Question

Kalbelia is a folk dance of which of the following states?
1. Odisha
2. Maharashtra
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. Rajasthan

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : Rajasthan

The correct answer is Rajasthan.

• Kalbelia dances are an expression of the Kalbelia community’s traditional way of life.
• Location: The largest population of Kalbelias is in Pali district, then Ajmer, Chittorgarh and Udaipur district.
• Nomadic life: Once professional snake handlers, Kalbelia today evoke their former occupation in music and dance that is evolving in new and creative ways.
  • They live a nomadic life and belong to the scheduled tribes.
• Instruments: Women in flowing black skirts dance and swirl, replicating the movements of a serpent, while men accompany them on the “khanjari” instrument and the "poongi", a woodwind instrument traditionally played to capture snakes.
• The dancers wear traditional tattoo designs, jewellery and garments richly embroidered with small mirrors and silver thread.
• Kalbelia songs disseminate mythological knowledge through stories, while special traditional dances are performed during Holi, the festival of colours.
  • The songs also demonstrate the poetic acumen of the Kalbelia, who are reputed to compose lyrics spontaneously and improvise songs during performances.
  • Transmitted from generation to generation, the songs and dances form part of an oral tradition for which no texts or training manuals exist.
  • Song and dance are a matter of pride for the Kalbelia community and a marker of their identity at a time when their traditional travelling lifestyle and role in rural society are diminishing.
  • They demonstrate their community’s attempt to revitalize its cultural heritage and adapt it to changing socioeconomic conditions.