Kalbelia dance

• The 2023 edition of the Jodhpur Rajasthan International Folk Festival saw performances of Kalbelia dance.

ABOUT KALBELIA DANCE

• Kalbelia is a dance form associated with Kalbelias tribes.
• Legend of origin– Sage Kanifnath was offered a bowl (belia) of poison (kaal or death) by his spiritual mentor Gorakhnath. When he drank it to the last drop, Gorakhnath blessed Kanifnath with the ability to ingest poison and handle venomous creatures.
  • And so, Kanifnath’s followers from around the Thar desert in Rajasthan came to be known as Kalbeliyas. They venerated snakes and made a living as snake-charmers.
  • When their traditional occupation was outlawed by the Government in 1972 (with the enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act), women replaced snakes in the Kalbeliya dance.
• They wear black garments and perform snake-like movements to music that men play on the instruments like poong, Pakhawaj, dholak, jhanjhar, harmonium, and sarangi.
• In 2010, the Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan were declared a part of its Intangible Heritage List by the UNESCO.