Folk Songs and Dance of Bihar | BPSC Preparation: All subjects - BPSC (Bihar) PDF Download

Introduction

Bihar boasts a rich and indigenous folk music culture, featuring a wide array of regional dialects, with the three main linguistic groups being Maithili, Magadhi, and Bhojpuri. Most musical genres are tied to social events like births or weddings, or professional activities such as planting rice seeds. These genres are also associated with holidays, seasonal festivities, or possess a religious aspect. The songs are performed either by the general populace or by professionals similar to traveling minstrels.

Folk Songs of Bihar

Sohar

• Sohar is a highly popular folk style, closely associated with the birth of a child, a significant social event. Like all forms of folk music in Bihar, Sohar is deeply intertwined with societal functions rather than purely artistic expression. 
• These folk songs have a profound impact on both the performers and the audience. Additionally, Jharkhand, a neighboring state, shares in the popularity of Bihar's Sohar.

Sumangali

• These songs are performed joyfully during marriage ceremonies, using simple and traditional instruments. 
• Women of all ages sing Sumangali songs most often in Bhojpuri, Magadhi, and Maithili. The songs bless the newlyweds as they embark on their new life together.

Ropnigeet

• Ropnigeet is a well-known folk song in Bihar, primarily a work song sung collectively. 
• Planting paddy seeds, or ropnigeet, is more than a routine agricultural task; it represents renewal, hope, and the beginning of a new growing season for many of Bihar's poor farmers. 
• These simple, often illiterate farmers created this folk form spontaneously to celebrate the event and ease their labor.

Katnigeet

• Katnigeet is a type of folk music connected to the paddy harvest in Bihar. It is a work song integral to the region's folk culture, much like rice is to the lives of its people. 
• The rural poor often celebrate various aspects of life with music and dance, preparing children for life's harsh realities while providing enjoyment. 
• Katnigeet, sung in the summer to celebrate the successful completion of planting paddy seeds, exalts the new harvest, symbolizing prosperity and plenty.

Folk Dances of Bihar

Bidesia Dance

• Bidesia is a highly popular folk dance from Bihar, particularly in the Bhojpuri-speaking regions. Bihari Thakur is considered the father of this dance form, which addresses societal issues such as the conflicts between rich and poor, and upper and lower castes. 
• Bidesia is essentially a dance version of Biraha songs, where the combination of song and dance creates a powerful medium for expression.

Biraha Songs

• Biraha songs depict the pain of women left behind by their men.

Jat-Jatin Dance

• Jat-Jatin is the most popular folk dance of North Bihar, especially in the Mithila and Kosi regions. 
• Initially, the dance depicted the separation of lovers 'Jat' and 'Jatin,' but it now addresses social issues like droughts, floods, and poverty.

Jhijhia

• Jhijhia is one of the most renowned dances of Bihar. It involves a group of young women adoring and offering prayers to Lord Indra for rain, crucial for agriculture. 
• This dance occurs during droughts when the land is parched, and the sky is devoid of clouds. The performers include a lead singer, harmonium player, bansuri player, and a drummer playing the dholak, accompanied by two female singers known for their rhythmic and melodious songs.

Jumari Dance

• Jumari is a folk dance performed primarily in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar. Similar to the Garba dance of Gujarat, it is performed exclusively by married women and symbolizes good fortune. 
• The dance takes place during the Kartik month, following the Ashvin month (September-October), when the sky is clear, and the full moon casts its milky rays. 
• This romantic atmosphere inspires married women to dance, sing, and celebrate the season, making Jumari closely related to the seasonal changes.

Kajari Dance

• Kajari dance celebrates the pleasant changes brought by the rainy season. It highlights not only the transformation in nature but also the mental refreshment and relaxation experienced by people. 
• Kajari songs, characterized by their sweet and soothing melodies, are sung from the beginning of the Shravan month, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of raindrops.

Sohar-Khilouna Dance

• Sohar is a ceremonial dance performed to celebrate the birth of a child, featuring its own distinctive diction. Celebrated across the country with various traditional rituals, in Bihar, Sohar songs are sung to praise the newborn, often invoking Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, and other gods. 
• Women gather to sing, act out tender words, and bless the baby. The dance incorporates poetic and powerful body language, using legs and masks to communicate emotions effectively.

Fagua

• Fagua is a folk dance associated with the festival of Holi, celebrated on the first day of the Hindu calendar's Pratham Chairtra Mass (February-March). 
• Holi, a festival of colors, conveys a message of religious integration. In Bihar, the Dhamar style of Holi songs is sung by villagers who celebrate in groups with full joy, accompanied by musical instruments like the dholak and jhal-manjeera. 
• This dance is related to the mythical story of Bhakt Prahlad and his demon father Hiranyakshipu.

Domkach

• Domkach is a traditional dance from the Mithila region. The term "kacchab" in old Maithili means to play the role of or mimic someone, hence "domkach" means playing another's role, typically by men of a dominant caste. 
• During the performance, women sing and bless the baby with tender words from Sohar songs, such as "Marchia Baithal sasu pucheli." Various other forms include the Dhangar of Purnea and the folk dances of non-tribals in the region. Bakho Nach is another form where husbands and wives dance together to celebrate the birth of a child or other festive occasions.

Paika Dance

• Paika is a martial dance performed with a shield and a sword. 
• The primary objective of this dance is to develop physical excitement and enhance the courageous activities of the dancing warriors.