When the foreigners joined the lady dancing in the Amber Place, it looked adorable. They were attempting to match them and managed to do so; it was quite eye-catching.
Ghoomar, also spelled ghumar, is a Rajasthani folk dance. It was created by the Bhil tribe to worship Goddess Saraswati, and other Rajasthani clans gradually adopted it. Most of the time, veiled women in flowing ghaghara gowns do the dance. The dance usually comprises pirouetting artists as they go in and out of a large circle. The dancers’ twirling motion is described by the word ghoomna, which also serves as the root of the word ghoomar.
According to legend, the Rajputs and royals adopted ghoomar as their own after a cultural exchange between the Bhils and the Kachwaha dynasty of Amer, who had previously been at odds with one another. A ghoomar folk song’s traditional lyrics also represent femininity; in one section, a young girl informs her mother that she wants to marry a Rathore lad because she is now an adult.
Ghoomar was practised in cities like Udaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, and Bundi as it developed over time and possibly even incorporated aspects from Gujarat’s garba.
Girls don ghagra-cholis (a team of ankle-length flared skirt, a blouse, and a veil – the chunari or odhni.) These are adorned with mirror work, zari (silver-thread embroidery), and gota or lace borders. Cotton was favoured in the past, but now silk and chiffon are frequently utilised. However, elaborate decorations and materials may even make class references.
The combination of song and dance, along with clothing colours like feisty reds, torrid oranges, kaleidoscopic pinks, bursting rust-browns, forest greens, and vivacious yellows, and country-style jewellery for beautification – head adornments like borla and matha patti; armlets called baaju bandh; bangles called kadas; anklets called payals; and earrings called jhumkas
Women and men frequently perform ghoomar together. But ladies dance and men sing in the background. Some of the instruments used as accompaniments include a harmonium, dhol, drums, thali, metal plates, manjira, and clash cymbals.
Years are spent perfecting this dancing style, and experienced ghoomar performers may not necessarily be persuaded by the authenticity of any film’s rendition. It could be that, although being a sophisticated and glitzy rendition and captivating to watch and listen to, the ghoomar song from the movie Padmaavat cannot be denied to be an evocation of the Bhils and Rajputs’ original ghoomar, which gives the song its eerie character.
Ghoomar is an embodiment of tales of the kinship between women, of their struggles and hardships, as well as their heritage and customs, hidden behind smiles and circular rotations. Together, it makes them happy and offers them joy in their day-to-day existence amid Rajasthan’s deserts.
Even non-natives were unable to restrain themselves from dancing to this folk dance.
When the foreigners joined the lady dancing in the Amber Place, it looked adorable. They were attempting to match them and managed to do so; it was quite eye-catching.When the foreigners joined the lady dancing in the Amber Place, it looked adorable. They were attempting to match them and managed to do so; it was quite eye-catching.
