RAS question
The 'Ghoomar' dance of Rajasthan is traditionally associated with which community?
Correct answer: (C) Bhil tribe.
Ghoomar is traditionally associated with the Bhil tribe of Rajasthan, before being embraced by other Rajasthani communities.
Explanation
Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan, and the official Rajasthan Tourism programme note traces it to the Bhil tribe. The Bhils performed it to worship Goddess Sarasvati, after which the dance was embraced by other Rajasthani communities. This makes the Bhil tribe the best answer when the question asks for the traditional association, rather than the community that later popularised or adopted it. Rajasthan Tourism also explains the visual clue behind the name: ghoomna refers to the dancers' twirling movement, and Ghoomar typically features veiled women in flowing ghaghara moving in and out of a wide circle.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Meena tribe is not supported by the official note for Ghoomar's traditional association; Rajasthan Tourism specifically links the dance to the Bhil tribe.
- (B) Rajput women are a tempting association because Ghoomar was later embraced by other Rajasthani communities, but the traditional origin is Bhil.
- (D) Kalbeliya is a separate Rajasthan folk community associated with snake charming and serpent-like dance movements, not the traditional origin of Ghoomar.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan folk-dance attribution, where RAS often distinguishes a dance's community origin from its later courtly or wider social practice. Ghoomar recurs because it is a high-visibility Rajasthan culture marker and is easily confused with Kalbeliya or Rajput performance traditions.