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An
exposition of stillness of the desert evening and the upsurge of life in
the short-lived rainy season or spring are filled with rhythmic dance
found in almost limitless variations in Rajasthan. The colourful people of
Rajasthan live life to the hilt. After hard work in the unrelenting, harsh
desert sun and the rocky terrain, they seek a respite from their
exhausting work by letting themselves enthrall in gay abandon. Their
evocative and soulful music provides the perfect accompaniment to their
vigorous and unsophisticated dancing.
Simple, spontaneous, dancing is seen in their fairs and festival in the ‘kudakna’
of the ‘meena’ boys, the dancing, which goes with the ‘rasiya’
songs of ‘Braj’, and the dancing by women and men where the
women carry a pot or a lighted lamp on their head. In the ‘charkula’
dance of ‘Braj’, an elaborate lampstand replaces the single
lamp. THE POPULAR DANCE FORMS
GHOOMAR
This is basically a community dance for women and performed on auspicious
occasions. The famous ‘ghoomar’, Rajasthan’s popular dance
gets its name from ‘ghoomna’, the graceful gyrating, which
displays the spectacular colours of the flowing ‘ghaghra’, the
long skirt of the Rajasthani women.
GAIR
The ‘gair’ of Mewar has inner and outer circles of dancers who
move diagonally or loop in and out. It is intricate and fascinating. The ‘gair’
of Jodhpur is performed in a single file and
martial costumes are worn for effect. The ‘geendad’ of
Shekhawati is similar. Sticks or swords are often used in male dances, and
the Shekhawati dance has the ‘daf’ accompanying it.
THE KUCCHI GHODI
Free dancing full of zest, with rows of dancers waving colourful pennants
makes the Bam Rasiya of the Braj region spectacular. It is performed at
Holi. The ‘Kucchhi Ghodi’ or dummy horse dance is performed on
festive occasions, by men who are as colourfully attired, as are their
horses.
TERAHTALI
The ‘terahtali’ is a fascinating dance performed by women,
while sitting. The women have ‘manjeeras’ (little brass discs)
tied with long strings to their wrists, elbows, waists, arms and a pair in
their hands as well. Their male accompanists sing and play the ‘tandoora’
while the women, with dexterous and fine movements, create a strong rhythm
with the ‘manjeeras’. For added effect, they may hold a sword
between their teeth or balance pots or lighted lamps on their heads.
KALBELIA
The dance of the kalbelia women is vigorous and graceful.
THE FIRE DANCE
An authentic fire dance is performed by the ‘jasnathis’ of
Bikaner and Churu
districts. The accompanying music rises in tempo as the dance progresses,
ending with the performer dancing on brightly glowing embers, which is a
breathtaking and deeply impressive sight.
DRUM DANCE
This is a professional dance-form from Jalore.
Five men with huge drums around their necks, some with huge cymbals
accompany a dancer who holds naked sword in his mouth and performs
vigorously by twirling three painted sticks.
THE DANCING TRIBALS
Music and dance are such an essential part of tribal life that
professional musicians and dancers are profuse. The ‘garasia’
tribals inhabit the Abu Road and Pindwara tehsils of Sirohi district and
the neighbouring territories of Kotra, Gogunda and Kherwara tehsils of
Udaipur district; Bali and Desuri of Pali
district. They have folklore enriched with folktales, proverbs, riddles
and folk music.
WALAR
Walar is an important dance of the ‘garasias’ which is a
prototype of the ‘ghoomar’ dance. The beats of the ‘mandal’,
‘chang’ and a variety of other instruments, which provide a
lively rhythm to their dance sequences, generally accompany their dances.
GOWRI
The most famous ‘bhil’ dance is the ‘gowari’, a dance
drama. Troupes of these dancers go from village to village for a month,
during which the nine functionaries follow a strict regimen. The main
characters are Rai Buriya Shiva, his two ‘Rais’, and ‘Katkuria’,
the comic handyman. Between the enactment of various episodes, the entire
troupe dances around a central spot consecrated to a deity. A ‘madal’
and a ‘thali’ accompany the dance.
The ghoomar is the characteristic dance of ‘bhils’. Men and
women sing alternately and move clockwise & anti-clockwise giving free
and intended play to the ample folds of the ‘ghagra’.
The music of the primitive group of ‘sahariyas’ (Sourias) of
Shahbad, Kota, shows Central Indian links, with their songs speaking of
Ram and Sita. The fairs of the ‘Meenas’ had a lot of free
dancing, which is unfortunately on the decline.
Vibrant, zealous, graceful, serpentine, lugubrious and martial, the dance
and music of Rajasthan evoke the desert in all its moods. It is the most
lilting tribute to the spectacular beauty, the pulsating sinuousness and
the brutal harshness of the landscape, and to the hardiness and heroism of
the people who live in this 'Land of the Kings'.