, clapping and singing, often in the evening after a day's work or at celebrations.
• Chai is a group dance performed during the Chapchar Kut festival, in which men and women stand in a circle with their arms linked.
• These are all Mizo dances, but only Khuallam is the dance of the guests.

Mizoram has three main festivals, called kuts: Chapchar Kut (March, after clearing the jungle for jhum cultivation), Mim Kut (August and September, after the maize harvest) and Pawl Kut (December and January, after the rice harvest).