Music and Dance of Rajasthan

Melodious Folk Music And Sparkling Dances Of Rajasthan Have Always Captivated People. They Have Even Found Their Way Into And Influenced Hindi Film Music. Ghoomar, Bhavai, Gair And Sapera Are Famous Dances While Instruments Like Manjeera & Nad Are Rajasthan's Contribution To India's Music Landscape.

Vibrant Rajasthan is best discovered through its music and dance. Under the patronage of the royals, both dance and music have flourished in Rajasthan. There are a wide range of instruments that form a musician's repertoire in the country-side. Dances of Rajasthan with the women performers in their swirling skirts and male performers in their colourful turbans & costumes, are an absolutely spellbinding sight. The mesmerizing melody and beats will get you also foot taping in absolutely no time at all.

Sarangi is a string instrument; Shehnai is the very well known wind instrument, it is used in India during weddings and other joyous occasions; Manjeera has a cymbal like sound; Khartal and Dhol are beat instruments that provide the thump. The folk songs narrate the rich royal history and stories of the valiant warriors of this land, as well as describe the beauty of the desert. There are ballads that sing of stories from Mahabharata and Ramayana, apart from singing in the praise of various saints.

Most of the communities that perform the music and dance of Rajasthan are Wandering Minstrels and live in the rural areas. Some of these communities are Dholies, subdivided into Mirasis, Dhadhies, Manganiyarv and Langas as each has a distinct style; Jogis, known for recitation of the ballad Nihalde Sultan, Shivji-ka-byawala and songs about Gopi Chand and Bhartrihari; and Chipas or Joshis who are famous phad painters. Phad is an elaborately painted work of art; the stories told in Phad also find their way into the music of Rajasthan.

The royals elevated the musicians, giving them the title of Kalawants. The Kalawants have created Maand, a sophisticated style of singing. Chairawi, Kuchamani Khyals and Maach of Chittaurgarh, Tamayha of Jaipur and Rammat of Bikaner are all forms of folk opera.

Ghoomar is a dance performed by the women of Rajasthan. Traditionally, the dance is performed by the women of a family, only before their own family members. Gair, Sapera (with snake like movements) and Bhavai are the other dance forms. In Bhavai, veiled women dancers perform with brass pitchers over their head while standing gracefully on the edge of glass or open sword. In another dance form, Fire dancers dance on a bed of flaming coals.

Personal adornment goes as a part of the territory with performing arts. It is de rigueur for women to wear heavily embroidered long flowing skirt with a multi-coloured dupatta and beautiful necklace and bangles. Men wear frilled and embroidered kurtas or jackets and may also wear royal sherwanis in Rajasthan festivals.

Watching at least one performance of Rajasthan music and dance is a must for people visiting this State, to get the real experience of Rajasthan.