Knowing Bangladesh

Ghatu dance accompanies ghatu songs. It has no religious or social contents, its object being solely to entertain the audience. One or more teenaged boys dressed as girls form its main attraction. The songs are usually based on the story of radha and krishna. One person sings while the others dance. Dances are also based on popular love stories. The drum, cymbals, the flute and the sarinda are the main musical instruments. These days the harmonium is also used. The dance goes on for long hours of the night. At times the dance becomes quite vulgar, which is why ghatu sessions are usually held outside populated localities.

Among the Kishoribhajan, a Vaishvava sub-sect, teenaged girls sing bhajans and dance. It is possible that ghatu songs and dances, based on the story of Radha and Krishna, were influenced by the Kishoribhajan. These days ghatu dances are performed on modern stages at Kishoreganj and netokona.

Jari dance accompanies jari singing and is usually performed by shi’ah Muslims. It is organised during muharram and recounts the mournful death of Imam Hossain at Karbala. About 8-10 youths form a jari dance group. The leader of the group is called ustad and the others dohar. The dancers wear everyday garments but tie red handkerchiefs round their wrists and brows. In some areas they also wear strings of bells round their ankles. The ustad plays the chati and sometimes the dohars play the jharni, made of bamboo, to maintain the rhythm and keep up the beat. In some places the beat is maintained by clapping. The ustad stands in the centre and sings. The dohars move in a circle round him, singing the refrain of the song. The dancers express their grief by the movements of their heads, hands and feet. Jari dance performances start with the sighting of the Muharram moon. Jari groups go around different houses of the village. They are paid cash or given some food for their performances. On ashura the various dance groups assemble at a place designated as Karbala for a final performance.

Lathi dance is a stick dance performed during Muharram by groups of youths. Drums and brass cymbals are used to maintain the rhythm and tempo. The youths wear close-fitting garments and also at times tie strings of bells round their ankles. In their hands they carry bamboo sticks about four or five feet long. They also carry swords, daggers and cymbals. The lathi dance is half dance and half sport. With sticks and swords in their hands, the youths demonstrate their valour by way of a mock battle. They dexterously whirl their sticks, moving them to the front or to the sides, then under their legs or over their heads in time to the music. The fierce clashes of the sticks create a battle scene. The drummer plays an important role in this dance, guiding the moves, tempo and rhythm of the dancers. This dance is divided into several sections: an introduction, different warlike stances, the fight, resolution and rest. The tempo is slow initially but picks up and ends on a crescendo. For the first ten days of Muharram, the lathi players demonstrate their art in the courtyards of houses, at cross sections of roads and finally at the mock Karbala ground.

Leto dance is associated with leto songs and is popular in Burdwan and Birbhum. As in the chhokra dance, in this dance as well, a handsome boy dressed as a girl sings and dances. Leto dances are often performed at intervals during poetic contests to provide added entertainment to the audience. When kazi nazrul islam was young, he used to compose leto songs and take part in these performances.

The gods Shiva, dharma thakur and Nil are worshipped during the last days of Chaitra. On the occasion of these pujas, dancers, wearing masks portraying different gods and goddesses, present songs and dances. In the bola dance, masked dancers demonstrate a corpse being eaten by vultures. In the nrsingha dance, masked dancers depict Vishnu in his fourth incarnation as a lion. In north Bengal there is a masked dance called mukhakhel for which villagers make their own masks with wood, cloth, paper etc. Characters range from kings and ministers to ordinary farmers and woodcutters. During droughts, the Rajbangshi women of Rangpur perform a rain dance during which they worship Huduma Deo, the rain god. They form a group and go out into the fields at night. There they perform a puja to Huduma Deo. Then they undress, dance and sing.

It is not known how old the tradition of puppets dances is in Bengal. The first reference to puppets is, however, found in yusuf-zulekha, a 15th century epic. There are three forms of puppets in Bengal: rod puppets, string puppets and glove puppets. The puppeteer manipulates string puppets with strings so that the puppets appear to be dancing. As the musicians play their drums, cymbals and flutes, an artist sings a song and makes the puppets dance to reflect the mood of the song.

Rod puppets and string puppets are used to present palagan or narrative plays, usually on the stories of Radha-Krishna and Rama-Sita. Such plays are also composed on contemporary social events. The primary purpose of these plays is didactic. However, they are also highly entertaining. In West Bengal, rod puppets are still popular in the 24 Parganas and string puppets in Nadia.

Glove puppets dance as a male-female pair. Some people of the kahar class in Midnapore and Burdwan of West Bengal earn their living through puppet dances. An artiste holds a puppet in each hand and sings while making the puppets dance. While stories from the purana are popular, the focus is on their entertainment value, not their religious significance. In the past, puppet dances used to be arranged at a child's annaprashana or at weddings. Puppet dances were quite popular in north Bengal, Mymensingh and Comilla, but after partition this folk art suffered a setback as many Hindu artistes left for West Bengal. These days only a handful of families in Brahmanbaria make a living out of this art.

Raybenshe dance is a warlike dance similar to lathi dance. The dancers carry poles of strong bamboo known as raybansh. The warriors also use swords and spears. Both Hindus and Muslims take part in this dance which was mainly popular in Burdwan, Birbhum and Murshidabad. The main attraction of this dance lies in the dexterity with which artistes use their hands.

In addition to these traditional forms, there are modern folk dances which depict the Bangladeshi identity by portraying the lives of farmers and fishermen as well the role of ordinary people and freedom fighters during the liberation war.    

