Jaisalmer Merasi Digital Library

Lok Kala Sagar Sansthan Jaisalmer India & Folk Arts Rajasthan USA share a vision of capable Merasi who strive for equity. Celebrate ongoing educational and preservation program accomplishments that exults in music transcending cultural barriers.

For 38 generations, the Merasi—meaning musician and storykeepers—have been silenced, forced to sing every song but their own. With unprecedented dignity arising from their increased access to education and literacy, the Merasi youth are ready to break down the barriers of caste. The Merasi youth ask you, the global neighborhood, to stop calling them "Manganiyar," or beggar, and start calling them Merasi--Today!

Quick-Min. of Merasi School ESL Progress with Music Merasi Playing For Change Day event Thanks to Computer Tutor Nawab Khan Merasi, AIF Clinton Fellow Eric Smith, and Video Editor Andrew Schmidt "One Hand on the Pen, One Hand on the Drum" -Lok Kala Sagar Sansthan Director Dr. Sarwar Khan

Bringing an ancient desert legacy from Jaisalmer, India to the iconic skyline of New York, the Merasi shared their mesmerizing music and perceptible warmth with everyone they encountered. Dr. Sarwar, Ajij, Deu, Akaram, and Salim Khan embody -in heart, soul, and action- a clear message: “No more manganiyaar (beggar), we are MERASI musicians and storytellers.”