Aspirant Academy

History

Key Points at a Glance

Folk Music, Folk Dances, Folk Stories, Folk Lores

Paper I · Unit 1 Section 1 of 15 0 PYQs 48 min
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Key Points at a Glance

  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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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