The Chari folk dance, performed by women who balance brass pots with lit lamps on their heads, belongs to which state?

The correct answer is Rajasthan. Chari is a folk dance of Rajasthan performed by women, especially of the Gujjar community in the Kishangarh and Ajmer region. "Chari" means a pot, and the dance gets its name from the brass pots (charis) that the dancers balance on their heads.

In the Chari dance, each woman balances a brass pot on her head, and a lamp made of cotton seeds soaked in oil is lit and placed in the pot. The dancers move gracefully, turning and swaying while keeping the pot and the burning lamp perfectly balanced. In the dark, the flickering flames create a beautiful effect. The dance is believed to have originated from the daily work of women carrying water from distant wells in the desert, and it celebrates this act of collecting water. The dancers wear bright, colourful clothes and heavy traditional jewellery, such as the hansli (necklace), the timaniya, the bajuband (armlet) and the bangles. Chari is performed at weddings, at the birth of a male child and at other joyful occasions. The music is provided by the dholak, the nagara and the harmonium.

About the other options:

• Gujarat is known for Garba, Dandiya Raas, Tippani and Siddi Dhamal.
• Madhya Pradesh is known for Matki, which also involves women dancing with earthen pots on their heads, but the dance with brass pots and lit lamps is Chari of Rajasthan.
• Haryana is known for Saang, Phag, Gugga and Khoria.
• Another Rajasthani dance that involves balancing pots is Bhavai, in which the dancers balance a tall stack of earthen pots or brass pitchers on their heads while dancing on the edge of a sword or on a glass plate.