¤ Ghoomar Dance  Ghoomar Dance of Jaipur, Rajasthan

The popular ghoomar is the characteristic dance of the Bhils although it is especially associated with the royal ladies of Jaipur, who perform it on certain auspicious occasions. The reason for that might be that the Bhils and the Jaipur royalty have been close for centuries.

The story goes that the Bhils were an indomitable war-like tribal race. Apparently they made a nuisance of themselves by making areas controlled by them dangerous for Jaipur's traders and people. When the Kachhwahas tried to discipline them, they simply faded away in their impregnable hills. Realizing the futility of this exercise, the Kachhwahas sued for peace. The Bhils were exempted from paying tribute – no big deal since they were not about to pay it anyway! to the Kachhwahas and were accepted as friends of the royalty. This last is important since the tribals were considered low-caste people and the royalty are kshatriyas (the warrior caste of the Indian varna system). The Bhils were further accorded the honour that unless their chieftain put a tilak (a vermillion mark put on the forehead on an auspicious occasion) on his forehead, the coronation of no future Kachhwaha king would be considered legal. Since then, by all accounts, the Bhils have remained loyal to the side of the Kachhwahas.

¤ Dance Associated with Jaipur Royalty

The ghoomar is one of the legacies that they passed on to the Rajput royalty. Derived from the word ghoomna (pirouette), this is a very simple dance where the ladies, dressed in resplendent voluminous ghagras, move smoothly and gracefully in circles. The accompanying songs are sung alternately by both men and women, as the dancers move both clockwise and anti-clockwise. The effect of the free play of the folds of the ample and colourful ghagra is dazzling. If you are in Jaipur during festival time, don't miss a ghoomar recital at the City Palace.

¤ Ghoomar- A Group Dance

If you have ever seen the famous dance of Gujarat, garba, you are halfway there to understanding how the ghoomar is danced. A dance of women akin to the ghoomar is the panihari. The performers carry earthen pots and dance with slick movements of the hands and feet. Although this is essentially a group dance, sometimes performers show-off their skill by dancing independently.

¤ Gair Ghoomar-Performed By Both Men & Women

The gair ghoomar is an offshoot of the ghoomar. Traditionally performed only by men, the exception is Holi (the Indian festival of colours) when both women and men dance it together. In fact, it is one of the few dances of Rajasthan that both the sexes dance at the same time. It involves two circles in which the women form the inner circle and the men, the outer. If your visit to Jaipur coincides with Holi, try to fit the gair ghoomar in your schedule. The gair ghoomar is called dandiya gair in Jodhpur and greendad in the Shekhawati region.