Tera Tali is another famous folk dance of Rajasthan. Performed by the Kamad tribe. The women folk sit on the ground while performing the Tera Tali. Men sing. An interesting part of the Tera Tali dance is tying of metal cymbals (Manjiras) to different parts of the body, mostly on the legs. On many occasions, the women clasp a sword in between their teeth and balance a decorative pot on their head.
The Kamad tribe, who are the worshipers of Baba Ramdev, practice this dance as a part of a ritual to propitiate their deity. While performing the dance, the participants carry a Manjira in each hand and strike this in thirteen different ways. There is also a belief that the performers tie thirteen Manjiras to the body and from here the dance got its name.
The male performers sing and play a single string instrument, called ‘Ektara’. Sometimes another string instrument called Chau Tara is also used. Bhajans or hymns or folk songs mainly accompany the dance. Through their dancing gestures, they portray their agricultural works like cleaning, thrashing, cutting and removing the corn, kneading the flour, preparing bread, making ghee out of curd, spinning on the spinning wheel.
Terah Taali Dance of Rajasthan is also a very important ceremony in the Baba Ramdev temple at Runecha. It is also practiced by Pokhran and Deedwana, to honor their folk hero, Baba Ramdeo.
Terah Taali
