The Folk Culture of Rajasthan ...

Rajasthan is known for its rich traditional history its cultural uniqueness and for its folklore. We experienced it all first hand, but the most spectacular of this all, is in Jaisalmer, we had just witnessed the best sunset of our lifes amidst the dunes, and had just ridden a camel on the sands. The beauty of it all capturing our mind heart and soul, after this what were we to expect , a lovely evening with the Rajasthani folk music and dance performers. We not only sat back and saw this awesome performance, we decided to even join in on the fun, with our own down south special "tappanguth" done along with the spectacular beating of the drums. The male performers were full of energy, cracking jokes, telling stories, performing music, all at once. The female performers were elegant and so graceful were their moves, especially as it got accentuated by their bright and colourful attire.

Speaking of which, let me just tell you a little about Rajasthani folk dances. There are many folk dances in Rajasthan , "Gowari Dance" is a dance drama done mostly by the "Bhil" tribe, they usually perform around a central point which is of a deity, and then a "Madal" and "Thali" is always there while performing. The performing troupe usually travels from village to village doing performances. Then there is the "Ghoomer Dance" which is probably the most well known and famous dance form of Rajasthan, it is a comunity dance done mostly during festivities and fairs.

Then there is the "Chari dance" - if you have ever wondered why they do these dance moves along with brass pots on their heads, is it only to display their balancing skills ? no it is done to rejoice the fact that they found water, the women of Rajasthan had to walk miles just to find a pot of water, and when they did find it they would dance with these pots on their heads and add graceful hand movements along with this.

The other dance forms are " Kalbeliya dance", "Gair Dance" and "Bhawai Dance".

If you are planning a trip to Rajasthan do not miss the dunes in Jaisalmer and do not miss the dance and music performance in the desert under the stars.

Parinitha Konanur