Folk Music and Dance of Jammu and Kashmir | JKPSC KAS (Jammu and Kashmir): Preparation Course PDF Download

 Page 1


FOLK MUSIC
AND DANCE OF
JAMMU AND KASHMIR
CHAPTER 24
The cultural sphere of Jammu and Kashmir is very distinctive in
nature as compared to other states of the country. Due to its
rich tradition and culture, the state attracts outsiders from every
part of the world. The people of the state celebrate every event
of their life with folk music and dances. These music and
dances make the life of people very colourful.
ThefolkmusicofJammuandKashmirisrichanddistinctfrommusicplayedinrest
ofIndia.Itisknownas‘Hindustaniclassical’whichisdiscussedintheancienttexts
like Neelmatapurana and Rajatarangini byKalhana.
Folk Music of Jammu and Kashmir
KashmirimusicreflectstherichmusicalheritageandculturallegacyofKashmir.
KashmiriValleymusicisclosertoCentralAsianmusic,usingtraditionalCentral
Asianinstrumentsandmusicalscales,whilemusicfromJammuissimilartothat
ofNorthIndiaandLadakhimusicissimilartothemusicofTibet.Themusicofthe
stateismainlybasedonclassicalmusic,lovesongsandpresentsocialandpolitical
conditions.Important forms of folk music of Jammu and Kashmir are given below:
Bakhan
Thissongischaracterisedbybeautifulrhythms.Thisfolksongissungwithoutthe
useofanymusicalinstrument.Itisawidelyprevalentformofmassentertainmentin
Kashmirregion.Thesonghasirregularandvariousmodulationsinitstoneandnote.
Thisvariationcanbeidentifiedfromthehandmovementsoftheartists.Thelyrics
ofBakhansongsareinDogrilanguage.
Page 2


FOLK MUSIC
AND DANCE OF
JAMMU AND KASHMIR
CHAPTER 24
The cultural sphere of Jammu and Kashmir is very distinctive in
nature as compared to other states of the country. Due to its
rich tradition and culture, the state attracts outsiders from every
part of the world. The people of the state celebrate every event
of their life with folk music and dances. These music and
dances make the life of people very colourful.
ThefolkmusicofJammuandKashmirisrichanddistinctfrommusicplayedinrest
ofIndia.Itisknownas‘Hindustaniclassical’whichisdiscussedintheancienttexts
like Neelmatapurana and Rajatarangini byKalhana.
Folk Music of Jammu and Kashmir
KashmirimusicreflectstherichmusicalheritageandculturallegacyofKashmir.
KashmiriValleymusicisclosertoCentralAsianmusic,usingtraditionalCentral
Asianinstrumentsandmusicalscales,whilemusicfromJammuissimilartothat
ofNorthIndiaandLadakhimusicissimilartothemusicofTibet.Themusicofthe
stateismainlybasedonclassicalmusic,lovesongsandpresentsocialandpolitical
conditions.Important forms of folk music of Jammu and Kashmir are given below:
Bakhan
Thissongischaracterisedbybeautifulrhythms.Thisfolksongissungwithoutthe
useofanymusicalinstrument.Itisawidelyprevalentformofmassentertainmentin
Kashmirregion.Thesonghasirregularandvariousmodulationsinitstoneandnote.
Thisvariationcanbeidentifiedfromthehandmovementsoftheartists.Thelyrics
ofBakhansongsareinDogrilanguage.
Benthe
Thisfolksongissunginachorusbya
groupof5to7people.Thisisfounded
bytheBakarwalandGujjartribalgroups
ofthestate.Thissongisperformed
duringmajoroccasionsandalsoto
celebratesocialceremony.Bysinging
thissonginchorusgroups,the
performersshowthesolidarityofthe
inhabitantsofthevalley.
Chakri
Itisoneofthemostfamoustypesoffolk
musicwhichisveryfamousamong
KashmiriPanditsandKashmiriMuslims
duringweddingceremony.Thefolk
inhabitantsofKashmirperformthis
musicform.Importantmusical
instrumentswhichareusedinthismusic
areharmoniumrubab,garahaandSarangi.
