Title:

Kalbeliya Gypsy, Traditional Dancers and Snake Charmers, Indigenous Nomadic People of the Rajasthan Desert, Pushkar, India.

Caption:

They are low caste and homeless, but even without makeup Kalbeliya women stand out as the Queens of the desert. The Kalbeliya Gypsy people are known as the snake charmer caste. The women are skilled dancers and are accompanied by men playing percussion and wind instruments. The Kalbeliya were once hired to entertain great kings and maharajahs. Today they are sadly considered to be squatters and experience much discrimination. They struggle to preserve their culture and dances. They follow Indian fairs and festivals hoping to get hired to perform dances in hotels and private resorts.