Culture

of Rajasthan
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History of
Rajasthan
Culture of Rajasthan Free e-book

CULTURE OF RAJASTHAN

Static Gk is an important segment in the General awareness section of Rajasthan state exams.
Questions related to ‘‘Culture of Rajasthan’' are very commonly asked in several competitive
exams including Rajasthan Patwari. In order to help you answer these questions, we bring you
an e-book on the “Culture of Rajasthan’’.

Sample question:
Q. Where is Pushkar Fair held?
A. Udaipur
B. Jaisalmer
C. Jodhpur
D. Ajmer
Answer: D. Ajmer

CULTURE OF RAJASTHAN

Being a princely state, Rajasthan is known for its royal grandeur and royalties. It attracts tourists
from all over the world with its beautiful traditions, festivals, folklore, and handicrafts.
The fairs and festivals in Rajasthan are as follows:

FAIR AND LOCATION TIME FEATURES

FESTIVAL

Baneshwar Fair Dungarpur January- • Biggest tribal fair of India known

February as ‘’the Kumbh mela for the
tribals’’
• The tribal population consists
mostly of Bhils from the districts
of Dungarpur, Udaipur and
Banswara

Camel Festival Bikaner January • 2-day festival organised by the

Department of Tourism of
Rajasthan dedicated to camels
Culture of Rajasthan Free e-book

• Camel trading, camel races,

cultural performances

Chandrabhaga Jhalawar October- • Devotees take a dip in the river

Fair November Chandrabhaga which is
considered holy
• Livestock and cattle fair

Desert Festival Jaisalmer February • Puppet shows, camel races and

camel polo matches and
competitions
• Cultural events, folk music, and
dance

Dussehra Kota October • Burning of 75 feet tall effigies of

demons

Elephant Jaipur March • Elephant polo, elephant racing, and

Festival a game of tug-of-war between
elephants

Gangaur Jaipur March • Dedicated to Goddess Gauri, the

Festival festival is celebrated by the female
folks

Gogaji Fair Gogamedi, August - • Celebrated mainly by the Dogra

Churu September community
• It is dedicated in honour of Gogaji,
a Rajput prince who could control
snakes and reptiles.
Culture of Rajasthan Free e-book

Kite Festival Jaipur, January • Celebrated on the occasion of Makar

Jodhpur Sankranti
• Organised by department of tourism

Kaila Devi Fair Karauli March - • It is held in the honor of the deity
April Kaila Devi
• Ritual of 'Kanak-Dandoti' observed

Kali Teej Fair Bundi August • Procession of Goddess Teej

• Cultural activities

Kolayat Fair Bikaner November • Devotees take a holy dip in the

Kolayat Lake
• Also known as ‘Kapil Muni Fair’

Mahavir Ji Fair Karauli March - • Held in the honor of the 24th Jain
April tirthankara, Shri Mahavir Swami

Marwar Jodhpur October • Most popular festival in Rajasthan

Festival • Music and dance of the Marwar
region is the main theme of this
festival
• Camel tattoo show and other
competitions

Mewar Festival Udaipur March • It is observed to welcome the arrival

of Spring
• Women carry images of Lord Shiva
(Isar) and Goddess Parvati (Gangaur)
in a procession and immerse them in
the middle of Pichola Lake

Nagaur Festival Nagaur February • Known as Cattle Fair of Nagaur, it is

the second largest cattle fair in the
country
• Mirchi Bazaar (largest red chili
market of India)
Culture of Rajasthan Free e-book

Pushkar Fair Pushkar, November • One of the world’s largest camel fair
Ajmer • Several competitions and an
exhibition cricket match is held

Rajasthan Jodhpur October • India's first annual folk festival which

International celebrates the traditional folk music
Folk Festival and arts which sees performances by
more than 250 musicians from all
over the country and the world.

