Born Without Hands, Udaipur's 20-Year-Old Diya Shrimali's Ghoomar Goes Viral After Marudhara Festival
While artists from across Rajasthan dazzled the Marudhara Ghoomar Festival, it was Diya Shrimali’s soulful dance, performed without hands, that moved millions online.
Published : November 29, 2025 at 1:52 PM IST
Udaipur: The recently held Marudhara Ghoomar Festival at Gandhi Ground remains unforgettable for hundreds of performers, but the one image that keeps returning is that of a young woman who not only mesmerised the audience with her dance but also became a viral sensation for her courage to conquer her disability and spark a message of inspiration across Rajasthan.
Meet 20-year-old Diya Shrimali. Born without both hands below the elbows, where only small finger-like structures remain, Diya's spirit has powered admiration for her dance from the entire state.
Unperturbed by her physical challenge, with the very hands, she has achieved feats that leave even able-bodied people astonished. When she performs the Ghoomar, she makes everyone feel the energy she has within. Her graceful steps and radiating joy captivated the festival to such an extent that her video quickly went viral on social media after the performance.
Diya's journey, however, has not been an easy ride. As a child, people would visit her home, some to show sympathy, others with curiosity. School admission was also difficult, as the staff did not want to enroll her. But her parents persisted and finally succeeded. In the early days of school, her mother would pack small pieces of bread for lunch so that Diya could manage on her own without much difficulty. But within days, Diya began breaking and eating her food independently and that strengthened her resolve that she could do anything that others can. It became the first major victory of her life.
Diya is a self-taught sketch artist too, and she credits it to watching YouTube and online tutorials. Today, her tiny hands create sketches that have fine strokes, intricate shading, and detailed facial expressions. None believes that such masterpieces could come from someone without full limbs. Her portraits of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot, and most recently Rajasthan’s Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, drew wide appreciation. She is currently working on another special piece that she hopes to present to the Deputy CM personally.
"When I heard the Marudhara Ghoomar Festival was being held, I visited the venue with a friend. The rhythmic beats of the drums and cymbals pulled her in. As the music began, I forgot everything and immersed myself in the dance," says Diya who was not aware that her every movement beautifully embodied the essence of Rajasthani culture.
Spectators remained spellbound. Within minutes, dozens of mobile phones recording her performance shared it on the social media and the clip went viral. Soon, Deputy CM Diya Kumari shared it with the caption: “When passion becomes dance, the steps write the story.” The clip garnered millions of views, making Diya an overnight sensation.
Diya now wants to go beyond her personal achievements. "I wish to have a dedicated Ghoomar festival, an art exhibition, and a special stage for artists with disabilities in Rajasthan. Disability is a limitation of the body, not of dreams. Society needs to change its perspective and give us opportunities based on our capability, not pity,” Diya said.
She hopes to meet Deputy CM Diya Kumari soon to present her paintings. "I look forward to become one of India’s leading artists and inspire others with my work," she said acknowledging that she would not have been able to do all this had her parents and sister not stood by her at every step of her journey.
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