Karak
Thisisataleballet,sungbyJogies.Itis
performedalongwithdance.Itis
popularamongstthejogicommuityin
Udhampurdistrict.Itisperformedby
threeJogieswithaccompanimentof
musicalinstrumentknownasRabab.
Ladishah
Itisasarcasticalformofsinginginthe
Kashmirmusictradition.Itreflectsthe
presentsocialandpoliticalconditionsin
ahumorousmanner.Duringharvesting
period,thesingersmovevillagetovillage
andcomposesongsonthespotonissues
relatingtoaspecificvillage.Asthese
songsreflectthetruth,thus,singers
sometimesuseharshlanguagebutonly
forentertainment.
Nend Baith
Thesesongsareveryfamousamongthe
farmersofKashmir.Thesesongsare
sungbyfarmersingroupswhenthey
starttheirdailyscheduleatthetimeof
nend(removingweedsfromnewly
grownplants).Farmersenjoythese
songsasthesemakethetoughdayseasy
andincreasetheirenthusiasm.
Sufiyana Kalam
ItisaformofsongthatcontainsSufi
lyrics.ThewordSufianaisrelatedto
theSufiswhilethetermKalammeans
lyrics.TheSufianaKalamsongsare
widelysungandchantedinthe
KashmirvalleysofIndia.
TheoriginoftheSufianaKalamform
ofmusiccanbetracedbacktothe15th
centuryAD.Itisaformofclassical
musicthathasitsownmaqamorragas
ormelodicmodes.Theinstruments
usedinthissongaresantoor,wasool,
sitar,tablaandharmonium.
Itwasduringthisperiodthatthe
peopleofIranhadbroughtwiththem
thisformofmusic.Therearetwoforms
ofdancethatareaccompaniedbythis
formofmusic.TheHafizadanceand
theBachaNagmadanceareusually
involvingthissortofmusic.
Song of Habba Khatoon
ItisaKashmirmusicwhichisbasedon
thestoryofHabbaKhatoon,a
renownedprincessofKashmir.This
songreflectsthefeelingsofHabba
Khatoon’sseparationfromherbeloved,
theKingYusuf.
Page 3


FOLK MUSIC
AND DANCE OF
JAMMU AND KASHMIR
CHAPTER 24
The cultural sphere of Jammu and Kashmir is very distinctive in
nature as compared to other states of the country. Due to its
rich tradition and culture, the state attracts outsiders from every
part of the world. The people of the state celebrate every event
of their life with folk music and dances. These music and
dances make the life of people very colourful.
ThefolkmusicofJammuandKashmirisrichanddistinctfrommusicplayedinrest
ofIndia.Itisknownas‘Hindustaniclassical’whichisdiscussedintheancienttexts
like Neelmatapurana and Rajatarangini byKalhana.
Folk Music of Jammu and Kashmir
KashmirimusicreflectstherichmusicalheritageandculturallegacyofKashmir.
KashmiriValleymusicisclosertoCentralAsianmusic,usingtraditionalCentral
Asianinstrumentsandmusicalscales,whilemusicfromJammuissimilartothat
ofNorthIndiaandLadakhimusicissimilartothemusicofTibet.Themusicofthe
stateismainlybasedonclassicalmusic,lovesongsandpresentsocialandpolitical
conditions.Important forms of folk music of Jammu and Kashmir are given below:
Bakhan
Thissongischaracterisedbybeautifulrhythms.Thisfolksongissungwithoutthe
useofanymusicalinstrument.Itisawidelyprevalentformofmassentertainmentin
Kashmirregion.Thesonghasirregularandvariousmodulationsinitstoneandnote.
Thisvariationcanbeidentifiedfromthehandmovementsoftheartists.Thelyrics
ofBakhansongsareinDogrilanguage.
Benthe
Thisfolksongissunginachorusbya
groupof5to7people.Thisisfounded
bytheBakarwalandGujjartribalgroups
ofthestate.Thissongisperformed
duringmajoroccasionsandalsoto
celebratesocialceremony.Bysinging
thissonginchorusgroups,the
performersshowthesolidarityofthe
inhabitantsofthevalley.
