Pariksha SaathiLesson 9 of 10 · Rajasthan General Knowledge
Art and Culture of Rajasthan: Folk Dances, Folk Deities, Fairs, Painting and Dialects
Drafted with AI assistance and fact-checked on 28 October 2026; not yet read line by line by a human editor. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. Editorial standards & corrections
Folk dances
Ghoomar, the graceful whirling dance of women in flared ghaghras, began among the Bhils, was adopted by royal households and is performed at Gangaur and Teej; it is the state dance. Kalbelia, danced by women of the snake-charming Kalbelia community in black skirts to the been and khanjari, was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2010, and Gulabo Sapera made it famous. In Chari, Gujjar women of Kishangarh balance brass pots with burning lamps on their heads. Kachchhi Ghodi, from Shekhawati, is danced by men riding dummy horses. Terah Taal is performed by women of the Kamad community, devotees of Ramdevji, who tie 13 manjiras to their bodies. Gair is a men's stick dance of the Bhils and others at Holi in Mewar and Marwar. Others include Bhavai, the Jasnathi fire dance of Katariasar and Chakri of the Kanjar women of Hadoti.
Folk deities
Rajasthan's lok devtas were mostly heroes who died protecting cattle, the weak or their word. Pabuji Rathore of Kolu near Phalodi is credited with bringing camels to Marwar and is worshipped as their protector. Tejaji, a Jat of Kharnal (Nagaur), died of a snakebite after keeping his promise to a snake and is worshipped as a snake deity; a large cattle fair is held in his name at Parbatsar, and Bhadrapad Shukla Dashami is observed as Teja Dashami. Ramdevji, a Tanwar Rajput whose samadhi is at Ramdevra (Runicha) near Pokaran, is revered by Hindus as an avatar and by Muslims as Ramsa Pir, so his fair is a symbol of communal harmony. Gogaji Chauhan, born at Dadrewa (Churu), is worshipped as a snake deity at Gogamedi (Hanumangarh). Pabuji, Ramdevji, Gogaji, Harbhuji and Mehaji are the five pirs. Karni Mata of Deshnok (Bikaner), family goddess of the Bikaner Rathores, has a temple famous for its rats (kabba), and Devnarayan, worshipped by the Gurjars at Asind, has the longest phad.
Fairs and festivals
The Pushkar fair, held at the sacred lake and ending on Kartik Purnima, is the best-known camel and cattle fair. Teej (Shravan Shukla Tritiya) celebrates the monsoon and the union of Shiva and Parvati; Jaipur's Teej procession and Bundi's Kajli Teej are famous, and women wear leheriya. Gangaur, the festival of Gauri (Parvati), runs for about 18 days from the day after Holi and ends on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya, with processions in Jaipur and Udaipur; in Jaisalmer Gauri is taken out without Isar (Shiva). The Desert Festival of Jaisalmer, held in Magh and ending on Magh Purnima, has camel events at the Sam dunes. Baneshwar (Dungarpur), held on Magh Purnima where the Mahi, Som and Jakham meet, is called the Kumbh of the tribals; other famous fairs are Kolayat (Bikaner) on Kartik Purnima, the Nagaur cattle fair and the Urs at Ajmer.
Painting schools
Ananda Coomaraswamy first described Rajput painting as a distinct tradition in 1916. Rajasthani painting has four main schools. Mewar is the oldest: the Shravak Pratikraman Sutra Churni (1260), painted at Ahar, is the earliest dated example, and Sahibdin's Ragamala (1628) under Jagat Singh I marks its golden age; Nathdwara is its sub-school, famous for Pichwai cloth paintings hung behind the Shrinathji idol. The Marwar school includes Jodhpur, Bikaner and Kishangarh; at Kishangarh, Nihal Chand painted Bani Thani under Raja Sawant Singh (the poet Nagaridas) in the 18th century, Eric Dickinson called it the Mona Lisa of India, and it appeared on a postage stamp in 1973. The Dhundhar school includes Amber, Jaipur, Alwar and the Shekhawati frescoes on havelis, called an open-air art gallery. The Hadoti school includes Bundi, famed for its Chitrashala and lush nature scenes, and Kota, known for hunting scenes.
