Most famous for their ‘snake charmer’ dance, the Kalbeliya tribes have another precious legacy they are desperate to preserve and earn a livelihood from - the unique bead jewellery that is part of their costume.
Tiny, shiny colourful beads strung together into exquisite jewellery. You are mistaken if you thought only women wear ornaments made of these beads. Beads strung into bracelets often adorn the wrists of men too.
The women who make this colourful jewellery are the Kalbeliyas, a nomadic tribe of Rajasthan, known for being snake charmers.
Just a few shops sell this jewellery. Taking the wares to a bigger consumer base would not only offer the Kalbeliya women a livelihood, but would ensure the sustenance of their art.
The Kalbeliyas are known the world over for their famous ‘snake charmer’ dance.
Women swirl to musical instruments and songs, mimicking a snake, as the tribes were traditionally snake handlers.
The dance form is even listed as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
But what is less well known is the Kalbeliya beadwork.
Beaded jewellery, similar to that made by the communities of Kachchh region in Gujarat, is an art that defines the Kalbeliya community.
“This jewellery is our identity. People recognise us by these threaded beads,” said Sushila Nath, a Kalbeliya artist. “We made them for our own use originally.”
The women make necklaces, earrings, bracelets, waistbands and hair pieces by stringing beads together.
These beaded pieces of jewellery are usually worn by the Kalbeliya women during dance performances, though they were part of the women’s everyday attire earlier.
When you see the women work, it becomes clear that it is a combination of art and maths. With accuracy and symmetry, the women create triangular or quadrangular motifs.
They count the threads according to the design and then string the tiny beads one by one, making geometric patterns. Remarkably, they do this without using a needle.
“One would wonder how they get such precision in their pieces by counting the threads and beading them in a particular number to create uniform, intricate patterns,” said Anahita Lee, an art teacher and writer from Nath’s neighbourhood.
This work of precision seems to be an inherent trait among the Kalbeliyas.
“I made my first necklace when I was eight,” said 30-year-old Nath, who had learnt it from her mother. “Even after all these years I remember using red, blue and white beads to make my first necklace.”
Nath wants her 12-year-old daughter to learn the art too.
“My niece has already started learning,” she said.
It is usually the Kalbeliya women who make the beadwork. But Sushila Nath’s brother Buddha Nath is keen to work too.
“When I was young, our mother made me do it. Now I want to perfect it. I will learn from my sister,” he told Village Square.
“Earlier we didn’t make these for sale,” said Sushila Nath. “Once, we saw these on display in Jaisalmer. That’s how my family thought we could do this commercially.”
Nath, who lives in a Kalbeliya settlement in the outskirts of Pushkar city, does multiple odd jobs. She rears goats, makes charcoal and works as a farm labourer.
In addition, now she earns by selling her beadwork, sourcing the beads from the local market.
“The price of my necklaces ranges from Rs 250 to 500,” she said. “Each piece takes 3 to 4 days to finish.”
In the original style, the necklace would be tied at the back with a white thread. Heeding the suggestion of the art teacher, Nath now uses a black thread.
“Now we put a bead at the back to adjust the length,” she said, which increases the contemporary appeal of the neck pieces.
Nath makes ear ornaments, waist bands and bracelets too, in the same pattern.
But despite their visual appeal, the Kalbeliya jewellery do not find space in the extensive jewellery market of Rajasthan.
The bead pieces are not sold in cities of the Ajmer district, despite the district having the second highest Kalbeliya population.
Unaware of the market, the Kalbeliyas did not take to selling their bead jewellery in fairs or in roadside stalls.
“Before the first lockdown some foreigners came. But there seems to be no takers locally,” said Nath.
Originally made of small glass beads, the pieces look delicate – almost fragile.
“The finesse with which the Kalbeliyas make the beadwork is truly special. We must do all we can to promote this art,” said Lee.
But their delicacy belies their sturdiness.
“Our dance moves are very fast and energetic. Since this jewellery is primarily made to wear with our dance outfits, it’s quite sturdy,” said Mamta, one of Nath’s sisters-in-law.
Nath feels that more members of her community would be interested in continuing the beadwork instead of daily wage jobs if there was a bigger market for their art.
“Our art must be preserved,” Nath said with conviction, while stringing beads for an order.
The community calls the colourful beads maniya – meaning priceless jewels. Kalbeliyas are also maniya – the jewels of Rajasthan’s cultural ethos.
But the legacy of these priceless jewels will only survive if more people take interest in them – as much interest as they have taken in their snake charmer dance.
The lead image at the top of this page shows the bead jewellery of Rajasthan’s Kalbeliya tribes (Photo by Shefali Martins)
Shefali Martins is an independent journalist and author based at Ajmer, Rajasthan. Courtesy: Charkha Features.
