MUSIC & DANCE OF RAJASTHAN State: Rajasthan Popular Music: Maand accompanied by dholaks, chang or manjeera. Popular Dances: Ghoomer, Gair, Kucchi Ghodi Tribal Dances: Walar, Gowri

Folk Dance - Rajasthan

Arts And Crafts

Festive Celebrations

Symphony In The Air - Music of Rajasthan

The lucidity of its daily life, the legends of its heroism and romance are all captured in the vibrant and evocative music of this desert land. There is a luster and medley in Rajasthani music which comes from a tradition that is old and tranquil, and from a culture that has imbibed the best from its neighboring states of Sindh, Gujrat, Haryana and Punjab. The music engenders both a spirit of identity and provides entertainment as relief from the daily grind of wrenching a living from the inhospitable land. The numerous songs sung by the women reflect the various feminine moods and strong family ties that govern their lives. It's a fun to hear songs which envelope the whole family, comparing every member to the multiple ornaments worn by women. The resonate singing of Rajasthani folk culture is accompanied by music from simple instruments like the Baara and algoza, that usually give a beat or a drone to offset the poetry.

The Euphony of Rajasthani Music

Enjoy listening to the famous music of Rajasthan, that depicts the hard life of the desert dwellers. Music is the means they seek to make life more pleasant, by developing their artistic talents. When in Rajasthan, you will find many traditional communities who are professional performers and their skills are handed down from generation to generation. Plan your trip during any festive season, which bring even a greater riot of color and music. Women in swirling bright skirts, literally covered from head to toe in bangles sing melodious offbeats, playing alluringly with every note of the octave; men with brilliant red turbans, like full-blown roses in a desert, escort them amidst the deep troughs of the rhythm with their euphonic musical instruments. Folk songs are commonly ballads, which relate heroic deeds or love stories and are often followed by percussion instruments like dholaks, chang or manjeera. While wandering across the streets of Rajasthan, you may see a bright red turban on a heat-beaten face, wearing a white dhoti and a white shirt, with a bow in hand moving gracefully over the strings of sarangi; a placard of the Rajasthani musician which evokes the melodious and plentive music of Rajasthan in one's mind. Do you know that bowing of this discreet instrument is a skillful exercise, often supported by the sound of the ghungroos that are tied to the bow to make the beat prominent.

Most of these famous musical communities have a rustic base and function as meandering minstrels travelling from village to village. State and royal patronage elevated some of these musicians into Kalawants in the royal courts. Their music has acquired a sophistication that is absent in the rustic tones of the others. Put your ears on the famous Maand of Rajasthan, which is a unique style of singing and a core melody, is their creation. True to its desert ambiance, the Maand speaks of love, separation, chivalry and revelry. No doubt the Maand will leave an imperishable impression on the sands of your mind.

Dance With The Rhythm of Rajasthan

Fire Dance - Rajasthan

Folk Dance in Rajasthan is a multimedia canvas which portrays human emotion better than anything else and it is found in almost limitless variations. In some dance performances, whole communities participate; others are enacted only by men or by women. There is also the tradition of itinerant performers who interpretes popular or religious myths and legends, through extravagant dance and drama. Take a tour of Rajasthan to experience the famous Ghoomar, Rajasthan's popular folk dance gets its name from ghoomna, the pirouetting which displays the spectacular colors of the flowing ghaghra, the long skirt of the Rajasthani women. Moving round, sometime anti-clock-wise and sometime clockwise, also whirling at times individually, they unite hands, and with measured steps and various balletic gestures of body, beating palms or snapping fingers at particular rhythms, they move in a circle with the resonance of a kettledrum. With the rising tempo of the drum and the accompanying high pitched music towards the climax, participants separate themselves into pairs and swirl swiftly about their own axis; an indeed mesmerizing dance forms which will leave you spell bound.

You cannot just imagine sitting at your home what Rajasthan has to offer, clandestine moments of enjoyment are everywhere in the sleeves. The must visit destination volunteers a must see scintilla of dance, the Terahtali, a tantalising dance performed by women while sitting. The women hace manjeeras (little brass discs) tied with long strings to their wrists, elbows, waists, arms and a pair in their palms as well. For added effect they may hold a sword between their teeth or balance pots or lighted lamps on their heads.

The Traditonal Heritage

Take a Musical tour to enjoy the famous folk music and dances of Rajasthan. The State Government has provided patronage and opportunities for self-employment for folk artists by organizing fairs, festivals and cultural programmes. It has also aroused and directed the interest of the local people towards the rich cultural heritage that is reflected by the famous music and dance of Rajasthan. Hundreds of festivals like the Holi, camel festival, desert festival and others, display thousands of dance prodigies where artists from all over the state takes every visitor to a higher level of euphoria, as they climb newer summits of excellence.