Chakri
Itisoneofthemostfamoustypesoffolk
musicwhichisveryfamousamong
KashmiriPanditsandKashmiriMuslims
duringweddingceremony.Thefolk
inhabitantsofKashmirperformthis
musicform.Importantmusical
instrumentswhichareusedinthismusic
areharmoniumrubab,garahaandSarangi.
Karak
Thisisataleballet,sungbyJogies.Itis
performedalongwithdance.Itis
popularamongstthejogicommuityin
Udhampurdistrict.Itisperformedby
threeJogieswithaccompanimentof
musicalinstrumentknownasRabab.
Ladishah
Itisasarcasticalformofsinginginthe
Kashmirmusictradition.Itreflectsthe
presentsocialandpoliticalconditionsin
ahumorousmanner.Duringharvesting
period,thesingersmovevillagetovillage
andcomposesongsonthespotonissues
relatingtoaspecificvillage.Asthese
songsreflectthetruth,thus,singers
sometimesuseharshlanguagebutonly
forentertainment.
Nend Baith
Thesesongsareveryfamousamongthe
farmersofKashmir.Thesesongsare
sungbyfarmersingroupswhenthey
starttheirdailyscheduleatthetimeof
nend(removingweedsfromnewly
grownplants).Farmersenjoythese
songsasthesemakethetoughdayseasy
andincreasetheirenthusiasm.
Sufiyana Kalam
ItisaformofsongthatcontainsSufi
lyrics.ThewordSufianaisrelatedto
theSufiswhilethetermKalammeans
lyrics.TheSufianaKalamsongsare
widelysungandchantedinthe
KashmirvalleysofIndia.
TheoriginoftheSufianaKalamform
ofmusiccanbetracedbacktothe15th
centuryAD.Itisaformofclassical
musicthathasitsownmaqamorragas
ormelodicmodes.Theinstruments
usedinthissongaresantoor,wasool,
sitar,tablaandharmonium.
Itwasduringthisperiodthatthe
peopleofIranhadbroughtwiththem
thisformofmusic.Therearetwoforms
ofdancethatareaccompaniedbythis
formofmusic.TheHafizadanceand
theBachaNagmadanceareusually
involvingthissortofmusic.
Song of Habba Khatoon
ItisaKashmirmusicwhichisbasedon
thestoryofHabbaKhatoon,a
renownedprincessofKashmir.This
songreflectsthefeelingsofHabba
Khatoon’sseparationfromherbeloved,
theKingYusuf.
Surma
ThisdanceinDogrireflectsthepainof
anewlymarriedgirlwhosehusbandis
awayinthearmy.Thus,thissongalso
showsthedesireofreunion.
Wanwan or Wedding
Songs
Thesesongsaresungatweddingsin
Kashmirandwithoutthesesongs
weddingisconsideredincomplete.
Thesesongsaresunginchorusbytwo
groupsofwomen,whopraisetothe
brideandthegroomandgivegreetings
tothefamilywithfutureblessings.
Musical Instruments of
Jammu and Kashmir
ThestateofJammuandKashmirhas
manydifferenttypesofmusical
instrumentswhichareusedinfolk
musicofthestate.Important musical
instruments are given below:
Damian
Theword‘Da’meansoundand‘Mian’
standsforsweetthus,itsmeaningis
‘sweetsound’.Thisinstrumentislikea
Guitar,madeof6strings.The
instrumentisveryfamousinthe
nomadicpeople,whoresideinthe
Changthang,Ladakhregion.
Dahara
Thismusicalinstrumentislikeavery
longrodofironandhasironandbronze
ringstosupportit.Ladishahsongsare
sungwiththeuseofthisinstrument.
Damman
Thisinstrumentismadeof2setsof
kettledrumswhichareknownasMo
andFomeaningmaleandfemale.
Theinstrumenthasaholeinsideit,
throughwhichwatercanpourinsideit
andcreatesthedeepandheavysound.
‘Damshing’i.e.smallsticksareusedto
playthisinstrument.
King
Itisthemostinterestingfolkmusical
instrumentofJammuregion.Ithasa
longroundwoodenbarwithtwogourd
resonatorsplacedverticallyonit.
