| Colorful
Images of Rajasthan MUSIC AND DANCE RHYTHM AND RESONANCE Rajasthan is culturally rich and has extensive tradition in art and culture, which reflects Indian way life. The dance, music and art forms have been watchfully cultivated and patronised by the erstwhile courts. An equally rich and varied folk culture from villages is both fascinating & mesmerising. The music is of uncomplicated innocence and songs depict day-to-day relationships and chores more often focal around bring of water. Rajasthan's cultural tapestry takes in simple folk to highly cultivated classical music and dance in its own distinct style.  MusicMusic sung by women is mostly about water and the style is called panihari. It depicts daily chores and is cantered around the well. In arid area like Rajasthan water is of immense significance. Some of the folk songs also talk about chance encounter with their lover. Some even have snipes at the incorrigible mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. Music here, also has strong religious flavour and is sung in dedication to various deities. Some religious songs are folk idioms of Saints, Surdas, Kabirdas, Meerabai and others. These songs are mostly heard in nightlong soirées. Music traditions are kept alive by entertainer like the Langas, Manganniyars, Mirasis and Dholis. The education in music of these groups began early and passed down from generation to generation. The folk musicians are apt in classical tradition. Songs normally began with an alap, which set the tune of the song and then recital of the couplet that is called the dooba. The songs also have the taan, the pitch and the tibias -the triplet, which lends variance to the tune. Ballad traditions of Rajasthan are also of great attention. Here bards sing heroic tales of folk heroes like Tejaji, Gogaji and Ramdeoji. They sing and narrate heroic tales of battles and even of legendary lovers and their tragedies. To distinctive category in this tradition are the 'Phad' and the puppetry. The accompanying instruments are of various varieties to repercussion, string and wind and even common use utilities like bells, thali (metal dishes) and earthen pots. Dance The Thar Desert of Rajasthan comes alive when its dancers take the center stage. Rajasthan has great variety of dances, which are simple expressions of celebration and festivity. The dancers, the dances and costumes have made Thar the most colorful desert in the world. Each region adding its own form of dance styles and performers. There are dances that follows a lineage of age old traditions, adhere to religious significance, display their daring attitude as well as complimenting various fairs and festivals. Ghoomar A community dance for women performed on auspicious occasions. Gair Ghoomar, Raika, Jhoria and Gauri are particularly of Bhil tribe. Gair is performed on Holi but only by the men folk. Chari dance, with pots on the head and a lighted lamp, is popularly performed on marriage occasions or on the birth of a male child. Kalbelia dance is of the kalbelia tribe, the snake charmers. With numerous pots on the head, women excel the balancing act in the Matka-bhawai. Terah taali, is a ritual for Baba Ramdev, a dance with thirteen manjiras. Other dances are Kachhi-Ghodi, Kathputli (the puppet dance), Fire dance, drum dance and various others pertaining to the particular tribes. Kathhak, a popular dance form being imported from Uttar Pradesh have been revived by the rajputana courts, with a style and theme of its own.  Folk Dance 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. 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. 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'. 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. Dance Style  THE KUCCHI GHODIFree 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. GHOOMER 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. 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.  GAIRThe "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. 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. |
||
|
Colorful
Images of Rajasthan Tours Reservation Form |
