6. Folk Music, Folk Dances, Folk Stories, Folk Lores — Full Notes

CORE Key Points at a Glance

1. 1

   Kalbelia UNESCO Inscription

   • Dance of Rajasthan inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010
   • Performed exclusively by Kalbelia (snake-charmer) community women
   • No other community performs this dance
2. 2

   Ravanhatha Ancient Instrument

   • Two-stringed bowed instrument believed to be 5,000+ years old
   • Traditionally associated with Bhopa community performers reciting the Pabuji ki Phad epic
   • Uses horsehair bow and coconut shell resonator
3. 3

   Langha and Manganiar Heritage

   • Communities of western Rajasthan (primarily Barmer and Jaisalmer districts)
   • Hereditary professional musicians (baithak tradition) for over 400 years
   • Patronised by Rajput and Muslim landowners
4. 4

   Maand Classical-Folk Raga

   • Rajasthan's classical-folk raga, associated with Jaipur and Bikaner Maand singers
   • "Kesariya Balam" is the most iconic Maand composition
   • Functions as Rajasthan's informal cultural anthem
5. 5

   Ghoomar State Dance

   • Rajasthan's state folk dance, performed by women of all castes
   • Distinguished by the characteristic pirouette (ghumna) and odhni manipulation
   • Rajasthan government designated it State Dance officially in 2023
6. 6

   Panch Lok Devta Epic Traditions

   • Five Lok Devta traditions actively recited as oral epics: Pabuji, Devnarayan, Ramdevji, Gogaji, and Tejaji
   • Each has a dedicated performing community, musical instrument, and regional base
   • Represent Rajasthan-specific living oral heritage
7. 7

   Devnarayan Epic UNESCO Recognition

   • One of the world's longest oral folk epics in active performance tradition at over 1 million words
   • Performed by Bhopa-Bhopi pairs on the Jantar (Ravanhatha variant) with a painted scroll (Phad)
   • Inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013
8. 8

   Kamayacha Critical Endangerment

   • 12-stringed spike lute played exclusively by Manganiar musicians of Barmer and Jaisalmer
   • Sakar Khan Manganiar won the Padma Shri (2012) for mastery of Kamayacha
   • Fewer than 15 active master players remain as of 2025 — critically endangered
9. 9

   Chari Dance of Kishangarh

   • Performed by Gujjar community women of Kishangarh (Ajmer)
   • Dancers balance lit clay pots (chaari) on the head
   • Recognised as a GI-tagged folk tradition of Kishangarh tehsil
10. 10

    Terahtali Cymbal Dance

    • Performed exclusively by women of the Kamad community (Nagaur and Pali districts)
    • 13 brass cymbals (manjiras) tied to body — 9 on right knee, 2 on left, 1 on each hand
    • Performed while singing Ramdev devotional songs
11. 11

    Algoza Double Flute

    • Pair of flutes played simultaneously through the nose and mouth
    • Associated with Bhil and Meghwal communities of Banswara, Dungarpur, and Pratapgarh
    • Creates a continuous drone melody integral to Bhil tribal music
12. 12

    Morchang and Barmer Festival

    • Iron or bronze jaw harp used in Manganiar and Jogi music
    • Rajasthan is the primary seat of Morchang performance in India
    • Barmer Morchang Festival (annual since 2017) promotes the instrument to global audiences
13. 13

    Rajasthan Ghoomar Festival 2025

    • Held across all 7 divisional headquarters simultaneously in November 2025
    • Locations: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Ajmer, Bharatpur, Bikaner
    • Part of the state government's folk art promotion initiative