The Teratali dancers and singers (tera: twelve, tali: rhythms) are the colorful little goddesses of the temples of Rajasthan, whose dance blends with the sacred and the ritual of everyday life.

As sunlight reflects off the moon, the light of a candle grazes the surface of these cymbalettes, entranced by their cosmic roundness. The candle is placed on a lota, a metal pot perched on the dancer’s head, with a sword (talwar) between her teeth.

This magical ceremony is a devotional rite (bakhti) dedicated to the great saint Baba Ramdev, whose poet, who accompanies these dances on the tambûrâ (tandûrâ in Rajasthan), celebrates life with a poetic narrative often echoed by the women’s singing.