Marwar Festival in Jodhpur is celebrated in the month of Ashwin, as per lunar Hindu calendar. According to English or Georgian calendar, it falls in between the months of September and October.It is a two days festival which ends on Sharad Purnima, i.e., full moon. The festival originally is known as Maand Festival. It is a festival of folk music and dances of Rajasthan. Regional Marwari songs are major attractions. One of the significant aspects of the popular dances and music is depiction of the romantic and heroic lives of Rajasthani Rajput rulers and warriors.
Marwar region boasts of a rich & varied heritage in terms of popular music and dances of the masses. Some folk dance forms are quite famous. Women performers wear traditional dresses and jewelries while dancing. Some of them are as follows:
Ghoomar: Ghoomar is the most popular dance form. In Hindi, Ghoomar means “Ghumna” i.e. spin. The main spirit of dance is “to spin”. The dancing women make a circle and whole dance is performed in this style while moving in circular pattern for many times. The attraction of Ghoomar dance form lies in the synchronized movements of all dancing women.
Dandi Gair: Both women and men participate in this dance form. The dance is one of the major attractions of Marwar Festival in Jodhpur. Women wear traditional ‘ghaghra’ and ‘choli’ with ‘dupatta’ and men wear a Rajasthani attire which gives appearance like Anarkali with ‘chudidar pajami’. Men wear saffron colored turbans on their heads and women take their ‘dupattas’ over their heads. Dandi Gair dance originally belongs to Bhil tribe of Rajasthan. It loosely resembles Dandiya dance of Gujarat but in Rajasthani style.
Bhavi: In Bhavi dance, women carry a small queue of pitcher on their head. Pitchers are decorated beautifully in Rajasthani style. This dance is all about balancing body in such a way that the pitcher don’t fall while dancing and moving.
Chari: Chari depicts the life of desert where women have to go far in search of water. This dance form includes balancing brass pots on the head. Brass is a shining metal. During Chari dance, the pots shine as light falls on them. This glitter creates a beautiful effect.
Kalbelia: Kalbelia dance is performed by the people belonging to snake charmer community of the Marwar region. Both men & women participate in it. Women dance in happiness as if they are charmed by snake charming men. The movements of dance are inspired by snakes’ movements. This is a unique kind of dance which represents the unique life of a snake charmer. The traditionally conventional dresses for Kalbelia dance are too ‘lahanga’ & ‘choli’ but having black color in its base, embellished with other different colors. Glittering ‘Gota Patti’ work is done on the borders of their ‘ghaghra’ and ‘dupattas’. The women dancers are adorned with silver jewelries and enamel bangles. Men generally wear ‘kurta’ like shirts paired with ‘dhoti’.
In addition to folk dances and music, many other activities make the event a fun. Among other major attractions in the Marwar Festival are horse riding, camel tattoo show, puppet show, magic show, ‘Polo’ matches, turban tying competition and zip lining. Jodhpur is one of the select few places in India that offers the adventurous activity of zip lining to fulfill the enjoyment of thrill.
Fairs and festivals are marked with shopping opportunities and experiences. In actuality, fairs are incomplete without shopping and that too Rajasthani fairs. During festivals & fairs in Rajasthan, a large variety of products, showing rich lineage of craftsmanship, are showcased for sale. Colorful dresses, imitation jewelries, ‘jutis’, colorful clothes etc can be purchased as souvenirs.
Mahrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace and Mandore are the venues of Marwar Festival. Jodhpur is easily accessible by air, train and road. During the festival, one can enjoy the colors of the festival while experiencing royal feel in luxury trains like Palace on Wheels and Maharaja Express. Both the trains are run jointly by Rajasthan Tourism department and Indian Railways. The festivity and activities in Marwar Festival start in the morning at 9 AM and continues till 11 PM in the night.
Dates & Schedule of Marwar Festival
| Year |
Start Date |
End Date |
| 2019 |
January 12 |
January 13 |
| 2020 |
January 11 |
January 12 |