Fascinating Rajasthan Dances

An exposition of stillness of the desert evening and the upsurge of life in the short-lived rainy season or spring are filled with rhythmic dance found in almost limitless variations in Rajasthan।

The people of Rajasthan know the real art of living life to the fullest with total enjoyment in spite of hard weather conditions and rough terrain. The Fascinating Rajasthan Dances reflect the culture, geography, customs and nature of the people of Rajasthan. Each region of Rajasthan has its own folk dance forms. The Fascinating Rajasthan Dances are vibrant and dynamic with graceful body movement. The colorful costumes of the dances combined with lively folk music transform the harsh barren land into a myriad hues of color.

Following are the various forms of Fascinating Rajasthan Dances:

Bhavai is one of the most dramatic dance forms of Rajasthan. The veiled women dancers balances up to seven or nine brass pitchers over their head as they dance elegantly, swiveling and swaying with the soles of their feet settled on the top of a glass or on the edge of the sword.

Chari is a dance form with effortless hand and foot movements while balancing brass pots kept on the heads of the dancers. Often the dancers keep ignited cottonseed on the brass pot to provide a special effect to the dance.

Gair is performed both by men and women. The men wear long, pleated tunic that open out into full-length skirts. The dancers move is first in clockwise then anti clockwise directions beating their sticks to create the rhythm when they turn. This dance has originated from a Bhill dance and is performed at the time of Holi. There are two versions of this dance, one is the Dandi Gair of the Marwar region and the other is the Geendad of the Shekhawati region.

Ghoomar is a community dance of the Rajputs performed by the women of the house. The dance comprises of simple swaying movements with remarkable grace provided by the flair of the skirt when the women move in circles. A veil covers the faces of the dancers. Both young and old women participate in Ghoomar dance, which continues for hours into the night. According to a traditional rituals, a bride is expected to dance Ghoomar on being welcomed to her husband's home.

Kachhi Ghodi has originated in the Shekhawati region. It is performed for the entertainment of the bridegroom's party. Dancers wear elaborate costumes giving the effect as if riding on dummy horse. The dance has mock fights, swinging of swords and elegant body movement to the music of flutes and drums.

Kalbeliya is one of the sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan. It is performed by the Kalbeliyas, the snake charmers community. The dancers wear long, black skirt decorated with sliver ribbons. They spin in circles with great flexibility and the pace increases with the increase in beats.

Terahtaali a devotional dance form performed by the Kamad community in honor of their folk hero Baba Ramdev. The women sit on the floor before his image. Thirteen cymbals are tied to various parts of their body, which they strike with the ones they hold in their hand. Their hands perform various dance movements while striking the cymbals. They sometimes also balance pots on their hands and hold a sword in their mouth.