Kalbelia or Kabeliya is one of the most sensuous and famous dance forms of Rajasthan. Kalbelia dance is of the kalbelia tribe of Rajasthan, the snake charmers. They are well known for their dance which is an integral part of their culture. Both men and women in the tribe participate in this activity to celebrate joyful occasions.
Traditionally Kalbelia Women and Girls wore black swirling skirts, the upper body cloth is called Angrakhi and a piece of cloth on their head called odhani. All these clothes are mixed in red, yellow, green, and black colors. While men carried cobras in cane baskets during the dance and begged for alms. And they mainly take care of the musical part by using different instruments like pungi, woodwind, dufli, morchang, khuralio, and dholak.
In old times kalbelias were known for their frequent movement. Their traditional occupation is catching snakes and trading snake venom. Kalbelia songs are based on stories taken from folklore and mythology and special dances are performed during Holi.
Since the sanctioning of the Wildlife Act of 1972, the Kalbelias have been pushed out of their traditional profession of snake handling. Today, performing arts are a major source of income for them and these have received widespread recognition within and outside India.
The largest number of the population of Kalbelias is in Pali district, then Ajmer, Chittorgarh, and Udaipur district. They live a nomadic life and belong to the scheduled tribes.