Jagar me Ahvahan: Initial Awakening Chant in Ravain Jagar Gatha (Ritual Folk Songs)

Jagar Gatha (Folk Ritual Songs) from Ravain Garhwal Region-1

            Original Script by late Dr. Jagdish Prasad ‘Jaggu’ Naudiyal  

         Translation, Interpretation and Transliteration by: Bhishma Kukreti

                                            Brief about Jagar

            Garhwali Kumaoni Gathas are religious myth those are narrated in specific ceremony called Jagar. M.R. Anand rightly explains Jagar through  quotes of Allan C. Fanger ,” Jagar is spirit possession ceremony (Ghadyal or Mandan) in which a designated deity/goddess or group of deities/goddesses is induced by ritual drumming and singing of traditional devta legends to possess a pre arranged oracle or medium” . The Jagar are arranged for disease cure, requesting deities for specific demand etc.  

              The priest of Jagar, the Jagriya/Jagri (Bard) is narrator of Jagar folk dramas and rituals. Jagriya narrates the legends and control the ritual ceremony. There is no caste restriction for being Jagriya. Usually, Jagriya plays bronze thali and his associate Jagriya plays Daunru (drum). Main Jagriya or Jagri sings narration and associates sing the last line of stanza (Bhaun pujna).

 Always, before narration of story of decided legends or deities the Jagari/Jagriya initiate a few lines of awakening chants those are called Avhahan lines or calling deity lines.  

 In Ravain, Uttarkashi Garhwal, usually Jagri or Jagriya starts the following initiating lines for Jagar narration

रवांइ गढ़वाल क्षेत्र का प्रचलित   लोक गीत
लोक जागर व धार्मिक अनुष्ठान के लोक गीत -1

(मूल -डा जगदीश 'जग्गू' नौडियाल , इंटरनेट प्रस्तुती एवं परिवर्तन - भीष्म कुकरेती )  जागर में आह्वान गीत जाग जाग देव जाग धरती आगास जाग मासु देवता जाग पंवाली काठी जाग शाटी -पासी -क्षेतर  जाग जाग जाग  देव जाग

Awake! O Respectful deity! Or I call you deity

Awake! O Earth deity! Or I call you earth deity

Awake! O Sky deity!  Or I call you sky deity

Awake! O Masu deity!  Or I call you Masu deity

Awake! O Panvali Kathi deity! Or I call you Panvali Kathi deity

Awake! O the border protecting deities Shati, Pasi- Khetrapal! Or I call  the border protecting deities Shati, Pasi- Khetrapal!

Awake! O Respectful deity! Or I call you deity

Copyright for interpretation @ Bhishma Kukreti 3/6/2013

Allan C. Fanger, 1991, Spirit Possession Séance among the Rajputs and Shilpkar of Kumaon, Himalaya past and present journal

Dr Jagdish Prasad Naudiyal, Uttarakhand ki Sanskritik Dharohar  (Ravain kshetr ke lok sahitya kaa sanskritik Adhyayan 

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