Folk Dances of Rajasthan

Rajasthan has 27 documented classical and folk dance forms. The following are examined by RPSC with the greatest frequency.

Ghoomar

Ghoomar is Rajasthan's state folk dance, performed by women in groups on auspicious occasions — festivals, weddings, and religious ceremonies. The defining movement is the ghumna: a full-body pirouette in which the dancer's odhni (dupatta) fans out in a circle. Ghoomar originated among the Bhil community but spread across all castes and became the pan-Rajasthan celebratory dance.

Features:

• Performed in a circle formation (ghumra), with dancers moving clockwise then counter-clockwise
• Costume: long flared ghagra (skirt, typically tie-dye/bandhani) + kanchali (blouse) + odhni (dupatta)
• Musical accompaniment: Dhol, Shehnai, harmonium, and women's chorus singing Ghoomar geet
• Duration: Traditional performances last several hours; competitive/festival versions are 10–15 minutes

The Rajasthan government in 2023 officially designated Ghoomar as the State Dance, entitling it to institutional promotion and funding through the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi. The Rajasthan Ghoomar Festival 2025 (see Current Affairs section) marked the largest government-organised folk dance event in Rajasthan's history.

Kalbelia

Kalbelia is performed exclusively by women of the Kalbelia (Sapera) community — hereditary snake-charmers of Rajasthan, distributed primarily in Pali, Ajmer, Chittorgarh, and Sawai Madhopur districts. The dance mimics the sinuous movement of a snake.

UNESCO inscription: 2010, Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — the second Rajasthani tradition inscribed after the Devnarayan Phad (2013).

Kalbelia features:

• Costume: Black skirt and blouse with heavy silver embroidery and mirror work (representing snake skin)
• Acrobatic floor-level spins; backbends and body undulations imitating cobra movement
• Accompanied by the Been (Pungi/Bin — the traditional snake-charmer's double-reed wind instrument) and Dholak
• Male community members play the musical instruments while women dance

Noted Kalbelia artists:

• Gulabo Sapera: Padma Shri 2016; credited with taking Kalbelia from roadside performance to concert halls; performed at Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), Sadler's Wells (London), and 45+ countries

Gair

Gair is a group circle dance performed by men of the Bhil community (Banswara, Dungarpur, Barmer) during the Holi festival. Performers carry decorated staves (gairiya) and perform in widening and contracting circles, striking staves rhythmically against each other.

Two distinct forms exist:

• Bhil Gair (Banswara-Dungarpur): More tribal, with ankle bells; performed exclusively during Holi for 3–5 days; the dance circle can include 200–300 participants
• Marwar Gair (Barmer-Jaisalmer): Adapted by non-tribal communities; women participate in a separate concentric inner circle; performed also at fairs and folk festivals

Bhavai

Bhavai is an acrobatic balance dance performed by women of the Bhavai (Jogi) community of the Udaipur and Dungarpur region. The dancer balances an increasing number of brass or clay pots (up to 8–10) on her head while dancing on the edge of a metal plate, walking on glass shards, or manipulating swords — all simultaneously.

Bhavai is categorised as both a folk dance and a street performance art. It demonstrates extraordinary proprioceptive control — top Bhavai artists train for 5–8 years to achieve the balance required. The tradition faces near-extinction pressures as younger community members migrate to cities; fewer than 50 active Bhavai performers remained in Rajasthan as of 2023.

Terahtali

Terahtali is performed exclusively by women of the Kamad community of Nagaur and Pali districts. The performer sits cross-legged and ties 13 manjiras (brass cymbals) to her body: 9 on the right knee, 2 on the left knee, and 1 on each wrist. While singing devotional songs of Ramdevji Baba, she strikes the manjiras against each other in complex rhythmic patterns using her hands and wrists.

The performance is also offered as a devotional vow (mannat) at Ramdev temples across Rajasthan. Terahtali has a strong association with Runicha Mela (Jaisalmer, Bhadra Shuddha Dwitiya), where Kamad women perform continuously through 5-day festivals before the Ramdevji temple.

Chari Dance

Specific to the Gujjar community of Kishangarh (Ajmer district), Chari dance depicts women's daily practice of fetching water. Performers balance chaari (clay water pots with lit cotton-dipped-in-oil wicks) on their heads while dancing — first with one pot, then adding pots until a tower of 5–7 lit pots is balanced. The dance is performed at weddings, festivals, and competitive folk-art events.

Fire Dance

Fire Dance (also called Agni Nritya) is a ritual performance by the Jasnathi Siddha community of Bikaner, performed at the Katariyasar and Panchala villages during the annual Jasnath fair. Performers — trained Siddhas — walk, roll, and perform acrobatics on a bed of live coals (dhuni) while in a trance state. The ritual is simultaneously a devotional offering, a display of spiritual power, and a community-affirming performance.

The Jasnath sect was founded by Jesnath Ji (1482–1527 CE, born Katariyasar, Bikaner) — a saint in the Nath tradition. His followers number approximately 1.2 lakh in Bikaner and Nagaur districts.

Kathputli

Kathputli is Rajasthan's traditional string puppet theatre, operated by the Bhat community (Nat community). The puppets are carved from mango or kadamba wood and dressed in miniature versions of traditional Rajasthani costumes. Kathputli performances traditionally narrated stories of Amar Singh Rathore, Prithviraj Chauhan, and other Rajput heroes; contemporary performances include folk tales and social messaging.

Rajasthan is India's primary Kathputli production centre. Kathputli Colony, Jaipur (near Amba Bari) was the world's largest concentration of Kathputli artists (2,000+ families) until urban redevelopment in 2017 relocated most performers. The colony's displacement generated national controversy and Supreme Court litigation (2015–2021).

Additional Dance Forms (Summary)

Dance	Community	Region	Occasion
Chakri	Kanjar women	Hadoti (Kota-Bundi)	Fairs and festivals
Jhuma	Bhil women	Banswara-Dungarpur	Tribal festivals
Walar	Garasia community	Sirohi-Abu	Holi, tribal fairs
Drum dance (Chang)	Mixed community	Shekhawati (Jhunjhunu-Sikar)	Holi season
Dholna	Women (rural Rajasthan)	Jaipur-Tonk	Weddings
Neja dance	All communities	Bikaner-Churu	Holi (Neja festival)
Dandia/Garba	Women of Gujarat-border	Pali-Jalore	Navratri

Source: Rajasthan State Gazetteer, Folk Arts Volume; Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi, 2022

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