Festivals and fairs are usually celebrated with music and colors in this desert land. Every occasion like festivals, childbirth, marriage, son-in-law visit has got its own music. There are specific songs for children who are referred as Ghulda and Saanjhi. Few songs that were sung irrespective of occasion are Panihari Aendoni, popular Kurjan, Digipuri-ka-raja and Rasiya songs that belong to Braj locality.

Rajasthani folk music mesmerizes everyone with its amazing words and rhythm. Rajasthan folk music was emerged from deep heartfelt emotions, day to day activities and stories of these Rajasthan people. All forms of Rajasthan music bind the listeners till it end with its brilliantly framed melodies. Rajasthan folk songs include various activities like storytelling, dancing, fetching water and many more. The best among the various forms of Rajasthani folk music are Maand, Pabuji Ki Phach and Panihari.

Women population of Rajasthan developed this Panihari music. As there is water scarcity in this desert land, women used to fetch water from a far off place, which is referred as Panihari. The extremely tired women developed their own melodies that tell a lot about the splashing waves and flowing rivers. Most of these Panihari songs carry rains and water as their central theme. As days goes on, these Panihari songs become very common and famous too.

Panihari slowly become the part of Rajasthan folk music and dance. The themes of Panihari songs also get stretched to daily activities of women and also their regular household chores. These Panihari songs are generally performed when women used to wash, clean and do work around their village.

Women perform Panihari in the form of expressing their love and also their disappointment. Mundane domesticity and unhealthy sacrifices also forms part of Panihari. Women folks also include mirth and humor in their songs. They also took a chance to express their dissatisfaction towards their mother-in-laws. Thus, Panihari was an effective mode of expressing the creativity of rustic Rajasthan women population.

Common Theme of Panihari

The most common theme of Panihari is the tale, that a young lady stumbled upon a stranger on the way to her home from well. The lady takes pity on the stranger and offers him water to drink. Following this, the immodest stranger starts singing songs praising her beauty and follows her on his camel. The villages get fumed by his action and complain about him to her mother. Mother meets the stranger and laughs at the ignorance of her beloved daughter as the strange man turns to be her fiancée.

Panihari songs capture the naughty romance, mocking anger and humor that ends with happiness. There is no formal raga or classical note to these Panihari songs. They are special melodies that overflow spontaneously from the heart of women.

Panihari songs sung by Anuradha Paudwal and Seema Mishra top the list of Rajasthan Panihari folk songs.