ItisplayedespeciallyinKarkan(ballads
havingreligiousthemes)music.
Rabab
Themostpopularstringinstrumentin
folkmusicistheRabab.Itwas
introducedbyZain-ul-Abidinin
KashmirfromTurkistan.Ithasadeep,
hollowwoodenbodyservingasa
resonator.
ItismainlyusedinsingingChakriand
SufianaKalamintheKashmirvalley.It
isplayedbypluckingstringsand
pressingthematdifferentscales.
Page 4


FOLK MUSIC
AND DANCE OF
JAMMU AND KASHMIR
CHAPTER 24
The cultural sphere of Jammu and Kashmir is very distinctive in
nature as compared to other states of the country. Due to its
rich tradition and culture, the state attracts outsiders from every
part of the world. The people of the state celebrate every event
of their life with folk music and dances. These music and
dances make the life of people very colourful.
ThefolkmusicofJammuandKashmirisrichanddistinctfrommusicplayedinrest
ofIndia.Itisknownas‘Hindustaniclassical’whichisdiscussedintheancienttexts
like Neelmatapurana and Rajatarangini byKalhana.
Folk Music of Jammu and Kashmir
KashmirimusicreflectstherichmusicalheritageandculturallegacyofKashmir.
KashmiriValleymusicisclosertoCentralAsianmusic,usingtraditionalCentral
Asianinstrumentsandmusicalscales,whilemusicfromJammuissimilartothat
ofNorthIndiaandLadakhimusicissimilartothemusicofTibet.Themusicofthe
stateismainlybasedonclassicalmusic,lovesongsandpresentsocialandpolitical
conditions.Important forms of folk music of Jammu and Kashmir are given below:
Bakhan
Thissongischaracterisedbybeautifulrhythms.Thisfolksongissungwithoutthe
useofanymusicalinstrument.Itisawidelyprevalentformofmassentertainmentin
Kashmirregion.Thesonghasirregularandvariousmodulationsinitstoneandnote.
Thisvariationcanbeidentifiedfromthehandmovementsoftheartists.Thelyrics
ofBakhansongsareinDogrilanguage.
Benthe
Thisfolksongissunginachorusbya
groupof5to7people.Thisisfounded
bytheBakarwalandGujjartribalgroups
ofthestate.Thissongisperformed
duringmajoroccasionsandalsoto
celebratesocialceremony.Bysinging
thissonginchorusgroups,the
performersshowthesolidarityofthe
inhabitantsofthevalley.
Chakri
Itisoneofthemostfamoustypesoffolk
musicwhichisveryfamousamong
KashmiriPanditsandKashmiriMuslims
duringweddingceremony.Thefolk
inhabitantsofKashmirperformthis
musicform.Importantmusical
instrumentswhichareusedinthismusic
areharmoniumrubab,garahaandSarangi.
Karak
Thisisataleballet,sungbyJogies.Itis
performedalongwithdance.Itis
popularamongstthejogicommuityin
Udhampurdistrict.Itisperformedby
threeJogieswithaccompanimentof
musicalinstrumentknownasRabab.
Ladishah
Itisasarcasticalformofsinginginthe
Kashmirmusictradition.Itreflectsthe
presentsocialandpoliticalconditionsin
ahumorousmanner.Duringharvesting
period,thesingersmovevillagetovillage
andcomposesongsonthespotonissues
relatingtoaspecificvillage.Asthese
songsreflectthetruth,thus,singers
sometimesuseharshlanguagebutonly
forentertainment.
Nend Baith
Thesesongsareveryfamousamongthe
farmersofKashmir.Thesesongsare
sungbyfarmersingroupswhenthey
starttheirdailyscheduleatthetimeof
nend(removingweedsfromnewly
grownplants).Farmersenjoythese
songsasthesemakethetoughdayseasy
andincreasetheirenthusiasm.
Sufiyana Kalam
ItisaformofsongthatcontainsSufi
lyrics.ThewordSufianaisrelatedto
theSufiswhilethetermKalammeans
lyrics.TheSufianaKalamsongsare
widelysungandchantedinthe
KashmirvalleysofIndia.