 

 

Knowing Bangladesh

Ghatu dance accompanies ghatu songs. It has no religious or social contents, its object being solely to entertain the audience. One or more teenaged boys dressed as girls form its main attraction. The songs are usually based on the story of radha and krishna. One person sings while the others dance. Dances are also based on popular love stories. The drum, cymbals, the flute and the sarinda are the main musical instruments. These days the harmonium is also used. The dance goes on for long hours of the night. At times the dance becomes quite vulgar, which is why ghatu sessions are usually held outside populated localities. Among the Kishoribhajan, a Vaishvava sub-sect, teenaged girls sing bhajans and dance. It is possible that ghatu songs and dances, based on the story of Radha and Krishna, were influenced by the Kishoribhajan. These days ghatu dances are performed on modern stages at Kishoreganj and netokona. Jari dance accompanies jari singing and is usually performed by shiah Muslims. It is organised during muharram and recounts the mournful death of Imam Hossain at Karbala. About 8-10 youths form a jari dance group. The leader of the group is called ustad and the others dohar. The dancers wear everyday garments but tie red handkerchiefs round their wrists and brows. In some areas they also wear strings of bells round their ankles. The ustad plays the chati and sometimes the dohars play the jharni, made of bamboo, to maintain the rhythm and keep up the beat. In some places the beat is maintained by clapping. The ustad stands in the centre and sings. The dohars move in a circle round him, singing the refrain of the song. The dancers express their grief by the movements of their heads, hands and feet. Jari dance performances start with the sighting of the Muharram moon. Jari groups go around different houses of the village. They are paid cash or given some food for their performances. On ashura the various dance groups assemble at a place designated as Karbala for a final performance. Lathi dance is a stick dance performed during Muharram by groups of youths. Drums and brass cymbals are used to maintain the rhythm and tempo. The youths wear close-fitting garments and also at times tie strings of bells round their ankles. In their hands they carry bamboo sticks about four or five feet long. They also carry swords, daggers and cymbals. The lathi dance is half dance and half sport. With sticks and swords in their hands, the youths demonstrate their valour by way of a mock battle. They dexterously whirl their sticks, moving them to the front or to the sides, then under their legs or over their heads in time to the music. The fierce clashes of the sticks create a battle scene. The drummer plays an important role in this dance, guiding the moves, tempo and rhythm of the dancers. This dance is divided into several sections: an introduction, different warlike stances, the fight, resolution and rest. The tempo is slow initially but picks up and ends on a crescendo. For the first ten days of Muharram, the lathi players demonstrate their art in the courtyards of houses, at cross sections of roads and finally at the mock Karbala ground. Leto dance is associated with leto songs and is popular in Burdwan and Birbhum. As in the chhokra dance, in this dance as well, a handsome boy dressed as a girl sings and dances. Leto dances are often performed at intervals during poetic contests to provide added entertainment to the audience. When kazi nazrul islam was young, he used to compose leto songs and take part in these performances. The gods Shiva, dharma thakur and Nil are worshipped during the last days of Chaitra. On the occasion of these pujas, dancers, wearing masks portraying different gods and goddesses, present songs and dances. In the bola dance, masked dancers demonstrate a corpse being eaten by vultures. In the nrsingha dance, masked dancers depict Vishnu in his fourth incarnation as a lion. In north Bengal there is a masked dance called mukhakhel for which villagers make their own masks with wood, cloth, paper etc. Characters range from kings and ministers to ordinary farmers and woodcutters. During droughts, the Rajbangshi women of Rangpur perform a rain dance during which they worship Huduma Deo, the rain god. They form a group and go out into the fields at night. There they perform a puja to Huduma Deo. Then they undress, dance and sing. It is not known how old the tradition of puppets dances is in Bengal. The first reference to puppets is, however, found in yusuf-zulekha, a 15th century epic. There are three forms of puppets in Bengal: rod puppets, string puppets and glove puppets. The puppeteer manipulates string puppets with strings so that the puppets appear to be dancing. As the musicians play their drums, cymbals and flutes, an artist sings a song and makes the puppets dance to reflect the mood of the song. Rod puppets and string puppets are used to present palagan or narrative plays, usually on the stories of Radha-Krishna and Rama-Sita. Such plays are also composed on contemporary social events. The primary purpose of these plays is didactic. However, they are also highly entertaining. In West Bengal, rod puppets are still popular in the 24 Parganas and string puppets in Nadia. Glove puppets dance as a male-female pair. Some people of the kahar class in Midnapore and Burdwan of West Bengal earn their living through puppet dances. An artiste holds a puppet in each hand and sings while making the puppets dance. While stories from the purana are popular, the focus is on their entertainment value, not their religious significance. In the past, puppet dances used to be arranged at a childs annaprashana or at weddings. Puppet dances were quite popular in north Bengal, Mymensingh and Comilla, but after partition this folk art suffered a setback as many Hindu artistes left for West Bengal. These days only a handful of families in Brahmanbaria make a living out of this art. Raybenshe dance is a warlike dance similar to lathi dance. The dancers carry poles of strong bamboo known as raybansh. The warriors also use swords and spears. Both Hindus and Muslims take part in this dance which was mainly popular in Burdwan, Birbhum and Murshidabad. The main attraction of this dance lies in the dexterity with which artistes use their hands. In addition to these traditional forms, there are modern folk dances which depict the Bangladeshi identity by portraying the lives of farmers and fishermen as well the role of ordinary people and freedom fighters during the liberation war.