Religious Dance Folk Songs of Uttarakhand Garhwal

Classification of folk dance song of Uttarakhand Garhwal – 3

[“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

Chapter-2 Religious Dance Folk Songs

Uttarakhand-Garhwal is a land of Deities, Gods and Goddesses and there is wide impact of deities, God and Goddesses and their stories on nearly every aspect of life. The same effect is also visible in the folk dance-songs, even, there are emotional- dances songs related to devils, bhoot or souls of dead, demons.

A-Dance and songs for Deities,God and Goddesses: Nagarja, Nirankar, Narsingh, Devi, hanuman, Bhairav, Heet, Ghantakarn, etc are main deities, God and Goddesses of Uttarakhand-Garhwal. The prayer to these deities or goddesses is called ‘Jagar’. The Jagar is combination of singing prayer in exclusive Uttarakhand-Garhwali tone, music by damaroo (small drum) and bronz thali (plate) and dance by who is supposed to be incarnated by deities/goddess and dancers from audience. [More On Jagar]

Nagarja: Nagarja is common and main deity of Uttarakhand-Garhwal. Nagarja is Krishna in Uttarakhand-Garhwal in these prayers or Jagar. There are dances and songs related to the life history of Krishna. The form of Krishna in Uttarakhand-Garhwali Jagar is not found the form of a supernatural but an human ones. There is reference of family tree of Krishna or Nagraja in Uttarakhand-Garhwali song – Aminag, Faninag,Sisarnag, Bisarnag, tatkinag and vasukinag (father of Krishna) and the birthplace of Krishna is in Seem of Mukhim in Ramola patti of Tihri Uttarakhand-Garhwal.

Shiva Nand provides examples of many lyrical stories related to life of Krishna as

Jamuna war holo kans ko kans kot, Jamuna par holo gokul bairat

Kanskot holo raja ugarsen, tauki rani holi rani pawanrekha

There are jagar from many aspects of life of Krishna as Rukmain-haran, Chandravali haran, kans badh. However, the most astounding stories in Krishna ‘ Jagar’ is Kusma-Kolin Krishna love story and Sonari-Krishna love story.Both Kolin and Sonari are not from upper caste. These folk song-stories show the value of deprived class in Uttarakhand-Garhwali society.

Nirankar: Nirankar is called ‘Bada Devta’ and is nothing but lord Shiva. Though, everybody worships Nirankar but harijan class prays Nirankar through dance-songs (jagar and ghadela) mostly, the ghadela of Nirnkar is performed at the time of new crop harvesting and always, first cereals are offered to Nirankar. The story of Nirankar-Jagar is related to the desciple of raidas a cobbler who tells the story of Nirakar:

Onkar sad guru prasad , prthame onkar, onkar se fonkar

Fonkar se vayu, vayu se visandari se pani, pani se kamal

……

Nrankar is another form of lord Shiva, therefore, the dance is more vibrant as Shiva dances vibrantly.

Nagilo: ShivaNand says that Nagelo is Nag Raja and it seems that Nagelo is Krishna. Nagela is the deity of prosperity and fame as is worshiped through this Jagar:

Dyul nagilo ayo jaseelo devta, dyul nagelo ayo bhakton tain deend jas

Dyul nagilo ayo mulak gaye bheo, dyul nagilo ayo Ramoli ko dhati

Narsingh: In Uttarakhand-Garhwal, Narsingh is not incarnation of lord Vishnu but Narsingh is the disciple of Guru Gorakhnath. There are fifty two brave and Sidh purush which are described in Narsingh’s jagar as

Ijag jagnarsingh beer baba,rupa ko tero sotta jag, fatingo ko tera mudra jag

Dimari rasoya jag, kedari raut jag, nepali tero chimta jag, kharua ko teri jholi jag

There two main forms of Narsingh deity—1-Dondya and 2-Dudho Narsingh

Bharon/Bhairun: Bharon is disciple of lord Shiva and is the deity of defence and protection. Bharon is worshipped at the start of each new work. The music instruments of Bharon Jagar are Dhol, Damau or Daur -Thali and after the start of dancing by males as Bharun , the females in the form of Bharvin also dance. The jagar is as

Tu jagi ja beer bharon, tu jagi ja

Bharun is worshipped to quick away evil spirit from a human being

Nanda : Nanda is main deity of Uttarakhand-Garhwal and Uttarakhand-Kumaun . Nanda is the family deity of king of Uttarakhand-Garhwal and that is why she is called Rajrajeshwari Devi. Nanda is another name of Parvati the daughter of Himalaya.

