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Phad and Ravanahatha — a story that travels

Through the night, the bhopa and bhopi sing the epic of folk deities before the phad, to the ravanahatha.

Language

TIMES of RAJASTHAN · DARSHAN

Phad and Ravanahatha — a story that travels

Through the night, the bhopa and bhopi sing the epic of folk deities before the phad, to the ravanahatha.

View as a Web Story

Instruments

Ravanahatha

Ravanahatha

An ancient bowed instrument of coconut shell and bamboo, played by the bhopas as they narrate the phad.

Artists & communities

  • Bhopas and bhopis

    Priest-singers of the folk deities who sing the story while pointing to its scenes on the phad.

More visual stories

See all of Rajasthan’s heritage ›

Photos: Nomu420 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · MicheleLovesArt / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Clément Bardot / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Marc Chang Sing Pang / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Harshil Mehta / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Rajasthan Ri Baat

A proverb, a word and a district from the land of dunes — every day

PROVERB OF THE DAY

“पाणी पीजे छाण कर, गुरु कीजे जाण कर”

Strain water before you drink it; know a teacher before you follow one.

MARWARI WORD

मनवार

Lovingly insisting a guest eats and drinks a little more

DISTRICT OF THE DAY

Chittorgarh

  • Chittorgarh Fort
  • Vijay Stambh
  • Meera Bai

FAIRS & FESTIVALS

This month: Pushkar Fair, Bundi Utsav

Kumbhalgarh Festival

Rajsamand · December

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