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| Pabuji ki Phad |
-Brian Mendonca
Lok Sahitya or folk literature is an important branch of literature in India. Rajasthan has a rich tradition of lok sahitya.
Lok Sahitya is born out of the land and takes into account the various mores and folkways of a culture. It concerns the way people live. It has to do with the food that is eaten in terms of the produce of the land; the clothes that are worn according to the various seasons; and the legends - like Pabuji - that keep the past alive. It also encompasses the social practices governing marriages, births and deaths.
The film Rudaali (1993) directed by Kalpani Lajmi is made on the life of a woman crier - Bhikni, in the movie - who is paid to weep when someone dies. It is set in Rajasthan and revolves around Shanichari who is unable to cry.
The legend of Dhola-Maru is well-known. Prince Dhola from Narwar was betrothed to princess Maru from Bikaner when they were very little. But when they came of age, Dhola forgot Maru and married Malwani. Messengers were sent to remind Dhola of his betrothal, but this proved futile. Princess Malwani blocked every attempt. She feared that Dhola would leave her since Maru was more beautiful.
So Maru's father sent singers to the Narwar court to remind Dhola of Maru. The plan worked. Dhola set out to bring Maru to Narwar. However Maru got bitten by a snake which made Dhola want to end his life as well. It took no less than Lord Shiva and Parvati to bring Maru back to life. The story ends with Dhola and Maru riding a caparisoned camel entering the gates of Narwar. Maru becomes a queen loved by her subjects and is celebrated in folklore.
There is also the custom of the pulling of the nose of the bridegroom: 'At the entry gate of the wedding venue, the bride's mother welcomes the groom with tilak and aarti, then she pulls the nose of the groom, after which he is brought inside by the bride's brother.'
In Rajasthan now the old practices are not being followed by the new generations. The older generations believed in doing their work in the early mornings as that is the time we are most fresh. The practice was to rise at 4 a.m. and retire at 7 p.m. Fruit was not advised at night. Bajra was preferred because that is what the desert land produced best.
A number of practices centre around women. When a boy child is born the mother wears a yellow sari. Nowadays this practice is observed when a girl child is born as well. Women worked together performing household chores. This promoted bonding.
The Teej festival is celebrated by women during the months of sawan and badho with the arrival of the rains in July-September. On this day the Leheriya sari is worn to celebrate the bounty of nature by applying henna, singing, playing games and dancing the ghoomar dance - made famous in the film Padmaavat (2018).
Lok geet [folk songs] and Lok natya [folk dances] are important cultural expressions. Kawad Banchana is a story-telling tradition, unique to Rajasthan, where traditional story tellers unfold panels of a wooden box, depicting figures of humans and Gods. But people have no time for them now.
The stories of Vijay Dan Dheta (1926-2013) keep alive the culture of Rajasthan. His story 'Duvidha' (1970s) inspired the movie Paheli (2005). The story is about a man who disappears on his wedding night. A ghost who was smitten by the bride's beauty takes the absent husband's form . . . .
The exploits of Pabuji - a folk deity of Rajasthan - are beautifully depicted on phads which are religious scroll paintings.
Kesariya Balam Padharo Maro Des is a famous song where one is invited to visit Rajasthan. The fusion version sung by Asif Khan reanimates the traditional tune with contemporary musical idioms.
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Inspired by a talk on Lok Sahitya by Prof. Neetu Parihar, Head, Department of Hindi, MSU, Udaipur organized by HRDC, Goa University on 26th October 2021. Sources: weddingwire(dot)in; ebnw(dot)net. Pic courtesy alchetron(dot)com. Updated 29 October 2021.
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