Abhaneri Abhaneri, September • Cultural activities, puppet shows and

festival Dausa exhibitions

Ramdevra Fair Ramdevra, August- • Celebrated after Baba Ramdev Ji, a

Jaisalmer September saint who took “Samadhi” in the year
1458 AD

Ranakpur Ranakpur, December • Organised by Department of Tourism

festival Pali • Fun activities and cultural festivities

Summer Mount Abu May • Sham-e-Qawwali features some of

festival the best folk singers in the country
• Various racing events and display of
fireworks

Teej Festival Jaipur August • Refers to all the monsoon festivals in

the state
• Royal procession of Goddess Teej
• Traditional sweet Ghewar is a
highlight

Urs Fair Ajmer June • Commemorates the anniversary of

the death of Sufi saint Moinuddin
Chishti, the founder of Chishti Sufi
order in the Indian Subcontinent
Culture of Rajasthan Free e-book

The traditional folk dance and music of Rajasthan include the following:

FOLK DANCE FEATURES

AND MUSIC

Ghoomar • It is the state dance of Rajasthan

dance • Originated at Marwar in Rajasthan
• It was performed by the Bhil community to worship Goddess
Saraswati
• The basic step of Ghoomar is ‘ghoomna’ or a twirling movement
accompanied by clapping of hands and moving in circular fashion
• The women are dressed in beautiful long robes known as
Ghagharas, adorned with Kundan, mirror or silver jewelleries

Gair • It is mostly performed by the Bhil community

• It is one of the few performances where both men and women
dance together
• The men wear a full-length tunic-like skirt complete with a stick,
sword and arrow in hand, while women wear ghagra choli.
• Dandi Gair and Geendad are variations of this dance
• It is performed by groups of dancers moving in and out a big
circle.
• Men beat their sticks to create a consistent rhythm when they
turn. All the dancers perform various steps & take turns in-
between

Chari dance • Women of the Gujjar community of Kishangarh perform this

dance
• The dance reflects the daily travels of Rajasthani women to
collect water in charis or pots for their families
• Women balance brass pots on their heads and dance in a simple
sequence. The main focus is on balancing the pots
• These pots are kept ignited with the cotton seeds dipped in oil
Culture of Rajasthan Free e-book

• Traditional music played on instruments like dhol, dholak,bankiya,

harmonium, nagada and thali is one of the reasons for the
attraction towards this dance

Kachhi ghodi • The dance originated from the bandit regions of the Shekhawati
region
• Men dance on dummy horses wearing elaborate costumes- red
turbans and dhotis and kurtas
• The song narrates the exploits of the Bavaria bandits of
Shekhawati region
• The dancers dance rhythmically to the songs while holding a
naked sword on their hand

Fire dance • It is performed by the Banjara community that describes the

lifestyle of Jasnathis of Bikaner and Churu districts
• The dance is performed on a large ground, spread with live wood
and charcoal
• The men jump on to the fire in rhythm with the drumbeats
• The dance involves breathtaking fire stunts as the dancers hold
fire rods in their hands and fill up their mouths with kerosene.
• The fire rods are also moved on their heads and legs by the
dancers

Terah Taali • It is performed by the Kamada tribe who are traditional snake
dance charmers
• It is performed along with Manjeeras and other metallic discs
which are made of bronze, brass, copper, and zinc
• Manjeeras are tied to thirteen different parts of the body.
• The sounds of these Manjeeras produce the Terah Taal or the
thirteen beats.

Kathputli • It is performed by people of the Bhati community

(Puppetry • Tradition of Kathputli is based on folk tales and stories that
dance) convey the lifestyle of ancient Rajasthani tribal people
• Stories from mythology and legends are told through puppets
Culture of Rajasthan Free e-book

• Through their puppetry, they highlight the different social issues

in the society

Pabuji ki Phach • This music expresses the heroism and the struggles of 14th
folk music century folk hero, Pabuji, who is one of the most revered heroes
of the Bhopa community
• The scross, or phad, which is around ten meters long, is used for
the musical rendition
• Bhopa sings the poetic ballad while playing the Ravan-hattha
• He is accompanied by his wife who holds the lamp and
illuminates specific portions of it

Maand • This is neither accepted as a full-fledged Raga nor as the freely

rendered folk songs
• It is sung mostly by the Mirasis and Jogis of Mewat, Manganiyars
and Langas, Kanjars, Banjaras and Dholies
• It is originated from emotions, stories, and daily activities
Rajasthani people

The world-renowned handicrafts of Rajasthan are given below:

HANDICRAFTS FEATURES

Bandhani textile • Bandhani is a method of binding small knots and dyeing them in
different colours to produce beautiful patterns
• The fabric used are loosely woven silk called Georgette, or
cotton known as Malmal
• Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner and Ajmer and Jamnagar are among the
important centres producing odhnis (duppattas), saris and
turbans in bandhani
• The main colours used in Bandhani are yellow, red, green, and
black
• Tying of the border is a special process known as sevo
bandhavo.
Culture of Rajasthan Free e-book

