Rajasthan has long been a place of great interest for anthropologists and
tourists interested in culture and arts. The state sees a great lot of cross
sections of the society. Quite many communities inhabit various cities and
towns of the state. There are small differences, community differences, but
the entire population is one community that stands out from the rest of
India. People here look different, their appearance, their outlook and their
traditional values are different from other north Indian states. The
settlers primarily constitute the Indus Valley urbanites, Bhil forest
dwellers, Jain merchants, Jat cultivators, Muslim craftsmen and Rajput
warrior clans.
You would often hear that Rajasthan has a vibrant dominating culture or
that the population is vibrant. It is so because of the outlook of the
people and the places. The popular dress are often marked with bright
colors. So are the buildings, like palaces and havelis. It seems like the
population has always been color specific.
One more fact that makes them vibrant are their colorful fairs and
festivals. Throughout the lands of Rajasthan, many local festivals and fairs
are celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm. the festivals are marked by
traditional cultural practices, folk performances, rituals and religious
practices. The popular festivals and fairs celebrated include Pushkar Fair,
Camel Festival, Nagaur Fair, Mewar Festival, Elephant Festival, Teej
Festival, etc.
The folklore specially is very popular. The traditional dance and music is
something that cannot be compared. The music is soft, sort of classic and
the dance is more liberated, with a lot of rolling and steps. Music and
dance is very characteristic of the state and one can, to a good degree,
identify the place with it. Some popular dance forms include Ghoomar, Bhavi,
Chari, Drum Dance, Fire Dance, etc.
