“Folk music and Folk dances are the embodiment of Rajasthan’s culture”. How ?
“लोकगीत और लोकनृत्य राजस्थान की संस्कृति को मूर्त रूप देते है” कैसे?
In whole India, Rajasthan is the name for rich diverse culture and tradition. The liveliness of Rajasthani traditions and culture reflects through Folk music and dance. For Rajasthanis, music and dance are the life and they habituated them as their part of life.
Traditional Folk Dance Forms of Rajasthan
1. Ghoomar
Ghoomar, a very popular dance form of Rajasthan which is inhabited from ancient days. During the times of Kings, this dance form was performed to entertain the kings. Women in colorful attires and the dance moves by swaying & clapping the hands and twirling in rounds looks very attractive and interesting to see. Now, this dance form is very famous throughout the nation and the world.
2. Bhavai Dance
Bhavai is a skillful and wonderful dance performance by the women balancing 6 to 7 brass or earthen pots on the head. To perform this traditional dance form needs great effort and hard work. Apart from balancing the pots, they will dance by placing their feet on a plate or on the edge of a weapon. Just think, balancing the pots and dancing within a plate, it’s really mind-blowing dance performance.
3. Kalbelia
Kalbelia dance form popularly known as “Sapera Dance” or “Snake Charmer Dance” and also recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is a tribal community dance form by the tribes known as “Kalbelia”. Kalbelia is such a beautiful dance form women in variant colorful clothes forming curly and round line segments resembling a snake. And the background music to the dance performance is another great thing to experience.
4. Chari or Pot Dance
Chari is a traditional dance form by the Kishangarh and Saini communities which is followed during some special occasions like festivals. Women perform this dance form with a brass pot on head and a lighted lamp in it. They balance the pot skillfully by dancing and making different patterns around the floor with ease.
5. Dandiya
Dandiya, a colorful dance play by both men and women in Rajasthan. It is a very popular and simple dance play along with folk music by circling in rounds and playing with the sticks known as Dandiya sticks. Men and women dancing rhythmically according to the beats of music in vivid clothes looks very colorful and impressive. This dance form mostly performed during festival and marriages.
6. Kachhi Ghodi
Kachhi Ghodi is a famous dance form by the men representing the stories of Bandits of Shekhawati region. During this dance form, men wear different traditional attires like dhoti, turbans, and kurtas and they perform the dance by riding on puppet horses. The dance form runs with the background songs related to Bandits and mock fights with swords.
7.Terah Taal
Terah Taal is the most ancient art of Rajasthan which is very important and skilled dance form. The main part of this dance form is thirteen Manjeeras means small brass discs. These thirteen brass discs will be attached to the different parts of the body.
When the dancer moves these discs makes rhythmical sounds. Along with these, dancer balances a sword in their mouth and pots on the head. That’s why this dance form will be performed by the skilled dancers only. The dance will begin with the women on the floor attached to the manjeeras. Kamada tribes perform this dance form.
8. Gair
Gair is another famous folk dance form by the Bhil community and this dance performance mostly taken place during the festivals like Holi and Janmashtami. Both men and women perform this dance form in colorful traditional attires. Men attires look attractive in long skirts and also they handle sticks for rhythmic beats. The dance formations in clockwise and anti-clockwise moves according to the music beats attracts everyone.
9. Fire dance
Fire dance is a dangerous and difficult folk dance form which is mostly habituated in desert areas. This dance form explains the lifestyle of Jasnathis of Churu and Bikaner.
During this dance form, a large bed of wood and charcoal will light up and men of Banjara community performs different dangerous stunts on this fire according to the drum beats.
10.Kathputli
Kathputli is a famous puppet dance show which is coming from centuries back. Through this Kathputli puppet dance show, they will narrate different mythological and tribal stories of the past. This puppet show showcases rich culture and traditional values of ancient days. In Rajasthan, for this puppetry dance form has great significance.
11. Pabuji Ki Phach
Pabuji Ki Phach, a popular Folk music style in memory of great folk hero Pabuji in the 14th century who did a lot to the Bhopa community. Through this music form, they will describe the historic deeds of Pabuji.
12. Maand
Maand is one of the most popular music styles in Rajasthan. This music form is known for the classical touch of different ragas in India and describing the greatness of folk heroes and kings of the past times of Rajasthan through the music.
13.Panihari
Panihari is a different music form came from distress and difficulty to find water in the desert areas. This folk music was composed by Rajasthani women by describing the rushing rivers and waves in their songs. The songs of this music form praise for water and rains.
Music of Rajasthan originates from Rajasthan, one of the states of India and home to several important centers of Indian musical development, including Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur. The region's music shares similarities both with nearby areas of India and the other side of the border, in the Pakistani province of Sindh.A classic example of Rajasthani Folk music is 'Dholi taaro' song from Bollywood classic Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam.
Overview
Rajasthan has a diverse collection of musician castes, including langas, sapera, bhopa, jogi and Manganiar. There are two traditional classes of musicians: the Langas, who stuck mostly exclusively to Muslim audiences and styles, and the Manganiars, who had a more liberal approach.
Traditional music includes the women's Panihari songs, which lyrically describes chores, especially centered on water and wells, both of which are an integral part of Rajasthan's desert culture. Other songs, played by various castes, normally begin with the alap, which sets the tune and is followed by a recital of a couplet (dooba). Epic ballads tell of heroes like Devnarayan Bhagwan, Gogaji, Ramdeoji, Pabuji and Tejaji. The celebration of changing seasons is also very central to folk music of Rajasthan. Celebration of the coming of the Monsoons or the harvest season are central to most traditional folk songs. Songs also revolve around daily activities of the local people for instance a song about not sowing Jeera (Cumin) as it is difficult to tend. Or for instance another song about Podina (Mint) and how it is liked by various members of the family (an allegorical reference to a local liquor extracted from mint is also made). Every day common themes are the center of traditional rajasthani folk music.
One of the most famous Rajasthani Maand singers is Allah Jilai Bai of the Bikaner Gharana.