TheoriginoftheSufianaKalamform
ofmusiccanbetracedbacktothe15th
centuryAD.Itisaformofclassical
musicthathasitsownmaqamorragas
ormelodicmodes.Theinstruments
usedinthissongaresantoor,wasool,
sitar,tablaandharmonium.
Itwasduringthisperiodthatthe
peopleofIranhadbroughtwiththem
thisformofmusic.Therearetwoforms
ofdancethatareaccompaniedbythis
formofmusic.TheHafizadanceand
theBachaNagmadanceareusually
involvingthissortofmusic.
Song of Habba Khatoon
ItisaKashmirmusicwhichisbasedon
thestoryofHabbaKhatoon,a
renownedprincessofKashmir.This
songreflectsthefeelingsofHabba
Khatoon’sseparationfromherbeloved,
theKingYusuf.
Surma
ThisdanceinDogrireflectsthepainof
anewlymarriedgirlwhosehusbandis
awayinthearmy.Thus,thissongalso
showsthedesireofreunion.
Wanwan or Wedding
Songs
Thesesongsaresungatweddingsin
Kashmirandwithoutthesesongs
weddingisconsideredincomplete.
Thesesongsaresunginchorusbytwo
groupsofwomen,whopraisetothe
brideandthegroomandgivegreetings
tothefamilywithfutureblessings.
Musical Instruments of
Jammu and Kashmir
ThestateofJammuandKashmirhas
manydifferenttypesofmusical
instrumentswhichareusedinfolk
musicofthestate.Important musical
instruments are given below:
Damian
Theword‘Da’meansoundand‘Mian’
standsforsweetthus,itsmeaningis
‘sweetsound’.Thisinstrumentislikea
Guitar,madeof6strings.The
instrumentisveryfamousinthe
nomadicpeople,whoresideinthe
Changthang,Ladakhregion.
Dahara
Thismusicalinstrumentislikeavery
longrodofironandhasironandbronze
ringstosupportit.Ladishahsongsare
sungwiththeuseofthisinstrument.
Damman
Thisinstrumentismadeof2setsof
kettledrumswhichareknownasMo
andFomeaningmaleandfemale.
Theinstrumenthasaholeinsideit,
throughwhichwatercanpourinsideit
andcreatesthedeepandheavysound.
‘Damshing’i.e.smallsticksareusedto
playthisinstrument.
King
Itisthemostinterestingfolkmusical
instrumentofJammuregion.Ithasa
longroundwoodenbarwithtwogourd
resonatorsplacedverticallyonit.
ItisplayedespeciallyinKarkan(ballads
havingreligiousthemes)music.
Rabab
Themostpopularstringinstrumentin
folkmusicistheRabab.Itwas
introducedbyZain-ul-Abidinin
KashmirfromTurkistan.Ithasadeep,
hollowwoodenbodyservingasa
resonator.
ItismainlyusedinsingingChakriand
SufianaKalamintheKashmirvalley.It
isplayedbypluckingstringsand
pressingthematdifferentscales.
Saranda
Thisstringmusicalinstrumentlookslike
‘IndianSarangi’.SaintsorJogisofJammu
regionusethisinstrument.Itisplayed
withabow.
Saz-e-Kashmir
Thisinstrumenthasitsoriginfrom
NorthernIran.Itismadeofwoodhaving3
majorgutstrings.Twostringsaremadeof
silkwhichproducemusicbutthethirdone
stringisofnouse,asitisnottouchbythe
bow,whichisusedtoplaythisinstrument.
Sitar
ThisKashmiriinstrumentissmallerthan
anIndiansitar.Ithassevenstringsfitted
bythehook,whichisknownas‘Mizrab’.
Skaling
ThisKashmirimusicalinstrumentislike
twoflutesarejoinedtoeachother.
Tumbaknari
‘Nari’inKashmirilanguageisanearthen
pot.Thisisa surahishapedearthen
musicalinstrument.Itismainlyusedby
womenfolkatvariousoccasionslike
marriages,etc.Ithassimilarfeatureswith
Iraniinstrument‘Tumakh’.
