Rajasthan Tourism Organised State-Level Ghoomar Festival in Jaipur

By Sangeeta Srivastava 

Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari inaugurated the Ghoomar Festival by beating the ceremonial drum (nagada)

Jaipur, 19 November. For the first time in history, on the initiative of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture Diya Kumari, a grand Ghoomar Festival was organized simultaneously at all seven divisional headquarters of the state by the Rajasthan Tourism Department. The objective was to give a new direction to Rajasthan’s folk culture, traditional arts, and public-participation-based cultural model. This event has been registered in the Asia Book of Records, where nearly 6,000 women and young girls performed the Ghoomar dance simultaneously across all seven divisions.

It is also notable that Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, along with Jaipur MP Manju Sharma and other distinguished women present, also performed the symbolic Ghoomar dance, highlighting the cultural magnificence of the dance and encouraging the girls and women participating in the festival.

Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari personally visited the ground to motivate all participants.
During the festival, the most ancient form of Ghoomar was performed on the song “Ek Baar Ho Piya Jaipur Shehar Padhar Jo…”

Under the chief patronage of Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, the state-level Ghoomar Festival was held at the football ground of Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday. A large number of women and girls participated, bringing Rajasthan’s cultural traditions to life. With its rhythm, beats, and melodious tunes, the well-coordinated presentation of Ghoomar showcased the cultural prestige of Rajasthan.

Diya Kumari inaugurated the festival by beating the nagada (traditional drum). She greeted the women present at the stadium and, extending her blessings to sisters and daughters, said that the time has come to carry Rajasthan’s folk culture, folk arts, and heritage to the younger generation. She said that to take Ghoomar — the synonym of Rajasthan’s culture — to global recognition, such programs will be organized on a large scale every year.

Diya Kumari said that the state government’s priority is to create a sustainable model by connecting cultural traditions with public participation and innovation, so that Rajasthan emerges as a strong and expansive tourism state. She said a comprehensive plan is being prepared to establish the Ghoomar Festival as the cultural identity of the state in the long term. In the future, possibilities will also be explored to include it in national and international cultural calendars.

On this occasion, a short documentary was shown commemorating the late Padma Shri Rajmata Govardhan Kumari, who worked to preserve Ghoomar and other folk dances of Rajasthan.

Large Crowd of Jaipur Residents

A huge number of women and girls participated in the Ghoomar Festival, and an equally large number of Jaipur residents reached Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium to enjoy the event.

Present on the occasion were Jaipur MP Manju Sharma, Civil Lines MLA Gopal Sharma, Principal Secretary of Tourism Rajesh Yadav, Tourism Commissioner Rukmani Riyar, social worker Amit Goyal, Financial Advisor of Tourism Department Gargi Singh, Joint Director Dr. Punita Singh, Dalip Singh Rathore, Devendra Meena, Deputy Director Upendra Singh Shekhawat, Nawal Kishore Baswal, and many other officers and staff.

Colors of Ghoomar on Display

The program began with the artists of Gangaur Dance Academy performing “Lanjho… Mharau Aalaji Leta Aijo…” — a song where a married woman requests her husband to bring items of adornment for her, but with the condition that all items must be jewel-studded.

In the second performance, a heroine suffering from the pain of separation requests her companion to send her husband back to her with respect. This performance was titled Jalal-Bilala.

Girls from the Swordsmanship Association presented self-defense and attack techniques on stage, filling the audience with enthusiasm. The CRPF band also gave impressive performances.

Colorful Attire and Selfies

From noon, women and girls began gathering at Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium. Dressed in colorful traditional attire, they practiced dance and were also seen taking selfies.

Prizes and Honors

Jaipur and Jodhpur received more than 1,500 registrations each, placing them in the top prize category. In these two divisions, awards worth ₹2,34,000 were given in categories including Best Group Dance, Best Costume, Best Jewelry, Best Synchronization, and Best Choreography. A total of ₹1,04,000 was distributed as prize money for the other five divisions.