Phad and other folk art
Phad is a long cloth scroll painting of a folk deity's life, made by the Joshi families of Shahpura near Bhilwara and unrolled by bhopas at night as they sing the story; Pabuji's phad is recited with the ravanhatta and Devnarayan's with the jantar. The kawad of Bassi (Chittorgarh) is a painted wooden shrine with folding panels used by storytellers, and mandana is floor art drawn by women at festivals.
Language and dialects
Rajasthani, written in Devanagari, has several dialects. Marwari, the most widely spoken, is the language of Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Barmer; its old literary form is Dingal, the heroic poetry of the Charans, while Pingal is the Braj-influenced literary style of the Bhats. Mewari is spoken around Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Bhilwara; Dhundhari (Jaipuri) around Jaipur; Harauti in Kota, Bundi, Baran and Jhalawar; Mewati in Alwar and Bharatpur; and Wagdi, a Bhili dialect with Gujarati influence, in Dungarpur and Banswara. Classic works include Chand Bardai's Prithviraj Raso, Suryamal Mishran's Vansh Bhaskar and Muhnot Nainsi's Khyat; Nainsi is called the Abul Fazl of Rajputana.
Saints
Mirabai, born at Kudki near Merta in the Rathore family of Merta and married to Bhojraj, son of Rana Sanga, gave up courtly life for devotion to Krishna; her padas are sung across India. Dadu Dayal (1544-1603), called the Kabir of Rajasthan, taught nirgun devotion against caste and ritual and founded the Dadu Panth, whose chief seat is at Naraina near Jaipur. Other saints include Jambhoji, Jasnathji, Peepa of Gagron, Ramcharan of the Ramsnehi sect and Charandas, founder of the Charandasi sect.
Key facts
- Ghoomar: state dance, women's whirling dance of Bhil origin; Kalbelia: dance of the snake-charmer community, UNESCO intangible heritage 2010.
- Chari: Gujjar women of Kishangarh with lit pots; Terah Taal: Kamad women, 13 manjiras, devotion to Ramdevji; Kachchhi Ghodi: Shekhawati.
- Folk deities and places: Pabuji (Kolu, camels), Tejaji (Kharnal, snakes), Ramdevji (Ramdevra), Gogaji (Gogamedi), Karni Mata (Deshnok, rats), Devnarayan (Asind).
- The five pirs of Rajasthan: Pabuji, Ramdevji, Gogaji, Harbhuji and Mehaji.
- Gangaur ends on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya; Teej on Shravan Shukla Tritiya; Pushkar and Kolayat fairs on Kartik Purnima; Baneshwar on Magh Purnima.
- Earliest dated Mewar painting: Shravak Pratikraman Sutra Churni (1260); Sahibdin's Ragamala 1628 under Jagat Singh I.
- Bani Thani: Kishangarh school, painted by Nihal Chand under Sawant Singh (Nagaridas); called the Mona Lisa of India by Eric Dickinson.
- Phad: scroll painting by the Joshi families of Shahpura; Pichwai: Nathdwara; Kawad: Bassi.
- Dialects: Marwari (west), Mewari (Udaipur), Dhundhari (Jaipur), Harauti (Kota-Bundi), Mewati (Alwar-Bharatpur), Wagdi (Dungarpur-Banswara).
- Mirabai: born at Kudki (Merta), wife of Bhojraj; Dadu Dayal (1544-1603): Kabir of Rajasthan, seat at Naraina.
Quick revision
Ghoomar state dance; Kalbelia UNESCO 2010; Chari (Kishangarh), Terah Taal (Kamad, 13 manjiras), Kachchhi Ghodi (Shekhawati), Gair (Holi); Pabuji-Kolu, Tejaji-Kharnal, Ramdevji-Ramdevra, Gogaji-Gogamedi, Karni Mata-Deshnok, Devnarayan-Asind; Pushkar on Kartik Purnima, Gangaur, Teej, Baneshwar; Mewar, Marwar, Dhundhar, Hadoti schools; Bani Thani (Nihal Chand); Phad of Shahpura; Dingal and Pingal; Mirabai; Dadu Dayal at Naraina.