Other Musical Instruments
JammuandKashmiralsohasothermusic
instrumentslikeDaph,Diwang(fiddle),
Dingjam,Bugjal(cymbals),Gling-Liu,
SgraSnyan,KonKoninLadakh,
Dukkar,SwarnariinKashmir,Chimta,
Gharah,Talli,Hauns,Algoza,Tootiin
Jammu.
Folk Dances of
Jammu and Kashmir
ThefolkdancesofJammuand
KashmirattractnotonlyIndiansbut
alsopeoplefromallovertheworld.
Thesefolkdancesareperformedon
differenteventslikeatthebirthofa
child,incropsowingandharvesting
seasonandondifferentoccasions.
Important folk dances of the state are
discussed below:
Alley Yate
Thisfolkdanceisverypopularinthe
shepherdcommunityinZanskararea
ofLadakhregion.Thisisacombination
ofpoetryanddance.Thisdanceis
performedatthetimewhenpeoplego
outoftheirhomeswithflocks.
Bachha Nagma
Thisdanceisquitepopularin
Kashmirvalleyandperformedduring
harvestseasonormarriageceremony
byyoungboys.Alightmusicisusedin
thisdanceform.Theothernameof
thisdanceformis‘BachhaGyavaun’
whichmeans‘adolescentmelodious
voice’.Thisfolkdanceisperformedby
6to7boysinagroupandamong
themoneboydressesupasafemale
dancerwhoperformsHafizastyleof
dance.Allthesedancersaresingers,
thus,theysingsongswhiledancingina
melodiousvoice.Thedressesofthe
dancerslooksimilarthatofthe
Kathakdancers.
Page 5


FOLK MUSIC
AND DANCE OF
JAMMU AND KASHMIR
CHAPTER 24
The cultural sphere of Jammu and Kashmir is very distinctive in
nature as compared to other states of the country. Due to its
rich tradition and culture, the state attracts outsiders from every
part of the world. The people of the state celebrate every event
of their life with folk music and dances. These music and
dances make the life of people very colourful.
ThefolkmusicofJammuandKashmirisrichanddistinctfrommusicplayedinrest
ofIndia.Itisknownas‘Hindustaniclassical’whichisdiscussedintheancienttexts
like Neelmatapurana and Rajatarangini byKalhana.
Folk Music of Jammu and Kashmir
KashmirimusicreflectstherichmusicalheritageandculturallegacyofKashmir.
KashmiriValleymusicisclosertoCentralAsianmusic,usingtraditionalCentral
Asianinstrumentsandmusicalscales,whilemusicfromJammuissimilartothat
ofNorthIndiaandLadakhimusicissimilartothemusicofTibet.Themusicofthe
stateismainlybasedonclassicalmusic,lovesongsandpresentsocialandpolitical
conditions.Important forms of folk music of Jammu and Kashmir are given below:
Bakhan
Thissongischaracterisedbybeautifulrhythms.Thisfolksongissungwithoutthe
useofanymusicalinstrument.Itisawidelyprevalentformofmassentertainmentin
Kashmirregion.Thesonghasirregularandvariousmodulationsinitstoneandnote.
Thisvariationcanbeidentifiedfromthehandmovementsoftheartists.Thelyrics
ofBakhansongsareinDogrilanguage.
Benthe
Thisfolksongissunginachorusbya
groupof5to7people.Thisisfounded
bytheBakarwalandGujjartribalgroups
ofthestate.Thissongisperformed
duringmajoroccasionsandalsoto
celebratesocialceremony.Bysinging
thissonginchorusgroups,the
performersshowthesolidarityofthe
inhabitantsofthevalley.
Chakri
Itisoneofthemostfamoustypesoffolk
musicwhichisveryfamousamong
KashmiriPanditsandKashmiriMuslims
duringweddingceremony.Thefolk
inhabitantsofKashmirperformthis
musicform.Importantmusical
instrumentswhichareusedinthismusic
areharmoniumrubab,garahaandSarangi.
Karak
Thisisataleballet,sungbyJogies.Itis
performedalongwithdance.Itis
popularamongstthejogicommuityin
Udhampurdistrict.Itisperformedby
threeJogieswithaccompanimentof
musicalinstrumentknownasRabab.
