Classification of Folk Dance-Songs of Garhwal by Dr Shivanand Nautiyal-1

[“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]

(Commentary on Garhwal ke Lok Nritya Geet, a Timeless Book on Folk Song-Dance of Garhwal)

Late Dr Shivananad Nautiyal is not an unknown name in Garhwali folk literature nor is he unfamiliar in social and political fields of Garhwal. He is quite famous for collecting, reviewing, publishing and popularizing the folk songs and dances of Garhwal from his youth till his death. I bought his timeless, 486 pages book ‘Garhwal ke Loknritya-Geet’ (Folk Dance -Songs of Garhwal) in 1982. I was planning to review this collector’s book since then. However, this book, written in Hindi, is so comprehensive that even after many trials I could not do so.

It is not easy to write review on great works because each word in such work is very important and it is very difficult to review a work when it is different than conventional ones as the publisher Dr Prem Narayan Shukla of this book mentions ,”Dr Shiv Prasad Dabral, Shri Govind Prasad Nautiyal, Shri Hari Krishna Raturi, Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna, Hari Dutt Bhatt Shailesh, Dr Govind Chatak, Shri Mohan Babulkar, Shri Mahaveer Prasad Poddar, Vasant Karnekar, Shri Sant Ram Vatsya, Shri Kalpnath Singh, Shri Jamnudas Akhtar and Tarantaran Dhasahmana and many more wrote brilliantly on social, religious, historical, spiritual, literature, cultural issues and subjects of Himalaya, Garhwal, Uttaranchal and Uttarakhand but Dr Shiva Nand ‘s work in this book is totally different in context and review too.” Definitely, Dr Shiva Nand Nautiyal chooses a different subject that is Folk Dances-songs of Garhwal.

In his Amukh or self expression, Dr Nautiyal says that he got inspiration to write on Folk-Dances-Songs of Garhwal by Dr Vasudev Sharan Agarwal in 1981. From that time, Dr Shiva Nand started extensive research on the subject and could publish this book. There are seven chapters in the book and each part is itself a book in its own.

Introduction of Garhwali Folk Dances-Songs

Shiva Nand Nautiyal provided many unheard knowledge about Garhwal and its rich heritage and culture in 71 pages introduction.

A- Geographical introduction (bhaugolik bhumika):

Shiva Nand Nautiyal provides the quotations about geography of Garhwal from Mahabharat, Skandh Puran, Dr T.G.Longstaff, H.W Tilman etc. He provides the details in terms of area, population of Dehradun, Uttarakshi, Chamoli, Tihri Garhwal and Pauri Garhwal and explains the diverse geographical areas too.

B- History of Garhwal From Rig-Veda till date:

The area Garhwal had been an important place in Jamboodweep (today’s Indian sub continent) at the time of Rig-Veda too. That is the reason the creator describes hundred Garhis (forties of hills) of ashur (primitive) king Shamber in Rig-Veda (4-30-20).From king Shamber of Rig-Veda era , Shiva Nand Nautiyal takes us the chronological history of Garhwal via Ram era (Marichi of Ramayan fame), the initiation of generation and storing techniques of fire by Angira in Agelthaili of Garhwal, eras of Kailash, Alkapuri, Devpuri, the prayer by Ravan, arrival of Adi Shankaracharya in 820Ad, arrival of Vaishnavi preacher Madhvacharya in 1153, fifty two Garhs and crowning of Kanakpal the fist king of Panwar dynasty , Gorkha regime (1804-1815), British rule (1815-1947) and independent India.

C- Varied dimensions of Garhwali culture (Garhwal ki Sanskriti aur vivid ayam):

In this chapter, Shiva Nand Nautiyal provides the quotations of many learned experts for defining culture (Sanskriti) and tries to prove that the culture of Garhwal is the culture of India. Describing the quotations of Vedas, Mahbharat, Purans, and other modern researchers , Shiva Nand explains that the culture of Garhwal is influenced and affected by Vedic culture, Janism, Baidhissm, Shaivyas, Vaishnavyas, Ngvansism, Kiratism, Kanturyism, Shaktiism, Smartism, Nathism, Sikhism, and up to certain extent Christianity and Islamic culture if not much. Same way, the art and craftsmanship is also the reflections of varied dimensions that is local invented craftsmanship and science and borrowed from other parts of India and world too.

Chronological introduction and development of dance and music in Folkdance and songs in Garhwal (Garhwal ke kok-nritya aur unkse sambaed gee ton ka savexanatmak samyak parichay):

Dr Nautiyal tells that the folk dance is the life of a nation or region. After explaining and reviewing the aspects of emotions, body performances, dialogue performances, dress-performances, singing performances, Dr Shiva Nand takes the readers on the path of chronological history pf dance-singing origination and development in each important eras of Indian soil and correlate effects of those developments on the developments of folk dance-songs of Garhwal

Dances-songs of Indus valley civilization: Dr Nautiyal asserts that in India, scientific way of dance-songs started from Indus valley civilization and the people of that era were well versed about the importance of acting by body, face, dresses, dialogues (songs), instruments in dance-songs.

Dravid civilization: Nautiyal provides the proof from the book Bhartiya Nritya Parampara aur abhnaya darpan by Vachaspati Gairola that Dravadian society had understood and expertise the importance of science, spirituality, rituals, psychology, philosophy, performances in musica and dance in Dance-Song

Vedic era: The women and men used to dance and sing by taking a tranquilizing liquid (somras) in Vedic Era. The evolutionary step in Vedic era from Dravidian era was that in Vedic era the society added code of conducts, and purity of life.

Pauranik era: Shiva nad provides plenty of proofs that in Pauranik era, the development of art of dance-song was on its peak.

Ramayan Era : The coupling art of dance-singing was common in Ramayan era and Ram was expert of dance-singing.

Mahabharata era: The dance-song art was very popular in Mahabharatian era.

Jain era: In early Jain literature , there are references of community dance-singings

Budhist era: There are references of inclusion of emotions, spirituality , philosophy in dance-songs in Budhist era except when there was ban on dance-singing in courts of king and administrative executives by Kautilya in Maurya era.

Nag era : This is the time when Bharat created Natyashashtra and it is called the golden period of Dance-Song-Drama.

Classical Dance: In Nag era, Natyashashtra became the inspiring source of popularization of classical dance and dance-singing in India

Gupt era: Gupt era is the foremost era in developing and popularizing the art of dance-singing by court and rich people

Rajput era: Rajput, era as the Gupt era is the time when Indian dance-singing developed and became popular too.

Islamic era (1000-1290): In this era, the dance-singing took the turn towards erotic version in opposite of purity and spirituality in dance-singing .

Moghul era: All the rulers except Aurangzeb patronized dance, singing, dance-song and other arts too. This is the era, when professionalism entered in art of dance and singing.

Modern era: Nautiyal supports the quotation of Umesh Joshi that there is decline in this art of dance-song because sophistication and purity are in declining fashion . Nautiyal provides many examples of dance-song being promoted by government agencies and social organizations too.

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