Meenakari • Precious and semi-precious stones are embedded on the molten

jewellery coloured glass of varied colours with outlines and bordering is
done with wires and molten form of gold and silver
• Jaipur, Bikaner, Udaipur and Nathdwara are important centres
of production of Meenakari

Blue pottery • It is the only pottery in the world that does not use clay
• It is made using Egyptian paste, glazed and low-fired
• The name ‘blue pottery’ comes from the blue dye that is used to
color the pottery
• Pottery is decorated with animal and bird motifs
• It uses special dough prepared by mixing quartz stone powder,
powdered glass, Multani Mitti (Fuller’s Earth), borax, gum and
water

Rajasthan quilts • Hand printed by traditional hand-block printing

• The quilt features the beautiful “paisley” or bootah which
originated in Persia
• Here, a motif is first carved into a hardwood such as sheesham
to create a design in relief
• The woodblock is dipped in dye and stamped by hand onto
fabric

Mojari or Juti • They are traditionally made by artisans mostly using tanned
leather
• The uppers are made of one piece of leather or textile
embroidered and decorated with brass nails, cowry shells,
mirrors, bells, and ceramic beads
• Even the bonding from the upper to the sole is done by cotton
thread which is eco-friendly

Carpets or • Carpets made using fine-quality hand-knotted woolen fibers

Durries • Jaipur, Ajmer, and Bikaner are main centers for this craft
• The durrie is a special type of carpet manufactured in Rajasthan.
It has mostly geometric, sometimes floral patterns with a
combination of bright colours
Culture of Rajasthan Free e-book

Ivory bangles • Ivory bangles before the ban on ivory was a popular craft of the
state
• Now the bangles are made using bones or plastic
• These ivory bangles have special marital significance
• The main ivory carving centers in Rajasthan at Udaipur,
Bharatpur and Jaipur

Wooden • Rajasthan is famous for its exquisite woodcraft

furniture • Barmer, Jodhpur, Kishangarh and Shekhawati are regions with
their unique styles of furniture making
• Tilonia Furniture is famous for the designs woven out in jute.
Wooden frames are coupled with jute or leather to create
beautiful woodwork furniture

The different types of traditional painting of Rajasthan are as follows:

PAINTINGS FEATURES

Miniature • The art of Miniature painting has Mughal influences because of

paintings the patronage offered by Mughal Kings
• The canvases used for the intricate Miniature paintings may be
composed of either paper or sometimes even ivory
• Fine brushes are used to apply the organically synthesized
pigments
• The miniature paintings of Udaipur manage to display the culture
of Rajasthan with ease

Gemstone • The specialty of this decorative painting style is that the shades of
paintings color are provided by the semi-precious stones instead of artificial
or vegetable colors
• Rajasthan is a rich storehouse of precious and semiprecious stones
and Jaipur is the major center of Gemstone Paintings

Phad paintings • Phad finds its origins in Shahpura, near Bhilwara, Rajasthan
Culture of Rajasthan Free e-book

• Phad is a type of scroll painting that narrates elaborate religious

stories of local deities and gods
• Phad paintings are created on hand-woven coarse cotton cloth,
smoothened with a moonstone
• All natural colours and threads are used in the process

Kajali • Carbon black obtained from burning oil lamps is spread on a paper
paintings or cloth using a piece of paper
• No brushes are used in Kajali painting. The only tools used are
hand and cloth.
• It requires extensive hard work and expertise

Kishangarh • The chief characteristics of the Kishangarh paintings are the

paintings elongation of human faces, religious intensity, and lavish use of
green and depiction of panoramic landscapes
• Portrayals of Radha and Krishna with sloped, receding foreheads
are common subjects of Kishangarh paintings
• One of the most famous Kishangarh paintings is called Bani Thani
which has been engraved on one of the government’s postal
stamps

This ebook gives you a comprehensive overview of the ‘Culture of Rajasthan’ to help you
tackle any question related to this topic in any state exam. Revise the topic thoroughly and
regularly. To gain more confidence, practice with the full-length mock tests, topic tests and
sectional tests in Oliveboard.

Culture of Rajasthan – FAQs

1. Terah Taali dance is performed by which community?

A. Terah Taali dance is performed by Kamada tribe of Rajasthan.

2. What is the speciality of ‘Blue pottery’?

A. Blue pottery is the only pottery in the world that does not use clay.

3. What tools are used in Kajali paintings?

A. No brushes are used in Kajali painting. The only tools used are hand and cloth.
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