Community and Society based Dance-Songs of Uttarakhand

Classification of folk dance song of Uttarakhand Garhwal – 6

["गढ़वाल के लोक नृत्य गीत" डॉ शिवानन्द नौटियाल द्वारा लिखी हुई एक महत्वपूर्ण पुस्तक है। इसी पुस्तक की समीक्षा श्री भीष्म कुकरेती जी द्वारा की गयी है। इस पुस्तक समीक्षा को एक श्रंखला के रूप में प्रकाशित कर रहे हैं। इस श्रंखला के माध्यम से आप उत्तराखंड-गढ़वाल के सांस्क़ृतिक परिदृशय से भी परिचित होंगे।- प्रबंधक]

पहला भाग, दूसरा भाग, तीसरा भाग , चौथा भाग, पांचवां भाग

Third Chapter: The Community/Group -Social Dance-Songs

A- Community and Society based Dance -Songs

Uttarakhand-Garhwal has a special place in India in terms of culture and arts. Uttarakhand-Garhwal has been the place, where it is said Vedas and Mahabharata were created or written. The sages used to come here for tapasya (Bhrigu, Vyas etc). There have been regular in and out human migration, exchanges of culture and arts in Uttarakhand-Garhwal from all over India because of being the originating place of Ganga and Jamuna , one of the main preaching places for Buddhism ( Kalsi-Danda Lakhaund) in Ashoka era, and later on the establishment of Badrinath-Kedarnath, Gangdwar being here . These many factors are responsible for multi-cultural panorama in Uttarakhand-Garhwal. Therefore, there are visible effects of Kerala, Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujrat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Nepal and Tibet on the languages, materialistic and psychological knowledge, spiritual philosophies, art, culture and craftsmanship of Uttarakhand-Garhwal. We may find the effects on the Uttarakhand-Garhwali dance- songs of the above areas.

Dr Shiva Nand Nautiyal provides in details about following main community based social dance-songs in Uttarakhand-Garhwal:

Thadya geet: Usually, Thadya dance-song is performed in fair, carnival, and at the time of assembling of village folks in community country yard at the time of Geetun maina (chait). The females put their both hands on others shoulders and this dance -song is performed in circle. This dance resembles ‘Rauf folk dance’ of Kashmir. A famous song of Thadyageet is :

Ranihat ni jan gaje singh, mera bulyun manile gajesingh

Holjot ka din gaje singh, tu haunsiya baikh gaje singh

Tero baba ka bairi gaje singh, twai thorile marla gajesingh

Chaunfula: Chaunfula means to spread in all four directions. Chaunfula dance-song is a dance-song of enthusiasm, love, vibrancy, tenderness and for spreading delight everywhere and performed in two groups. The Chaufula, in many ways, is some how similar to Garba dance-song of Gujrat, Bihu of Assam, Ras of Manipur, where speed, agility, spontaneity is visible. An example of a song is :

Nand tera dadu ka jayun cha dadu sunar ku ooti cha

Oti baithik kya kardu cha, nath besar gadandu cha

Jhumailo: Jhumailo is called Jambhalika in Sanskrit and originated by Sanskrit poet Kalidas . Jhumalo dance-song is performed from Vasnat Panchami to Shak Vikrami Samvat . The speciality of jhumelo song is that Jhumailo word comes at the end of each stanza. The songs are tender and description of nature and dance is performed as Thadya except that the steps come back and then forwarded. The Jhumalo is similar to Jhumar of Bhojpuri and Maithili except that Jhumar are love song but Jhumalo are nature songs as :

Phoolik ai gain jhumailo layedi rayadi jhumelo, neeganda burans jhumelo dola si gachhen jhumela

Mor or Mayur Nritya: This dance is full of enthusiasm and agility .The female dancers stand in circle, dance with holding other dancer’s hands like scissor, three dancer females dance in another inside circle and perform like peacock. The dancers take one step ahead and takes back and simultaneously move forward in circle too. The song are of rapture of love, description of nature as :

Hyunchali dandyun ka chali hinwali kankor,

Rangamtu hwai , nachan lagi myaro man ko mor

This community dance-song may be performed anywhere at any season.

