Here is a compilation of links and information on Indian Folk Music appreciation, from a workshop conducted by Sukoon Bablani at the Folk Marathon in Vienna on 2 January 2025 based on her research and experience with Indian folk music. For those of us who’d like to delve more into Indian folk music, this is a resource that aims at documenting the history, evolution, classification amidst the broad realm of Indian classical and light classical music, complexities and components of ‘folk’ music from India. For any questions, more materials and workshop requests, please write to:
Documentaries to watch
- Colours of Earth – Here you can listen to folk music from different states of India and the folklore
- India’s beautiful musical traditions – The documentary focuses on Hindustani classical music as a tradition. It already establishes some contrasts with the Indian folk music world in terms of practice, rules and audience.
- Indus Blues – It is quite a well-known documentary also showing some folk music traditions from India, along with making of some folk music instruments and the beliefs of the local folk artists.
Folk music from some North-Indian and North-West Indian states
Punjab: Folk Music Traditions
Punjab is located in North-Western India, a state partitioned between India and Pakistan.
- The word Panjab or Punjab comes from Persian where Panj (five) + Ab (water) = The land of five rivers
- Punjabi = belonging to Punjab. Example, Punjabi people, food, language, culture, etc.
- Regional language of Punjab – Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu-Punjabi; script – Gurmukhi
Prominent folk music instruments:
- Tumbi
- Dhol
- Chimta
- Dilruba
- Alghoza
- Others
Prominent Punjabi folk dances:
- Bhangra
- Gidda
- Others
Some folk music links:
- Folk music in Boliyan/Boli style
- More about the Boliyan Punjabi Folk Music
- Heer, a tragic love story of two lovers by Sukoon & Zohra, Ethno USA
Common folk music and dance themes in Punjabi Folk Music:
- weddings called Suhag and Jugni
- farming
- the tragic love story of Heer & Ranjha called Heer
- punjabi pride and honour
- village lifestyle
- birth
- Lullabies called Lorian
- festivals
- Others
More links on Punjabi Folk Music:
Folk music of Punjab
Rajasthan: Folk Music Traditions
Rajasthan is located in North-Western India. It is the land of the Thar desert shared between India and Pakistan, located below Punjab and Haryana on the Indian side.
Raja means king, Sthan from Sanskrit and Persian means place. Rajasthan means the land of kings
Rajasthani = belonging to Rajasthan. Example, Rajasthani people, food, language, culture, etc.
Regional language of Rajasthan = Rajasthani, Hindi, Marwari, Malwi, Mewari, Lambadi, Bagdi, Gujari, Sahariya, Sindhi and more; script = Devanagari
Prominent folk music instruments:
- Khartaal
- Dholak
- Harmonium
- Sarangi
- Kamaicha (Bass Sarangi)
- Ravanhattha
- Morchang
- Pungi
- Alghoza
- Flute
- Others
Prominent Rajasthani folk dances and songs:
- Ghoomar
- Gangaur
- Kalbelia
- Maand
- Panihari
- Ghodi
- Kathputli
- Kathputli
- Terah Taali
- Others
Some Folk Music links:
There are at least 10 more folk dance and music traditions from the state of Rajasthan. Have fun exploring them! 🙂
Common folk music and dance themes in Rajasthani folk music:
- festival songs like teej, lotia, ghoomar
- social issues like child marriage, dowry, water scarcity in the desert songs called panihari;
- welcome songs like maand
- separation
- farming songs called pankhida
- songs for lovers in foreign lands
- monsoon season
- celebration of daughters
- In the honor and glory of Rajput kings like maand
- puppetry songs called kathputli
- Others
Gujarat: Folk Music Traditions
Gujarat is located along the Western coast of India, below Rajasthan. It also shares the border with Pakistan. Dholavira, one of the largest cities of the Indus Valley Civilization is in Gujarat.
Gujarat is derived from the Gurjaras, an ethnic agricultural community that ruled Gujarat in the 8th and 9th century CE.
Gujarati = belonging to Gujarat. Example, Gujarati people, food, language, culture, etc.
Regional language of Gujarat = Gujarati, Hindi, Kutchi, Sindhi, Memoni, Chodri, Dhodia and more; script = a variation of Devanagari
Prominent folk musical instruments:
- Manjira
- Bhorrindo
- Daklu
- Dholak
- Damroo
- Nagara
- Khanjari
- Ghaghar
- Duff
- Murli
- Morchang
- Others
Prominent Gujarati folk dances and songs:
- Dandiya Raas
- Garba
- Padhar
- Dangi
- Tippani
- Others
Gujarati folk theatre traditions:
- Bhavai
- Akhyana
Some Folk Music links:
Common folk music and dance themes in Gujarati folk music:
- Gujarati folklore called Bhavai, Raas
- Songs of the goddess Durga called Amba
- Festivals called Navaratri
- Fishermen songs called Padhar
- Others
This space will be updated more with time. If you’d like to explore folk music from any particular state or region in India that is not listed here yet, please write to me at: