16/03/2022, 17:15 Kalbelia - Wikipedia

Kalbelia
Kalbelia is a snake charming tribe from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India.[1] The dance is an
integral part of their culture and performed by men and women.

Contents
Kalbelia tribe
Kalbelia dance
See also
References
External links

Kalbelia tribe
Kalbelias are divided in two main groups, the Daliwal and
Mewara. The Kalbelias moved frequently from one place to
another in ancient times. Their traditional occupation is catching
snakes and trading snake venom. They rear snakes, dogs, hens,
horses, donkeys, pigs and goats. Hence, the dance movements and
the costumes of their community bear a resemblance to those of
the serpents. They are also called Sapera and Jogira, Gattiwala
and Poogiwara. The largest cluster of the Kalbelias is in Pali
district, followed by significant other groups in Ajmer, Chittorgarh A Rajasthani folk dance, Kalbelia
and Udaipur district. They live a nomadic life and belong to the
scheduled tribes.[2][3]

Traditionally, Kalbelia men carried cobras in cane baskets from door to door in villages while their
women sang, danced and begged for alms. They revere the cobra and advocate the non-killing of such
reptiles. In the villages, if a snake inadvertently happened to enter a home, a Kalbelia would be
summoned to catch the serpent and to take it away without killing it. Kalbelias have traditionally been
a fringe group in the society, living in spaces outside the village where they reside in makeshift camps
called deras. The Kalbelias move their deras from one place to another in a circuitous route repeated
over time. Over the generations, the Kalbelias acquired a unique understanding of the local flora and
fauna, and are aware of herbal remedies for various diseases which, in turn, is an alternative source of
income for them.

Since the enactment of the Wildlife Act of 1972, the Kalbelias have been pushed out of their traditional
profession of snake handling. Now performing arts are a major source of income for them and these
have received widespread recognition within and outside India. Opportunities for performance are
sporadic, and also depend on tourism, which is season specific, so members of the community work in
the fields, or graze cattle to sustain themselves.[4]

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The Kalbelias are Cultural Hindus and practise snake worship; they worship the Nāga and Manasa,
and their holy day is Naga Panchami. The Kalbelias have different traditions from the majority of
Hindus. The Kalbelia men wear a Apadravya. Kalbelias bury their dead, instead of cremating them (as
is common with Hindus in the rest of the country). The groom has to pay the bride's father a price for
the bride and the groom's father has to pay for the wedding.[5]

Kalbelia dance
The Kalbelia dance, performed as a celebration, is an integral part
of Kalbelia culture. Their dances and songs are a matter of pride
and a marker of identity for the Kalbelias, as they represent the
creative adaptation of this community of snake charmers to
changing socio-economic conditions and their own role in rural
Rajasthani society.

The dancers are women in flowing black skirts who dance and
swirl, replicating the movements of a serpent. The upper body
cloth is called Angrakhi and a piece of cloth worn on head known
as Odhani similarly the lower body cloth is called Lehenga. All
these clothes are mixed in red and black hues and embroidered in
such a way that when these dancers perform, their clothes
represent a combination of colours soothing to eyes as well as to
the atmosphere.
A Kalbelia dancer performing in
The male participants play musical instruments, such as the
desert
pungi, a woodwind instrument traditionally played to capture
snakes, the dufli, been, the khanjari - a percussion instrument,
morchang, khuralio and the dholak to create the rhythm on which the dancers perform. The dancers
are tattooed in traditional designs and wear jewelry and garments richly embroidered with small
mirrors and silver threads. As the performance progresses, the rhythm becomes faster and faster and
so does the dance.[4]

Kalbelia songs are based on stories taken from folklore and mythology and special dances are
performed during Holi. The Kalbelias have a reputation for composing lyrics spontaneously and
improvising songs during performances. These songs and dances are part of an oral tradition that is
handed down generations and for which there are neither texts nor any training manuals. In 2010, the
Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan were declared a part of its Intangible Heritage List by the
UNESCO.[4]

See also
Gulabo Sapera
Ghoomar: Ghoomar is a traditional women's folk dance of Rajasthan, India.
Rajasthani people
Romani people
Dom people
Lom people

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References
1. "Kalbelia Folk Dances of Rajasthan" (http://www.indianfolkdances.com/kalbelia-folk-dances-of-raja
sthan.html).
2. Kumar Suresh Singh; B. K. Lavania; D. K. Samanta; S. K. Mandal; N. N. Vyas; Anthropological
Survey of India. "Suthar". People of India Vol. XXXVIII. Popular Prakashan. p. 1012.
3. Miriam Robertson (1998). Snake Charmers: The Jogi Nath Kalbelias of Rajastan. Illustrated Book
Publishers. p. 323. ISBN 81-85683-29-8.
4. http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011&RL=00340
5. https://homegrown.co.in/article/803739/the-kalbelia-the-infamous-gypsies-of-rajasthans-deserts

External links
Kalbelia: Kamla Sallu nath sapera & Party (http://www.rajasthanikalbeliyafolkdance.com)
Jaisalmer Ayo:Gateway of the Gypsies (http://artnetwork.com/videos/jaisalmer-ayo-gateway-fo-th
e-gypsies)
About culture of Kalbelia by Suramnath Kalbelia Sapera (https://web.archive.org/web/2017052309
5415/http://rajasthanikalbeliadance.com/)
Photo essay on the Kalbelias (http://www.galli.in/2012/03/kalbelias-christian-stejskal.html)
Kalbelia costume (https://web.archive.org/web/20090821112609/http://indianclothing.tribe.net/phot
os/680d7489-a138-452c-a528-3a5a4728aafd)
Kalbelia: Rajki-Puran Nath Sapera & Party (https://web.archive.org/web/20090609181740/http://w
ww.kalbelia.com/Kalbelia.html)
"Kalbelia", World Music Central (https://web.archive.org/web/20101230025847/http://worldmusicc
entral.org/dokuwiki/doku.php/kalbelia)
Kalbelia: Cobra Gypsies - full documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNUYGRn3W9Q)
KALBELIA FOLK MUSIC AND DANCE FROM RAJASTHAN (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
hg_lsEcy2mM)
Kalbelia in USA - Katrina Ji (http://cultureshakti.com/Kalbelia)

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