Garhwali Folk Literature-1

Garhwali -Kumauni Folk Dramas : Uttarakhand Lok Natya Mahotsava-2005
(Folk Drama of Garhwal , Folk Plays of Kumaun, Folk Dramas of Jaunsar Babar)
Bhishma Kukreti


Akhil Bhartiya Garhwal Sabha , Dehradun , an oldest Garhwali social organization of Dehradun have been acting as a strong medium to popularize and preserve Garhwali-Kumauni culture and folk literature. For quite a few years, the organization have been organizing the staging of Folk Dramas of Garhwal and Kumauni regions of Uttarakhand.
The Akhil Bhartiya Garhwal Sabha organized staging of seven Garhwali and Kumauni folk dramas from 2nd November to 6th November , 2005 . In this occasion, the organization brought a special souvenir and provided various insights attached to Garhwali Folk Dramas and Kumauni Folk Dramas .
The author is pleased to review the souvenir:
Natak kal aur Aj by Bahgwati Prasad Nautiyal: In his brilliant article, rverend Garhwali language critic Nautiyal first briefed about the initiation of drama by deities (Devta) and devils (Danav) as the dramas were seen as common entertaining medium for the both. He explained how Bharat Muni created Natyashashtra with the aid of Rig-Veda ( Story plot), Sam-Veda (Music), Atharva-Veda (Aesthetic or dialogues social views) and Yajurveda (Characterization) .
Bhagwati Prasad Nautiyal touched the shortest possible history of modern Garhwali dramas in the last century. His main stress , which I do agree that while staging folk dramas based on legends or folk stories , we should not criticize the supporting stories connected to main story because there are not availability of proof of exact evidence of the folk stories.
Garhwali Rangmanch by Sudha Rani and translated by Bhishma Kukreti: Sudha Rani provided details of starting of modern Garhwali drama and she provided a well researched historical details of Garhwali dramas from 1930 to 1985. She should be congratulated for her place wise date wise detailing.
Uttaranchal ka Paramparik Loknatya by Dr D R Purohit: Dr Purohit is an internationally acclaimed authority on Garhwali folk Dramas specially mask/religious folk dramas and he teaches Garhwali Folk Dramas in foreign Universities too. He featured with examples of dramas and their places of stage playing . He classified the Uttarakhandi (Garhwali Kumauni ) Folk Dramas into following sets:
1-Pandav Lila
2-Bagdwali
3-Mask dramas based on Jat yatrayen
4-Mask dramas on festivals and specific events
5-Swang and Khel (Villager’s Plays and games)
6-Beda, hudkiyon aur Damayiyn ke Veer gatha vachan ( Oration of heroic lures or events by specific classes of Garhwal and Kumaun)
7-Radha Khandi Ras
8-Danusthano ke manchan ( Dramas in Rituals)
Dr Purohit his famous for popularizing and exploring mask Folk dramas of Kumaun and Garhwal and he explained the Pandav lila, Folk dramas of Sor ghati of Pithora garh, mandola shaili’s mono folk dramas of Pithora Garh, Lstar ghati and Bhilangana valley. He told us the names of performers too, It is called research .
Dr Purohit stated us the names who perform the Radhakandi Ras . D R Purohit explained about Bagdwali dramas too.
Ramwan: Ramkatha based Folk Drama by Nand Kishor Hatwal : The folk literature , Chamoli’s cultural expert and film maker Hatwal narrated the folk dramas related to Ramayan . The Ramwan folk drama is a mask drama played in north garhwal I.e paanudanda patti of Chamoli Garhwal. He says that Ramwan style of Garhwali folk drama is elite, marvelous and spectaticular .
Ramwan is blends of many sub plots along with the main historical and cultural events of Ramayan. This type of folk drama is partly in prose form and mainly in musical form. Among the sub plots, Pattar, Mal, Kr Jogi, Narshingh pujai or Pattar, and Bhumyal are main dramas along with main plot of Ramayan
In this type of drama, the roles of Jagariya, and Bhalla are important and Dhol, Rauntali/Damau, Bhakor and Majere like traditional music instruments are played.
Lok Sanskriti ke vivid Ayam and sanrakhshan (Various dimensions of Folk literature and their preservation/Protection) by Surendra Pundir: The expert of cultural, history and folks of Jaunsar Babar, Surendra Pundir explains the significance and relevancy of Folk literature in modern time specially in Uttarakhand. Pundir exposes the diminishing factors of folk related events from Garhwal and he tells us the startegies and application for preservation and protection of folk literature in Uttarakhand .

Dramas played in the events

The following dramas were played in this Natya Mahotsava of 2005 and the editors provided the details of stories etc of those , which are mostly based on folk stories or oral legendary stories or lore.
Kaffu Chauhan: The play is revised of the drama written by Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna’s drama “ Antim Garh’ . the story is suppression, autocracy of king Ajay Pal and bravery, love for freedom of Kafu Chauhan of Uppugarh in Tihri region.
Ajuva Baffaul: Ajuva Baffaul is the story of brevity of twenty two Baffaul brothers , fear of weak kings, conspiracy for the crown of Champawat kingdom .
Dandya Ka Maiti: Dandyan ka maiti drama is based on the legendary lore of Uttarkashi. The story centers on the bravery , sacrifice, strength of two valiant, heroic brothers- Naru and Bijula
Pandav Gatha : This is the dramatization of stories of Pandavas and adaptation as the folks play dramas in Jaunsar Babar
Panch bhai Kathait: this drama is based on the events happened after the death of Garhwali king Durlabh Shah . The story is the evilness, greed, conspiracy for the kingdom of five Kathait brothers, the sacrifice of Bhajan singh the grand son of great Madho Singh Bhandari , the fight by people of Garhwal the righteous deeds and political scenario of that time.
Thul Chulia and Veer Badhu Devki are based on the lore (lok gatha ) of recent times.
The souvenir is edited by Madan Duklan and Ranu Bisht

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, 2009