Garhwali Folk Dance-Songs - 2

Baradi Nati of Jaunsar Bawar
Bhishma Kukreti

Baradi Nati is a group dance and song sung in Jaunsar Bawar. Baradi dance-song is similar to Sayana Loak Nritya Geet (Sayana Folk Dance-Song) and is danced only in the month of Magh (14th January to thirteen of February). The spring season enters and the area become vibrant by thriving, blooming, blossoming or new flowering on tusar and kachnar (Maluh and Gweeralh; trees of Bauhinia family). The human body becomes energetic because of spring season and the villagers arrange the dance and song parties in the night. The lust is felt in chitta (mind, intellect and ego) and body too. The deity Kamdev (cupid) takes over the kingdom. We may feel lust, libidinousness, salaciousness, lewdness lecherousness everywhere. And the villagers express their inner lust in the form of full of enthusiastic, highly energetic, pulsating, exciting and vivacious dance-song of Baradi Nati.

The main difference between Sayana and Baradi dance is that Baradi is more vibrant, energetic, sensual, and is danced/sung after taking wine (sharab). This is an intoxicated dance. In Baradi dance, sensation and sensuality is more because of wine effect. There is more excitement, tone, motion, movement tempo, rhythms, and cadence in Baradi than Sayana There is no tenderness in the song and dance as well only vibrancy and vibrancy found in the dances of dancers and songs of singers. If unknown person from other territory is there he/she cannot resist dancing and singing after joining Baradi Nati. It is said that the dying person comes alive and starts dancing after listening the Baradi song-dance.

In Baradi dance, the males dance by keeping hands on other’s lower back in half circle and go forward-backward two to three footsteps. Inside the half circle, the singers and the musical instrument players play dhol (drum) damau (drum), turahi (bugle) and algoza with enthusiasm, effervescence, energy and full of tunes. The sound of these instruments and the liveliness, vivacity, cheerfulness of the atmosphere attract the female dancers to come forward making half circle for same dance methodology as males. The energetic dances of male fellows become the path of breaking the celibacy of bramhcarini. So, there are two circles of dancers. The male blind curses the god for his blindness because the colorful dresses of females are so attractive, eye-catching, striking and gorgeous that the observer of celibacy (brahmachari) breaks his observation for celibacy. It is said that the deities wait for months for coming on the earth from heaven to taking the pleasure of Baradi dance-song. This dance-song is performed only in Magh month.

Now, the female and male singers start the questions and answers type of love poems/songs (bajuband kavita-geet). The lover asks the question and the mate answers the questions in melodious but energetic tone. The male dancers are called ghumeru and females are called ghumeri. The dance of ghumeru-ghumeri is called Baradi nati.

Here is a bajuband song sung in Baradi dance-song in Jaunsar Bawar, which is in the form of question and answer:

Ek dhara di goru bakari
Duje dhara di ghodi I
Teri meri donstiyan
Koon papiyan todi II
Hore norenni nigodiye
Boon lai lee mani I
Thode dinon ki dostiyan
Pahle hi na lani II

(In one hill, there are caws, bulls, and goats and a mare is on other hill. Hey! My great love! Who the evil broke our love? It was better you would have not loved me rather than the love for a shortest period)

Like that, there are many folk songs related to Baradi Nati. In one Baradi song & dance, the female lover answers that the snake like deep river between her village and lover’s village is the culprit in their love meeting.

When the peak comes in dance, song and music; the female dancers take thali (shallow bronze plate) on their middle fingers and take gagri or luttya (vessel like jug or round jug) on their heads and dance many hours like that only. These females are expert in dancing with thali on finger and luttya on the head and you may find them in every village a small or big. This dance creates energy among the viewers and song is enough to arouse the desire of lust.