cholis worn by the women are essentially fitted blouses that end at the waist. They are short sleeved so as to give space to the extensive ornamentation for the arms. The whole ensemble is usually of the tie and dye print, which is one of the most popular craft forms in Rajasthan. Alongside, there are a number of embellishments on the choli as well as ghaghra, the most common being mirror work and gota patti work. There are also colorful tassels in the form of little balls of thread that hang from the sleeves of the blouse or the waist. The dupatta is the primary accessory for the performers. It is draped over the head and made to fall loosely around the shoulders. However, this is only the appearance the drape gives, the dupatta is actually is pinned to the choli at various points. The tassels
on the border of the dupatta frame the woman’s face. The border itself is embellished heavily, in contrast to the body of the dupatta which is usually minimalistic. The women wear silver bangles as well as silver armlets, a set of a dozen at least, on each arm. While this is the preferred accessory, women can also wear colorful glass bangles to go with the attire.
Men There are any number of ensembles that men who give the background score to the Bhawai dance can sport. The most common of these is the white or offwhite dhoti kurta. This look is completed by the adornment of a colorful sleeveless jacket and a kamarbandh. When the dhoti kurta is plain, the jacket and kamarbandh become the heavily embellished elements of the ensemble. These can have mirror work and can be in a number of bright colors.
On the other hand, the menfolk involved in this dance also tend to wear colorful kurtas that end a little below the hips, paired with colorful pajamas. The common aspect of both these ensembles however, is the colorful headdress. Tied using a colorful bandhani cloth, this headdress is a defining characteristic of Rajasthani men.
Pots While this is a disparate element, the pots on the women’s heads also play a great part in enhancing the overall style of the dance. Since balancing of the pots is the premise of Bhawai, the artists take great care to decorate the pots as beautifully as possible. Whether brass or clay, there is a lot of effort that goes into beautifying the pots. The way in which the vessels are decorated depends on the customs or beliefs of the tribe and the individual taste of the performers. DECEMBER 2017 | WWW.WISHESH.COM