Rajasthan's
cultural tapestry takes in simple folk to highly cultivated classical
music and dance in its own distinct style.
Folk Music in Rajasthan
sung by women is mostly about water and the style is called panihari.
It depicts daily chores and is cantered around the well. In arid
area like Rajasthan water is of immense significance. Some of the
folk songs also talk about chance encounter with their lover. Some
even have snipes at the incorrigible mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
Music here, also has strong religious flavour and is sung in dedication
to various deities. Some religious songs are folk idioms of Saints,
Surdas, Kabirdas, Meerabai and others. These songs are mostly heard
in nightlong soirées.
Dances in Rajasthan
The
Thar Desert of Rajasthan comes alive when its dancers take the center
stage. Rajasthan has great variety of dances, which are simple expressions
of celebration and festivity. The dancers, the dances and costumes
have made Thar the
most colorful desert
in the world. Each region adding its own form of dance styles and
performers. There are dances that follows a lineage of age old traditions,
adhere to religious significance, display their daring attitude
as well as complimenting various fairs and festivals.
Ghoomar, a community dance for women performed on auspicious occasions.
Gair Ghoomar, Raika, Jhoria and Gauri are particularly of Bhil tribe.
Gair is performed on Holi but only by the men folk. Chari dance,
with pots on the head and a lighted lamp, is popularly performed
on marriage occasions or on the birth of a male child
