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Kalbelia



The Kalbelia is a tribe of snake charming tribe from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India. Kalbelia community's traditional way of life is expressed in songs and dances. It is a significant part of their culture and is performed by both men and women.

Kalbelia is divided into two main groups of Kalbelias, the Daliwals, and the Mewaras. In ancient times, the Kalbelias moved frequently and their traditional occupation was catching snakes and trading snake venom. Therefore, the dance movements and costumes in their community are similar to those of serpents. They are scheduled tribes and live nomadic lives. It is also believed that the Kalbelias are Hindu cultured and practice snake worship; Naga and Manasa are revered, and their holy day is Naga Panchami. Kalbelia traditions differ from those of most Hindus. Male Kalbelia is usually dressed in an apadravyan. They are also known as Sapera and Jogira, Gattiwala, and Poogiwara. In the Pali district, there is the largest group of Kalbelias, followed by significant groups in Ajmer, Chittorgarh, and Udaipur.

Formerly professional snake handlers, Kalbelia now create music and dance that reflects their former profession in new and inventive ways. To recreate the serpent movement, today's dancers are women in flowing black skirts who swirl around, replicating the motion of a serpent. They wear an upper body cloth known as an angrakhi, a headcloth which is also called an Odhani, and a skirt called a lehenga. The clothes are mixed red and black and embroidered. Dancers wear embroidered clothing, jewelry, and tattoos adorned with mirrors and silver thread. Music is played by the male participants, such as the pungi, a woodwind instrument traditionally used to catch snakes, dufli, been, khanjari - a percussion instrument, morchang, khuralio, and the dholak provide the dancers with the rhythm they need to perform.

During Holi, a festival of colors, "Kalbelia songs" will tell stories about mythological knowledge, while traditional dances will be performed. In addition, the songs demonstrate Kalbelia's poetic talent, as they are known to compose lyrics spontaneously and improvise during the performance. Songs and dances are oral traditions that are passed down from generation to generation with no written texts or training manuals. The Kalbelia community takes pride in its song and dance, which are markers of their identity at a time when their traditional traveling lifestyles and roles in rural society are disappearing. However, through their efforts, their community is revitalizing and adapting its cultural heritage to a changing socio-economic climate.

References

(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/kalbelia-folk-songs-and-dances-of-rajasthan-00340) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalbelia)


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