Kalbeliya, as the name sounds the performers of the art form put on a black dress. But in reality, ‘Kal’ is not the colour but means snake where as ‘Beliya’ means friend. All together Kalbeliya, is a traditional dance form of the scheduled tribes in Rajasthan.
The community Kalbeliya’s were traditionally belonging to the snake charming family. And the dance form Kalbeliya, is named after the community. The former snake charmers have today, occupationally continued the tradition along modern creative ideas. The women dance and the men play the ‘phungi’ as a music. The dance portrays the movements of the snake. The dance is not just an art form but also the expression of the communities way of life. Being an art form connected to the integral part of the culture, the Kalbeliya is performed in every joyous occasion.
When the entire world experienced stagnancy due to Covid-19, the Kalbeliya art gained its fame.
Chendavia, an application became popular among the students. Through the app, the traditional dancers taught the students, the UNESCO famed Kalbeliya dance and kept their culture alive. In 2010, the Kalbelia folk songs and dances were also declared as a part UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list.