Vasant nrityageet: vasant dance-song starts from first day of Chait (13^th march and runs till first day of Baisakh (14^th april) and is the symbol of spring season. Chait month is also the month of Phoolun maina, when the unmarried girls collects flowers in evening and put those flowers on the doorsills. The dance by dancers is performed in community country yard and is group dance-song. The songs are nature related subjects and with love too. Initial line of one marvelous song is as:

Gweeral phuli ge mera bhina, malu beda phyunlyodi phuli ge bhina

Holi Nrityageet: The Holi dance-song came from the birth place -Mathura and songs are in Braj and not in Uttarakhand-Garhwali. These songs are sung for five days before Holi dahan with moving group dance.

Khuded nrityageet: This type of dance and songs are sung by daughter in laws and are full of pathos, pain of separation from husbands, parents, brother-sisters, relatives or lovers. An example of song is :

Hey unchi dandi tum nisi hwai jawa, ghani kuyadi tum chhanti hwawa

Maiku lagin cha khud maitada ki, babaji ka desh dikhan deva

Chanchari Nritya geet: Chanchari dance-song is performed in the border areas of Uttarakhand-Kumaun and Uttarakhand-Garhwal. This is similar to Jhoda dance of Uttarakhand-Garhwal and is free style dance. Mostly the songs are of love rapture. An example of song is :

Chandi gadi bandi sua chandi gadi bandi sua, kaiki sua holi ino laguli si lafandI, deeda jan jota

Ghughtee Nrityageet: In Uttarakhand-Kumaun-Uttarakhand-Garhwal, crow is the sign of divinely portent. The unmarried females make bird of flour dogh and offer to crows on the festival day of Makar Sankranti and while, offering bird shaped dough, the girls dance and sing the song as:

Kale kava, kale , kale, kale, aja kaga, batha kaga haryan brich

Bol kaga bol kaga, chaudasi sagun, twai dyunlo kaga mi dudh bhat puri

Talwar Nritya Geet: The Talwar dance-song is chivalries performance. In Rawain-Jaunpur, it is called ‘Bisu Nach’. It is medieval Talwar dance-song was performed with swords on Vjayadashami by brave personalities before the king of Uttarakhand-Garhwal and citizens used to perform this bravery oriented dance in their village on Vijayadashami. Now, it is rarely performed. The wordings of a song from many such songs are:

Bhula ! Danda si Shr chhanwan, Kamal si phool chhawan

Bayali si bag chhawan, par itni si bat man tu kya wai mal sani sar nee kar sakada

Kedara: Kedara dance-song is performed on Vishwat Samkranti and is the worship of lord Shiva. This like dancing arti of lord Shiva . The Auji or das (drumming class) plays drums and sing the song and citizens dance in the circle surrounding Shiva temple till ‘Jaleri’ of Shiva temple.

He deva namo namo shanti deva, shanti kedar, anna deva, dhann deva

….kando ni baitho khut man, sukhi raino sabi, annmanto, dhannmanto kaide kedar

Gahsiyari Nrityageet: This dance-song is performed by felaes in grazing land either taking care of domestic animals in forest or cutting grass in the grass land. These songs are of various subjects and usually change according to time and place:

Gado gulband gulband ko nageena, twaite meri sasu, bwarin ki ageena

Budde lagandi jawani ka reesa, budadi tai dharla pungdee ka dhisa

Chhopti Nrityageet: Chhopti geet is performed near the area of border of Uttarkashi and Tihri Uttarakhand-Garhwal. Chhopati dance is similar to Chanchari where males and females dance in circle. Females stand and dance in hal circle and males dance in rest of the circle.The hands of dancers are on other’s back catching third dancer’s hands and then they dance. There is movement in dance but with two steps forward and one step backward.

Chhopati is lyrical dialogues based dance-song. The songs are definitely love songs as:

Postu ka chhua, meri bhagyani bau-j ki chhopti bhagyani bau

Rai tumara juma meri bhagyani bau-akhadu ka doka meri bhagyani bau

Chhapeli Nrityageet: Chapeli dance-song is popular dance-song off dusant (Uttarakhand-Kumaun-Uttarakhand-Garhwal border) . This purely a love dance-song where a young female and young male take part in singing and dancing. This is community dance-song and is performed in fair, festivals or specific events. The agility, speed, vibration, enthusiasm, passion for lover are the significant characteristics of chhupet dance-song. This song will provide the idea of the characteristics of Chupeli dance-song:

