From Being Buried Alive to Getting Padma Shri: Gulabo Sapera’s Inspiring Journey

Years ago in Rajasthan, a baby girl called Dhanvantari was buried alive by the females of her community, because she was the 7th girl born to her mother. They all desired a boy, and without letting the mother know, those women took that little soul to the jungle and buried her in a pit! Hours later when the mother didn’t find her child, she asked, pleaded, and cried. 

The little girl laid covered beneath the earth, breathing only hope, until her mother and aunt threw the shackles of generations-old traditions aside, to dig her out and hold her until she arose. The very same child who was criticised, was reborn as Gulabo Sapera, and ended up being an epitome of pride! She became the worldwide ambassador of Indian folk dance, and a living example of how to be as strong.

Who is Gulabo Sapera?

Gulabo was born in the 1973 snake charmer clan of Kalbaliya in Ajmer, Rajasthan. The memories started at an early age relating to the seductive music of the “been” and the smooth movement of snakes. Her father, ostracized for saving his daughter, took little Gulabo everywhere in a straw basket. She was fed with milk meant for snakes and was always under the shadow of danger. But it was in these moments, as she watched and mimicked the serpents’ graceful movements, that the seeds of her legendary dance were sown. The girl then became a sensational figure for all. 

At the age of eight, Gulabo already gave performances at local fairs. Her fate changed at the Pushkar Mela, where she was noticed by the tourism officials at the Rajasthan tourism department after being overwhelmed by her boneless, liquid dance which resembled snakes her community worshipped. Shortly Gulabo was playing on big stages, and at only 13 years old her life was changed when she gave a performance in Washington DC.

Award and Honors: Dancing Against the Odds

The path of Gulabo Sapera is also the history of novelties and successes. She did not merely popularise the Kalbelia dance, she formed the worldwide identity of it, designing its now legendary costumes and teaching the rhythms to generations of girls. Her shows have thrilled people of more than 165 countries and her academy of dance in Pushkar and Denmark keeps producing new talents.

She has received numerous awards, the most noteworthy being the Padma Shri in 2016 in recognition of her exceptional contribution to the Indian folk arts. In addition, she has been recognized with the Bharat Gaurav Award(2021) and the Genius Indian Achiever (2025). But her most crowning success is a cultural one: she made sure that in her society female infanticide was no longer practiced and urged thousands of endangered girls to take the stage and pursue their own dreams.

Gulabo Sapera Is An Inspiration 

The story of Gulabo is not simply about surviving but a well learned lesson of how to transform pain into power. Years before the ‘malkin trend’, she demonstrated her ‘malkin core.’ Today, as headlines are filled with stories of student suicides, depression, and the crushing weight of expectations, her life offers a vital lesson. Not everyone is born with Gulabo’s strength or finds a hand to pull them from the darkness. But knowing her story can plant a seed of hope giving the youth and students the path (though foggy) towards a life they can create. 

If a girl who was once considered a burden, buried and forgotten, can rise to become a Padma Shri awardee, a global icon, and an inspiring lady, then every student struggling with failure, rejection, or self-doubt can rewrite their story. Just as Gulabo, you can find your unique side and pave your way out of a gloomy life. 

Gulabo Sapera’s journey is an anthem of all Indian students who are struggling with stress, doubt, and hopelessness. The lessons we learn from her are how strong a person can be, despite the lack of any light. Determination can indeed illuminate your world. So, don’t give up on yourself just because others gave up on you. Have faith in yourself, turn to those that can help you when you need it and never forget your future can be as bright as you are willing to believe it can be.  

Think big, because you have the potential to achieve it!