Jodhpur RIFF 2026. Venue: Jaswant Thada (outside Mehrangarh Fort). Entry: Full Festival pass/ Day Pass/ RIFF dawns pass Rs. 400/-. In true Jodhpur RIFF tradition, we begin the first of our dawn concerts with the gentle, soothing voices of the Meghwal, a community from the Marwar region in Rajasthan. While the community itself is not recognised as a ‘professional' musician community, the Meghwal are superb singers. Traditionally pit-loom weavers, the women are known for their contribution to embroidery and the textile industry, but also for the rich folklore they nurture.Their patron saint is Ram Dev ji and singing bhajans in his honour is common in their villages. They also carry a long repertoire of devotional poetry of saint poets Kabir, Ravidas, Meerabai and Gorakhnath. In keeping with tradition, this year sister duo Dariya & Kelam from the Meghwal community begin our first dawn concert. Under the light of the rising sun on a cool, serene morning, the melodic drone of the tandura (an unusual string instrument with a very distinctive sound), the beat of the jhanjh/ manjira (small, paired-cymbals) and the rhythm of the dholak create the mood for the meditative strains of the bhajan (literally, ‘to revere, also to share'). Their rendition is followed by the exquisitely masterful Bhallu Ram and Mala Ram Meghwal. Deeply rooted in the Bhakti tradition, their bhajans are conversations with the divine that have continued to remain relevant even centuries after they were written, now brought alive by seasoned voices from the Thar.