Standard stanza: maduli cha band, maduli hirahir

Sali (sister in law) : bakharo ko sank bal bakhro ko sank,

mi band band banun chhau re jija min kya kann yanko

Jeeja (brother in law) : chakhuli ka beet, chakhuli ka beet

Meri motor ma baith maduli aganai ki seet

Saraun Nrityageet: Talwar dance-song is about the knowledge of art of war by swords. However, saran denotes the winning of battle or war. The dancers perform dance with swords and armors . In Uttarakhand-Kumaun, this dance-song is called Chholia dance . There are no set songs for sarun but the wordings should create emotions of happiness, delight, pride, bravery, enthusiasm, agility, self-esteem, confidence etc. The songs are full of bravery and battle winning aspects:

Ek sing ran ban, ek sing gai ka

Ek sing madho sing aur sing kai ka

Phaufati Dance song: two unmarried teen age girls make pair and this way many pairs dance and sing in the community yard or in any plain place in grass land . There is similarity between Faufati and kiki or kikali of Punjab. There are small verses in this dance-song as :

Saruli sarpat jandari lhai de sasu bhentan dwee rwata pakai de

Sag pat kuch ni cha dwee musa mari de, mus ni mari sakdi ween tain bhel lamdai de

Bhailo-Bhailo: This dance-song is perfomred on the night of Egas/tulsi vivah. Uttarakhand-Kumauni call this dance-song as ’khantuduwa’ , Uttarakhand-Kumaunis dance with drumming of dhol-damau

And sing:

Bhello jo bhello khantuduwa,

gai ki jeet, khantudua ki har khantadu lagin dhar dhar

Gai bheto syo chanted pado bhel

After ritual prayer of fire of campfire in open field near village, Uttarakhand-Garhwalis dance on the tone of Dhol-damau and sing :

Bhailo re bhailo, khelo re bhailo, bagwal ki rat khela bhailo

Bagwal ki rati lachmi ko bas, jagamg bhailo ki har jaga subas

Dalyon ke Nritya Geeet: In Uttarakhand-Garhwal, Dallyas are Nathpanthi. The songs of Nathpanthos are related to Guru Gorakhnath, Bhartihari, Machhendra Nath etc.. Thsong are with detachment, spiritual subjects. The dallya plays Ektara, sings and dance slowly unlike baul of Bengal where the singer dance fast.

Ridhi ko sumron, sidhi ko sumiro, sumiron sarda mai

Ar sumiron guru avinashi ko, sumiron Krishna lanai

Jatra Nrityageet: These songs are sung while traveling for a religious places at the time of festival and the religious travelers sing prayers from mythological subjects dance while traveling is in slow rhythm :

Panchshila than panchdyau jaga, uccho mandir nis chandrabhaga,

Mandir pachha pani nigas, sila sanesur shivling khas

Jhoda Nrityageet: Jhoda dance-song is one of the main community cum group dance-song of eastern Uttarakhand-Garhwal and Uttarakhand-Kumaun. Usually, Joda nritygeet is performed in night, related to spring season. There is neither restriction on the numbers of dancers and nor there is restriction for subjects. Usually, people perform this dance and song in fair. One example of song is;

Male: heera Hiruli band, teelo dhar bola

Female; Kisni Khadkwal negi, teelo dhar bola

Baunchhado nrityageet: Baunchhado dance-song is free style dance and the dancers give jerks to their hands violently and dance simultaneously. This dance is some how nearer to Bhangda of Punjab. Songs are full of enthusiasm, love, satire, humour and agility:

Masurali ankhee chalaundi meri daunta kathain ge, dathidi ka chunka ab gaon ka uthain ge

Daita ki ankh man kya jadu bharyun cha kani tamkaundi ankhe najaron ko mauka jathai rai

Duda Nrityageet: The females in grassland taking domestic anmals for grazing or females cutting grass in the forest perform Duda dance-song. The dance -song is performed by two females or one male and one females . The songs are in questions answer format.

Jhangora ki daun-gaura de jahngora ki daun

Sadku ki gahseri . Gaseri kya cha tera nam. Jhamm

Brala ka bhaun-gora de —

Bata ka batohi, batohi 1 gaura mera nam , jamm!

