RAJASTHAN,
is one of the rich historical and cultural heritage state of India.Jaipur
the Pink city is the capital of Rajasthan state. Located in the north-west
part of India, Rajasthan shares its boarders with ,
, , , . Rajasthan
spread in the area of 3,42,274 sq km. Rajasthan having four Airports ,
, ,
RAJASTHAN has
always fascinating people from all over the world with the grandeur of its
forts, palaces And the architecture of its havelis..
The rich folk music and dances have tempted millions of tourists every year
to come to fairs and festivals in various parts of the states. The exotic is
also a treasure trove of handicrafts and a shopper's paradise.;- The
handicrafts of states mainly blue pottery. Lac bangles, stone carvings,
thewa, tie and dye and terracotta articles, are unique in many ways. In fact
Rajasthan has everything under the sun except beaches and snow-clad
mountains. On one hand, there is the vast expanses of the Thar Desert
and sand dunes in the west and on the other there are the lakes,
hills and greenery around udaipur in the south. There are renowned National
Tiger Parks at and and a National
Bird Park at Ghana, Bharatpur.
Rajasthan, a legendary land that lives up to the romance and history spelt by its name.
An uncompromising land where impregnable fortress and magnificent palaces
rise atop steep hills, and beautiful temples lie in peaceful glades. It has
an unusual diversity in all its forms-people, customs, culture, costumes,
music Manners, dialects, cuisine and physiography
The state is
permanent bastion of Indian culture and spirituality, where relic of its
golden Heritage are carefully preserved. Rajasthan, the treasure house of
history, is also known for its spell-binding scenic beauty, ranging from the
golden glow of desert landscape, To the lofty hills of Arrival's.
THE
RHYTHMS OF MUSIC AND DANCE
There
have always been several communities of entertainers in Rajasthan, and they
have served at both court and courtyard as they travelled through the state,
recounting tales of passion and valour with equal adroitness. For many of
these communities, this has been the only source of livelihood. Professional
entertainers who performed a particular type of dance, or entertainment, are
to be found in the more fertile tracts of eastern Rajasthan. These include
the Bhopas(who sing of Pabuji, accompanied by their phad paintaings),
Kalbeliya dancers with their rhythmic snake dances, the Kachhi Ghodi
dancers, and the puppeteers.
Traditionally,
families would invite the Bhats, Dholis, Nats and Bhands to sing and dance
at family celebrations, whether birts or marriages, or other festivities.
BHAVI: One of the most spectacular performances, it sounds
of celebration. Its vibrant chords require little sophistry apart from the
simple, unsophisticated instruments that include the ravanhatha (a stringed
instruments), the morchng ( a Jewish harp), the bankia (trumpet), algoza
(twin flutes), the duff (tambourine), and the amazingly innocuous matka
(earthen pitcher) which is flipped over to play the most amazingly mesmeric
beat. It also consists of veiled women dancers balancing upto seven or nine
brass pitchers as they dance nimbly, pirouetting, and then swaying with the
soles of their feet perched on top of glass, or on the edge of a sword.
CHARI:
Dancers choreograph deft patterns with their hands while balancing brass
pots on their heads.
DRUM DANCE:Put a naked
sword in the mouth of a man, and give him three swords to juggle with his
hands while avoiding causing an injury to himself. This to the accopaniment
of his troupe that consists of musicians holding aloft drums around their
necks and cymbals in their hands.
FIRE DANCE:These
dancers perform on a large bed of flaming coals, their steps moving to the
beat of drums that rises in crescendo till the dancers appear to be in a
near hypnotic state. These devotional performances are usually to be seen
late on a winter's night.
GAIR: The men
wear, pleated tunics that open out into full-length skirts as they move
first in clockwise then in anti-clockwise direction, beating their sticks to
create the rhythm when they turn. Originally a Bhil dance, and performed at
the time of Holi, its variations are the Dandia Gair in the Marwar region
and Geendad in the Shekhawati region.
GHOOMAR:A
community dance of the Rajputs, performed by the women of house and
traditionally out of bounds for men. A new bride, on being welcomed tothe
home of her husband, too is expected to dance the ghoomar as one of th
rituals of the new marriages.
KACHHI GHODI:Originated
fron the bandit regions of Shekhawati, the dance is performed for the
entertainment of a bridegroom's party.
KATHAK:This
formal, classical dance evolved as a gharana in the couts of Jaipur.
KATHPUTLI:
A tradition of puppeteering has long existed in Rajasthan. It uses the
ballads, retold in the voice of the puppeteer who is assisted by his family
in erecting a make-shift stage.
MAAND:A
form of court music, the maand is a raga formation that developed in Marwar,
and includes a complex inflexion of voices, sung in a deep bass.
SAPERA
DANCE:One of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by
the Kalbeliya snake-charmers community.
TERAH
TAALI: Another devotional form of dance practiced by the Kamad community
of Pokhran and Deedwan, to honour their folk hero, Baba Ramdeo, it consists
of women sitting on the floor before his image.
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