Ladishah
Itisasarcasticalformofsinginginthe
Kashmirmusictradition.Itreflectsthe
presentsocialandpoliticalconditionsin
ahumorousmanner.Duringharvesting
period,thesingersmovevillagetovillage
andcomposesongsonthespotonissues
relatingtoaspecificvillage.Asthese
songsreflectthetruth,thus,singers
sometimesuseharshlanguagebutonly
forentertainment.
Nend Baith
Thesesongsareveryfamousamongthe
farmersofKashmir.Thesesongsare
sungbyfarmersingroupswhenthey
starttheirdailyscheduleatthetimeof
nend(removingweedsfromnewly
grownplants).Farmersenjoythese
songsasthesemakethetoughdayseasy
andincreasetheirenthusiasm.
Sufiyana Kalam
ItisaformofsongthatcontainsSufi
lyrics.ThewordSufianaisrelatedto
theSufiswhilethetermKalammeans
lyrics.TheSufianaKalamsongsare
widelysungandchantedinthe
KashmirvalleysofIndia.
TheoriginoftheSufianaKalamform
ofmusiccanbetracedbacktothe15th
centuryAD.Itisaformofclassical
musicthathasitsownmaqamorragas
ormelodicmodes.Theinstruments
usedinthissongaresantoor,wasool,
sitar,tablaandharmonium.
Itwasduringthisperiodthatthe
peopleofIranhadbroughtwiththem
thisformofmusic.Therearetwoforms
ofdancethatareaccompaniedbythis
formofmusic.TheHafizadanceand
theBachaNagmadanceareusually
involvingthissortofmusic.
Song of Habba Khatoon
ItisaKashmirmusicwhichisbasedon
thestoryofHabbaKhatoon,a
renownedprincessofKashmir.This
songreflectsthefeelingsofHabba
Khatoon’sseparationfromherbeloved,
theKingYusuf.
Surma
ThisdanceinDogrireflectsthepainof
anewlymarriedgirlwhosehusbandis
awayinthearmy.Thus,thissongalso
showsthedesireofreunion.
Wanwan or Wedding
Songs
Thesesongsaresungatweddingsin
Kashmirandwithoutthesesongs
weddingisconsideredincomplete.
Thesesongsaresunginchorusbytwo
groupsofwomen,whopraisetothe
brideandthegroomandgivegreetings
tothefamilywithfutureblessings.
Musical Instruments of
Jammu and Kashmir
ThestateofJammuandKashmirhas
manydifferenttypesofmusical
instrumentswhichareusedinfolk
musicofthestate.Important musical
instruments are given below:
Damian
Theword‘Da’meansoundand‘Mian’
standsforsweetthus,itsmeaningis
‘sweetsound’.Thisinstrumentislikea
Guitar,madeof6strings.The
instrumentisveryfamousinthe
nomadicpeople,whoresideinthe
Changthang,Ladakhregion.
Dahara
Thismusicalinstrumentislikeavery
longrodofironandhasironandbronze
ringstosupportit.Ladishahsongsare
sungwiththeuseofthisinstrument.
Damman
Thisinstrumentismadeof2setsof
kettledrumswhichareknownasMo
andFomeaningmaleandfemale.
Theinstrumenthasaholeinsideit,
throughwhichwatercanpourinsideit
andcreatesthedeepandheavysound.
‘Damshing’i.e.smallsticksareusedto
playthisinstrument.
King
Itisthemostinterestingfolkmusical
instrumentofJammuregion.Ithasa
longroundwoodenbarwithtwogourd
resonatorsplacedverticallyonit.
ItisplayedespeciallyinKarkan(ballads
havingreligiousthemes)music.
Rabab
Themostpopularstringinstrumentin
folkmusicistheRabab.Itwas
introducedbyZain-ul-Abidinin
KashmirfromTurkistan.Ithasadeep,
hollowwoodenbodyservingasa
resonator.
ItismainlyusedinsingingChakriand
SufianaKalamintheKashmirvalley.It
isplayedbypluckingstringsand
pressingthematdifferentscales.
