The land of Punjab is a land of exciting culture, myriad images of swaying emerald green fields and hearty people uhose robust rustic ways of camaraderie and bonhomie are very much a part of their heritage.
Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate, had claimed Punjab to be the place in India where the first civilized man was born. Thus, much of Indian thought, philosophy and culture is supposed to have originated from this land. Kingdoms changed and empires perished, but the inhabitants of Punjab enlivened their culture, especially the folkdances, which are a vital organ of this culture. The origin of folk dance is associated with the evolutionary era when man left the caves and settled in the plains, devising means to save himself from animals. Raisinq his hands and letting out a scream at the first kill, it is belleved gave birth to folk dance. Jumps and waving of arms In excitement. gave a name to the dance with screams being developed into folk music.
Folk songs of Punjab are the songs of the body and soul. The joyous flight of birds, starry nights, sunny days and thundering clouds, signifying happiness and joy, are all reflected in folk songs . So ageless are these songs that no one can clalm their creation. Punjab is the only place where male and female dances are not the same and are of varying forms. While the male dances are the bhangra, jhoomer, luddi, julli and dankara. the female one’s are Giddha and Kikli.
Bhangra is considered to be one of the oldest dances in the world. While Bhangra historians speculate the dance may have originated in the time of the wars with Alexander no one is sure it existed until about five hundred years ago. Around the 14th or 15th Century, Punjabi wheat farmers danced and sang songs about village life to help pass the time while working in the fields. With time, these became part of harvest celebrations at Bhaisakhi (April 13) festivals, as the sight of their crops growing invigorated the farmers. From here the dance quickly moved through all divisions of class and education, eventually becoming a part of weddings, New Year parties, and other important occasions. One theory also relates it to Lord Shiva. Bhangra has been attributed to the disciples of Shiva who, while grinding bhang or marijuana, sang and danced. Hence the name, bhangra… interesting!
Though danced now at every gala day, bhangra is closely associated with the Baisakkhi festival on the day the harvesting of wheat begins. The dancers are dressed in a kurta (long, flowing, collarless shirt), waistcoats, loin cloth up to the ankles and a colourful turban with a folded tail hanging down like a plume. A golden band to keep the turban in piace is also worn. The song for the dance is called saddh or boli or the call. Adrum, musical tongs and empty earthen vessels provide the rhythmic beat.
Starting with a slow beat, the dancers circle the drummer, who, with a gradually increasing rhythmic beat, beckons them on. Being a virile dance, acrobatics are also performed to display the vigor of their bodies. A man with a whistle accompanies the party to Indicate a change in the movement of the dance. Another. holds a pole atop which a squirrel in puppet form is holsted attached to a string which indicates agility.
Jhoomer also called the the dance of the theives, is performed by male dancers with a graceful gait. The costumes are the same as worn for bhangra. To the tunes of emotional songs, the dancers with a waving of arms. move in a slow circle around a single drummer in the centre. No acrobatics are pertormed during this dance.
Luddi is danced to celebrate a victory in any field. The dance has its historical linkages to the moment when Punjabi Sardars rescued women who were forcibly taken towards the Middle East. The costume for this dance is simple consisting of a kurta, loin cloth and a turban. The performers dance by placing one hand at the back and the other before the face copying the movement of a snake’s head. Thic is also danced with the drummer in the centre. This dance, however. is not as popular as the bhangra in India.
Jalli is a religious dance associated with the Pirs and recluses and is generally danced in their hermitages. The dance is generally pertormed while in a sitting posture. After donning black clothes and a black scarf over the head, the dancer holds a thick staff in his hand and dances by revolving it. This dance is very rarely pertormed these days and is fast disappearing.
Dhankara, like other male dances, is also performed in circles generally ahead of marriage processions to exhibit joy. Also known as the gatka or tippi dance, the dancers rhythmically ply colourtul staffs in their hands crossing them with each other. The high point is reached in the sitting position when the bitons are crossed. No special costumes are worn.
Many different Punjabi instruments contribute to the sound of Bhangra. Although the most important instrument is the dhol drum, Bhangra also features a variety of string and other drum instruments. The primary and most important instrument that defines Bhangra is the dhol. The dhol is a large, high-bass drum, played by beating it with two sticks. The width of a dhol skin is about fifteen inches in general, and the dhol player holds his instrument with a strap around his neck.The string instruments include the tumbi, sarangi, sapera, supp, and chimta. The dhad, dafli, dholki, and damru are the other drums. The tumbi, famously mastered by Amar Singh Chamkila, a famous Punjabi singer, is a high-tone, single-string instrument. Although it has only one string, mastering the tumbi takes many years. The sarangi is a multi-stringed instrument, somewhat similar to the violin. The sapera produces a beautiful, high-pitched stringy beat, while the supp and chimta add extra, light sound to Bhangra music. Finally, the dhad, dafli, dholki, and damru are instruments that produce more drum beats, but with much less bass than the dhol drum.
Bhangra lyrics (Boliyan), always sung in the Punjabi language, generally cover social issues such as love, relationships, alcohol, dancing, and marriage. Additionally, there are countless Bhangra songs devoted to Punjabi pride themes and Punjabi heroes. The lyrics are tributes to the rich cultural traditions of the Punjabis. In particular, many Bhangra tracks have been written about Udham Singh and Bhagat Singh. Less serious topics include beautiful adies with their colorful duppattas, and dancing and drinking in the fields of the Punjab. Bhangra singers do not sing in the same tone of voice as their Southeast Asian counterparts. Rather, they employ a high, energetic tone of voice. Singing fiercely, and with great pride, they typically add nonsensical, random noises to their singing. Likewise, often people dancing to Bhangra will yell phrases such as “Hey hey hey,”Balle balle,” or”Hey aripa” to the music.
Taken from a magazine India Perspectives
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ਭੰਗੜਾ ਉਹ ਲੋਕ ਨਾਚ ਜੋ ਕਿਸੇ ਖਾਕ ਦਿਲ ਇਨਸਾਨ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਝੂਮਨ ਲਾ ਦੇਵੇ |
ਇਸ ਲੋਕ ਨਾਚ ਦੀਆ ਵੱਖ -ਵੱਖ ਵੰਨਗੀਆ ਹਨ, ਜਿਵੇ ਸਿਆਲਕੋਟੀ,ਮਲਵਈ,ਝੂਮਰ,ਮੋਰਨਿਆ,ਲੁਡੀ, ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰਿਆ ,
ਹੁਣ ਇਸ ਲੋਕ ਨਾਚ ਤੇ ਵੀ ਪੱਛਮੀ ਰੰਗ ਦੀ ਝਲਕ ਪੈ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਕਹਿਣ ਤੋਂ ਭਾਵ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਹੁਣ ਲੋਕ ਨਾਚ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਤੱਕ ਹੀ ਸੀਮਤ ਨਹੀ ਸਗੋ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ਾ ਵਿਚ ਗੋਰੇ ਵੀ ਢੋਲ ਦੀ ਥਾਪ ਤੇ ਨੱਚ ਦੇ ਹਨ |
Only want to say one thing after reading this article;
Punjaiya di shaan sachho sacchi vakhri !!
..and a little laalkara :D
sohna article aa and beautiful pictures shared!!