Rajasthani Culture

Rajasthani Culture

Culture In Rajasthan

Rajasthan- the land of royalty is a glittering jewel set in the golden sands of a barren deserts landscape. The light that reflects off the golden sands engulfs a land renowned for its vibrant colors, people in bright clothes and beautiful jewelry, living in cities dotted and dominated by towering forts and palace that rise from the sands like mirage.

The brightness of its life, the legends of its heroism and romance are all captured in the vibrant and evocative music of this desert land. There is a richness and diversity in Rajasthani music which comes from a tradition that is old and undisturbed, and from a culture that has imbibed the best from its neighboring states of Sindh, Gujurat, Malwa, Mewar, Haryana and Punjab.

Music which rich evocative heroic plaintive and joyful governs all aspects of Rajasthani lives. The voices both male and female are strong and powerful. The numerous songs sang by the women reflect the various feminine moods and strong family ties that govern their lives, Peepli and Nihalde are songs imploring the beloved not to leave her or to return to her as soon as he can.

The festivals of gangaur and teej, celebrating marital bliss and the brief but splendid moonsoon of Rajasthan.

Men and women of Rajasthan sing devotional as well as festive songs. Songs by the saint-poets like Kabir, Meera and Malookdas are part of the folk repertoire. They are sung all night during the raatjagas (all night soirees spent singing devotional songs) which are held as thanks giving to a particular deity. The resonant singing of the Rajasthani folk is accompanied by music from simple instruments like the Baara and Algoza, that usally give a beat or a drone to offset the poetry.

The wandering balladeers, like the Bhopas who sing about the Marwar folk hero-Pabuji, travel from village with their phad painting and rawan hahha entertaining people with their ballad. There are many singing communities in Rajasthan known as the Dholis. Also known by other names like Mirasis, Dhadhis, L angas, Manganiyars, Kalbelias, Jogis, Sargaras, Kamads, Nayaks or Thotis and the Bawaris.