Bhawai

Bhawai or Bhavai is the traditional folk dance of Rajasthan and is one of the nail biting, suspenseful dances of the state. Performed with great skill it is the art of dancing and gyrating even while maintaining a fine balancing act and poising many articles and items on one's head. Jats, Bhils, Raigars, Meenas, Charmars and Kumhars are the tribes and clans that promote the growth of this folk art. The Kalbelia tribe of the snake charmers is especially adept in this skill of balancing and he womenfolk of this clan perform a sprightly saltation while holding as many as seven to eleven earthen urns on their head.

The womenfolk of these tribes are used to such balancing precision due to their endeavor in the parched desert areas. A number of such urns and pots are easily carried across a distance in this fashion by the Rajasthani women who transport water from the wells/oases to their homes. Believed to have originated in the neighboring state of Gujarat, Bhawai was soon picked up and adapted by the local tribal men and women who imparted the dance a distinctive Rajasthani essence. To give the dance a climactic turn, the performer not only balances the pots on her head but also climbs atop a plate (thali) placed on brass tumblers. The thrill comes from the fact that even a slight asymmetry can easily upset the show. The more venturesome dancers take to performing the jig on broken glass or a sword. Sometimes a dancer also balances a ‘puja thali’ (a plate holding the common items of worship) on her head.

The accompaniment to the dance, Bhawai is provided by the men singing melodious songs and by instruments like dholak, manjeera,pahkwaja, sarangi and the bhungal.

This fast dying out folk tradition, Bhawai, has been revived by the Government’s constant promotion and by the efforts of private institutions such as the Aarangan Theatre Group and the Bhawai Lokkala Sansthan of Rajasthan. bhawai combines the nimble fineness of the Rajasthani women and their exemplary skill in such balancing acts and dance.