Needle Folk Dance-Song of Uttarkhand

Syun/ Sui Nach Gan:  A Garhwali Folk Dance-Song of Catching Needle by Mouth and Dancing

(Folk Dance of Garhwal, Traditional Dance of Uttarakhand, Himalayan, Indian Folk Dances)

                                  Bhishm Kukreti

  Syun  Nach Gan or  Needle Dance Song of Garhwal is very artful, entertaining ,crafty and it requires dancing capability ,dancing caliber and dancing competency . For commencing the Syun/Sui/needle dance, the needle or needles are kept on a table of stone above the ground.  The female dancer fist keeps needle on her mouth or on tongue and then keeps on the table or on the stone kept on higher position of ground. While dancing the professional class dancer (Mirasan or Badan) catches Syun/sui/needle by tongue or mouth by keeping her back on ground side. Many times, Miraan or Badan takes a round jug (lutya), glass (gilas) by their teeth too at performing Sui/needle dance.  The body of female dancer requires much flexibility for performing the Syun/Sui/needle dance as the dancer has to bend and dance with caliber.

     The Badi or Mirasi plays musical instrument as Dhulki or Hudkee and sings the song while female dancer dances the needle dance. The dancer catches needle at the time of intermission of song.  The badi/mirasi plays Dholki/Hudki with very slow rhytham while dancer is catching needle by her tongue or mouth.

 There is no fix type of song for the Syun/Sui/needle Garhwali folk dance. However, modst of the songs are agile in nature and entertaining too.

 Here is an example of syun/Sui/Needle Folk dance of Garhwal,

स्यूण/सुई नाच -गाण

हे लठयाळी दादू कैकी बौराण छे ?

धुंवा सी धुपळी , पाणी सी पथळी

केल़ा सी गळखी , नौण सी गुंदकी

दिवा जसी जोत , कैकी बौराण छे ?इनी मेरी होंदी जिकुड़ी मा सेंदी

बादळ सी झडि दुबला सी लड़ी

भ्यूंळ सी सेटकी, लाबू सी ठेलकी

नाक मा च तोता, जीभ मा क्वील

आखौं मा आग, गाळऊँ मा बुरांस .

हूड़की सी कमर , कैकी बौराण छे ?

इनिम्मेरी हुंडी हथकूळी मा सेंदी

बांदू मा की बांद , चांदु मा की चाँद

चीणा जसी झाम , पाळीण्गा सी डाळी

हिसर की सी डॉळी , कैकी बौराण छे ?

घास काटद काटद बणि छे गितांग

स्वामी गें माल चिट्ठी आई नी च

कनू निर्दयी होलू जु बिसरदू ईं तैं

हे लठयाळी दादू कैकी बौराण छे ?

Garhwali Folk Song for Needle Dance

Whose wife is this lady?

(She is as )

Airy as smoke, thin as water

Smooth as banana, soft as butter

Bright as wick light of lamp, whose wife is this lady?

If she were my wife, I would have kept her on my heart.

She is as

Rain of cloud, strand of green grass

Flexible as branches of Bheemal, thelki od leaves

Bud of Fyunli, Whose wife is this lady?

Nose as parrot , tongue as Koyal/cooko

Fire on eyes, cheek as Burans /Rhododendron

Waist is Hudki,   Whose wife is this lady?

If she were my wife, she would be on my palm

Beautiful most of beautiful women, the moon of moons

Ear of Chani cereal, tender as spinach plant

Fruit of Hisar, whose wife is this lady?

She has become a singer by cutting grass or her work has been grass cutting only

Her husband has gone to plains/city, did not post a letter at all

He is cruel that forgotten her  

Whose wife is this lady?

Song Source: Dr Govind Chatak and Dr shiva Nand Nautiyal

Copyright@ Bhishm Kukreti, Mumbai 2011

To be continued- Folk dance of Garhwal, Traditional Folk Dance –Song of Uttarakhand, Himalayan Folk Dance Song series …..