Bajuband Nrityageet: Bajuband songs are found everywhere in Uttarakhand-Garhwal but Bajuband dance-songs are popular in Rawanin -Jaunpur and are similar to Nyoli of Uttarakhand-Kumaun. Usually, Bajuband songs are love songs . The dance is very romantic and with lot of emotions and body language of male and female dancer. It is sure that males and females have experience of body love and the songs are in dialogues or questions -answer methods and first stanza is without meaning and is used for alliteration.

Phuli jali jai

Banjkatdari kai gaon ki chhai ?

Babula ki kuchi

Kai bhi gaon ki holi tu kardi puchhi?

…..

Sagwadi ko sag

Manakhi jaunli maya , purush jaula bhag!

Bau sarela nrityageet: Bau sarela songs are love songs and are related to sister in law (elder brother’s wife) and brother in law (husband’s younger brother). This is sung and danced in forest or grazing land to pass the time and entertaining :

Chali aa ye bau

Binsar ko mela, chali au ye bau

Banj ki anchhyani

Me paili jaunlu bau , tu mer paru pachyani

Tandi nrityageet: Tand means to stand and dance in single line.The tandi dance-song is performed by males and in half circle as Chhpati dance. The subject of tandi dance-song iare of varied subjects.

Sunda nal pani gaiti, janda nala mungari

Hath man tama ki ghaduli, hath man tama ki gagar

Laman nritya geet: The lamand gentrify is performed in Rawain Jaunpur and is somehow similar to Bajuband song-dance but with sophistication and no erotic language as found in Bajuband , all lines of song are with meaning . In dance, two separate groups of female and males dance. The leader of each group sings in question answer methodologies but complimentary to earlier stanza as:

Meri a teri a shaugiy lodadi, aurar sata

Paro bajay topind beech pad baint sampa

Khusauda nrityageet: crusade means the song and dance of happiness or delight and could be performed anywhere and any happy events as festival, marriage, rituals etc

Mate pade kam kam, dhungya padyan dam dam

Pad man motor chale tha-ra -ra pam pam.

Hansauda nrityageet: hansoda geet are laughter humorous songs and performed with dance:

Fur ghughtee fur

Sadkun ka kohl

Ghughti na biyan , la ghughtee mol, fur ghughti fur

Chhude nritygeet: Chhude geet is also called ‘Patkhai men chhuda’/ These songs are the songs of detachment, inspiration, condolence, love, meeting of beloved ones, separation of beloved ones etc as :

Ek na maryan bala ki boi

Ek na maryan taruna ki joi

Sipaya nrityageet: Uttarakhand-Garhwal has been the place of producing soldiers for all categories.

Therefore, it is obvious that there are songs-dances related to soldiers including pain of separation, pathos besides patriotic songs.

Datyan chhan morchon par at, pichhadi ni hata karda

Ni khando ju mar jaunko ni jand kwee war khali

Ina chhan shur beer ranbanka veer Uttarakhand-Garhwali

Banjara nrityageet: Banjara dance-songs are free and varied in terms of subject, dancing disciplines, composition off sonnets, and number of dancers. Usually, The humour is there in banjara dance-song as :

Ta chham Ta chham

Mai nee andu twaiku, samgram budhy ram chham

Teri fulin cha dadi, sangram budy ram chham

Twai budya ku lambo naku

Twai budya ko raindu nee

Gend mele ke dance-songs: The gindi fair on Makar Sankranti is very popular in Dhangu, Udaypur, Langur, Ajmer, Dabralsyun and Sheela pattis of south Pauri Uttarakhand-Garhwal. The game is similar to Rugby. Males-females perform many dance-songs in Gindi fair :

The songs, dances are enthusiastic, agile, humorous, esteem enhancer, as:

Charkhi tuti jali govindi na baith charkhi man

Charkhi man cha tyaro jithano na baith charkhi man

Jan Chetna ke Nrityageet: The people of Uttarakhand-Garhwal are very spontaneous in creating songs on any happenings great importance or least significance. There is always, creation of social awareness . The following song is of same kind:

Chalo bhai bando gaon khuni hauj banaula

Chal bhula dakhu klyun ki khoj kulyun tai dyaula dwee rupya roj

Chal bhula isuri odon ki khoj odon tai dyaula das rupya roj

Book Details
Uttarakhand-Garhwal Ke Lok Nritya Geet
By Dr Shiva Nand Nautiyal
Published by :

Hindi Sahitya Sammelan
Prayag, Allahabad, Uttarapradesh, India
Year of Publication : 1981