Saranda
Thisstringmusicalinstrumentlookslike
‘IndianSarangi’.SaintsorJogisofJammu
regionusethisinstrument.Itisplayed
withabow.
Saz-e-Kashmir
Thisinstrumenthasitsoriginfrom
NorthernIran.Itismadeofwoodhaving3
majorgutstrings.Twostringsaremadeof
silkwhichproducemusicbutthethirdone
stringisofnouse,asitisnottouchbythe
bow,whichisusedtoplaythisinstrument.
Sitar
ThisKashmiriinstrumentissmallerthan
anIndiansitar.Ithassevenstringsfitted
bythehook,whichisknownas‘Mizrab’.
Skaling
ThisKashmirimusicalinstrumentislike
twoflutesarejoinedtoeachother.
Tumbaknari
‘Nari’inKashmirilanguageisanearthen
pot.Thisisa surahishapedearthen
musicalinstrument.Itismainlyusedby
womenfolkatvariousoccasionslike
marriages,etc.Ithassimilarfeatureswith
Iraniinstrument‘Tumakh’.
Other Musical Instruments
JammuandKashmiralsohasothermusic
instrumentslikeDaph,Diwang(fiddle),
Dingjam,Bugjal(cymbals),Gling-Liu,
SgraSnyan,KonKoninLadakh,
Dukkar,SwarnariinKashmir,Chimta,
Gharah,Talli,Hauns,Algoza,Tootiin
Jammu.
Folk Dances of
Jammu and Kashmir
ThefolkdancesofJammuand
KashmirattractnotonlyIndiansbut
alsopeoplefromallovertheworld.
Thesefolkdancesareperformedon
differenteventslikeatthebirthofa
child,incropsowingandharvesting
seasonandondifferentoccasions.
Important folk dances of the state are
discussed below:
Alley Yate
Thisfolkdanceisverypopularinthe
shepherdcommunityinZanskararea
ofLadakhregion.Thisisacombination
ofpoetryanddance.Thisdanceis
performedatthetimewhenpeoplego
outoftheirhomeswithflocks.
Bachha Nagma
Thisdanceisquitepopularin
Kashmirvalleyandperformedduring
harvestseasonormarriageceremony
byyoungboys.Alightmusicisusedin
thisdanceform.Theothernameof
thisdanceformis‘BachhaGyavaun’
whichmeans‘adolescentmelodious
voice’.Thisfolkdanceisperformedby
6to7boysinagroupandamong
themoneboydressesupasafemale
dancerwhoperformsHafizastyleof
dance.Allthesedancersaresingers,
thus,theysingsongswhiledancingina
melodiousvoice.Thedressesofthe
dancerslooksimilarthatofthe
Kathakdancers.
Bhand Jashan
ThetraditionandthehistoryoftheBhandJashanDanceisperformedformany
generations.ThedanceplaysanimportantpartoftheKashmirlifeandculture.The
danceconveystheexpressionthroughvariousparodiesmade outofsocialsituations.
Thisdanceisnormallyperformedinthevillagesquaresorin awiderarenainfront
ofahugeaudience.
Thedanceisperformedbythegroupoffifteentotwentypeople,wearingtraditional
styledattires.Inthisdance,alltheperformersputtheirhandsonthewaistoftheir
co-dancersandtogethermovebackwardandforwardwiththelightrhythmofthe
beatingofthemusicalinstruments.Thedanceisaccompaniedbytheclassical
musicalinstrumentlikeSurnai,Shehnai,Peshrao,Dholand Nagara.
Cham
ItisquitepopularmaskandcostumedanceofBuddhistsofLadakhmonasteries.Itis
believedthatChamdancewasstartedbyGuruPadmasambhavainthelate8thcentury.
ThisisperformedinBuddhistfestivalsandconsideredasan actofcleansingofevil
forces.
Dandaras
Thisisoneofthepopulardanceformsinthestatewhichperformedduringthetime
ofLohrifestival.Thisisahighlyprofessionaldanceinwhichamodelofpeacock,
madeofbamboosandcolouredpaper,iscarriedbyeverygroup ofdancers.
LADAKHIMONKPERFORMINGCHAMDANCE