Rajasthan has existed as the home of the Rajputs, the ruling warrior clans who controlled this part of India for over thousand years. There existed several generations of Rajput clans who claim descent from the sun, the moon and the flames of a sacrificial fire, and their highly evolved code of chivalry and honor is of the same kind to that of the medieval European knights. Rajputs were brave people who were fiercely independent and well-known for their courage and pride. They preferred to die an honorable death than to suffer the humiliation of imprisonment. Whenever defeat was inevitable, Rajputs would go for mass suicide known as Jawhar, in which hundreds of women hurled themselves onto funeral pyres, while their men rode out to face certain death at the hands of the enemy.
The Rajputs have deep-rooted their history in this harsh desert land in gigantic forts like that in Chittorgarh, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Many of their lavish palaces are now open to visitors, offering a glimpse into the self-indulgence of the princes´ who lived in their last glory days of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Rajasthan also stands among the richest states in the country. It has a rich collection in the field of arts and crafts. Rajasthan is famous for items like clay, leather, wood, ivory, lac, glass, sandalwood, stone carving, hand printing fabrics, mirror work, and costumes etc. People of Rajasthan are known to keep their culture alive by indulging in music and dance. They just can not survive without it. Dancing, singing, drama, devotional music and puppet shows and other community festivities are enjoyed after the hard work in the harsh desert Sun and rocky terrain. These all attractions and features add up to the glorious state of Rajasthan. The place has several dance forms. Some of the most important dance forms of Rajasthan are
The Ghoomar Dance is the most famous form of dance in Rajasthan. Women wearing traditional attire are known to perform this form of dance during important events and occasions. The word “Ghoomar” is derived from "Ghoomna", which means twirling. Women wear colorful skirts known as "Ghagra" during the dance. It makes them look stunningly beautiful when they gracefully sway to the dance tune.
This is a tribal dance that is performed by men and women. Performed during the Holi Festival, this is a very energetic dance that involved rigorous movements. Traditional dresses worn during this dance includes long tunic that opens out as a skirt. Dance beats are produced by sticks.
The Bhavai dance is a complicated dance form that can only be performed by highly skilled dancers. This impressive and stunning dance form stands as one of the most popular dances of Rajasthan. Bhavai Dance includes women dancers who balance eight to nine brass pitchers on their heads while dancing softly and twirling leisurely. They are known to balance themselves confidently on the edge of a sword or on a glass
Chari Dance
The Chari dance is a famous dance form of Rajasthan. It is chiefly a village dance that is performed to convey happiness by the villagers who go in search of water and find it. The dancers choreograph the dance and several restrained patterns are shaped by hands. The dancers balance brass pots over their heads and perform the dance gracefully. Cottonseeds are used to set aflame the topmost pot so that the movement of the heads causes the flames to form brilliant patterns.