In the jagar of Nanda devi , she is normal human being who feels pathos while leaving mother’s place after marriage:

Satedi pungadi matyun ki such apodu jain, …..

Saisur jan ko bela kaiku na ain

There is song for the pain in sasural (in-law’s house) for Nanda as happens for other girls too:

Holo jasi mero holo hyun ko disan, holo jasi mero hyun ko dhikan

……. ……..

Baba ji ko des kya gham lagyunc ha sasura ji ka des boi kya kuedi launkhin cha

Every twelve year a yatra of worshiping Nanda Devi ,called Nanda Raj Jat yatra happens and every year in many parts of Uttarakhand the Nandadevi fair is celebrated.

Devi : Devi’s worship through ghadela is performed within individual family and in community too and many folk stories are sung for the ghadela or Mnadan of Devi dance-song:

Palmate thalmate dainta dharni narsingi narayani

…….. ….

Jai bola tero dhyan jaglo, uncha Dhaulagadh tera daint chichi gen jog maya

…….. …….

Ufrain Devi: Dr Nautiyal says that Ufrain Devi is the goddess of fame and is worshipped through musical instruments–Dhol-Damau and jagar by Auji and there is procession performance too.

Heet Heet is the disciple of Nirankar and the worship of Nirankar is initiated only after Heet is remembered by dance-song :

Daina hoi jayan mera heetu re ghandyal, baso lhee yalo heetu teena uncha neela kanthu manj

Mamanda Beer: Mamanda beer is the deity of defense and protection and he protects the devotees from devilish spirits and undesired happenings. The jagar of mamonda are full of chivalry :

Kaun des ai jata fikari sau man lubba sangul, kiski pagmudi bandhaun

Au re mera mamanda beer , veg manta teg au

Hanuman : There is important place of Hanuman in Uttarakhand-Garhwal. The worship of Hanuman through dance-song is very specific as the ‘Paswa’(on whose body the deity enters) dances in bravery and de-roots big bush/tree for putting shrub into fire of Mandan. The Jagaris sing and plays musical instruments (Dhol-Damu) vibrantly.The dance-song-music of worshiping (Jagar) is always full of vibrancy, speedy and brings enthusiasm, chivalry , effervesces, among dancers, audience and in atmosphere as whole.

Jai hanuman veer bajrangi, lanka sadhe, bilanka sadhe

Asurali patan sadhe, jam ko jal sadhe, kal ko fans sadhe

Ghantakarn or Ghandyal: Ghandyal or Ghantakarn is the deity of providing prosperity, protection is supposed to be very powerful deity. Nautiyal informs that in many places, the temple of Ghantakarn or Ghandyal is called ‘Dev dikhani’.The worshiping pf Ghandyal is performed through procession (jat jatra) and worshiping goes for a month

Latu Devta: Latu deity is ‘dharambhai’ or brother by friendship of Raj Rajeshwari Nanda devi and before the main worshiping of Nanda Devi, the Latu Devta is worshiped by means of jagar and dance-song of Latu Devta. Latu is the deity of astonishment and requires sacrifice of he goat.

Gorila devta: In Uttarakhand-Kumaon Gorila is called Gol devta and is important as Narsingh.

Haru Harpal or Sidh baba: Sidh baba is related to nath sect.

Raghunath Ji: Nautiyal provides a new knowledge that in some area as surrounding Devprayag, there is dance-song for worshiping lord Ram.

You can get more on God-Goddess of Uttarakhand here.

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