COBRA GYPSY: KALBELYAS THE GYPSIES FROM RAJASTHAN

This short video is dedicated to the Kalbelyia Gypsies of Rajasthan, who respond to their challenges with dance, music, resilience, and dignity. We invite you to leave your comments. The Kalbelyias are a nomadic caste originating from the deserts of Rajasthan, India. Renowned for their music, dance, and snake-charming skills, their traditional occupation involved capturing snakes and training them to perform to the sounds of the pungi, a wind instrument. As a result, they are often referred to as Sapera. With the ban on snake hunting in India, this vibrant community has adapted, largely surviving today as dancers, musicians, and singers. Dressed in traditional black swirling skirts, the dancers perform to the melodic strains of the pungi, the iconic instrument of the snake charmers. While some Kalbelyias still trade snake venom for income, Kalbelia women are celebrated for their song composition and exceptional dance skills, regarded as the best dancers of the Thar desert. Interestingly, there is a striking similarity between the dance and music of the Gypsies in Spain and that of the Kalbelyias.

In August of 2023, I returned to Rajasthan with a friend of my daughter to look for the group of Kalbelyia featured in this short documentary twenty ago. This new documentary, which revisits their lives after 20 years, can be seen at Ethnographic Film Festivals before premiering on YouTube.

While in Pushkar, after 20 years, through a series of synchronicities, we located the Kalbelyias dancer featured in this documentary. They shared with us the profound changes that have taken place in their lives since my last visit. Now married with children, they face the harsh realities of poverty and the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The enforced shutdown had decimated their livelihoods, leaving them in need of assistance and support.

All proceeds from the videos about their journey directly benefit their community through money transfers. We welcome any suggestions on how to offer further assistance – your support is invaluable!