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Awadhi music

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Awadhi music is a form of music originating from the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh, India, performed primarily in the Awadhi language. Rooted in the cultural heritage of the region, it reflects themes of love, devotion, social life, and historical narratives, often tied to rituals and seasonal events.[1]. Awadhi is considered main and primary language of Hindustani classical and semi-classical music.

Characteristics

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Awadhi folk music is characterized by its melodic simplicity and communal accessibility, featuring repetitive refrains and call-and-response patterns suited for oral transmission. Common instruments include the harmonium, dholak, manjira, and ektara. The music is deeply influenced by literary works such as Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, emphasizing devotional content alongside everyday life experiences.

Genres and themes

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The music encompasses various genres linked to life events and cultural practices, including:[2]


Sanskar Geet (Songs of Sacraments/Rites of Passage)

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These songs are linked to the sixteen major rites of passage, or Sanskars, in Hindu tradition, marking significant life events. They are performed during ceremonies and rituals to express joy, blessings, or mourning.[3]

  • Garbhadhan Sanskar Geet: Sung during rituals related to conception.
  • Janma Sanskar Geet: Songs for childbirth, with the most prominent being Sohar, celebrating the birth of a child.[4]
  • Mundan Geet: Associated with the first haircut or tonsure ceremony.
  • Yagyopaveet Geet: Sung during the sacred thread ceremony (Janeu).
  • Vivah Geet: Wedding songs, performed during various marriage rituals.
  • Dwiragaman (Gauna) Geet: Songs for the ceremony when a bride permanently moves to her husband's home.
  • Mrityu Sanskar Geet: Songs related to death and mourning rituals.


Ritu Geet (Seasonal Songs)

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These songs are tied to specific seasons, reflecting the moods, activities, and environmental changes associated with different times of the year.

  • Barahmasa: Songs describing the twelve months of the year, often focusing on emotions like longing.
  • Chaumasa: Songs about the four months of the rainy season.
  • Basant Ritu Geet (Spring): Includes Phagua or Hori (sung during the Holi festival), Chautal, and Chahka.
  • Grishma Ritu Geet (Summer): Songs reflecting the heat and challenges of summer.
  • Pavas Ritu Geet (Monsoon): Popular songs like Kajli (Kajri)[5] and Sawan, expressing love and separation during the rainy season.[6]
  • Sharad, Hemant, Shishir Ritu Geet: Songs for autumn and winter seasons.


Shram-Parihar ke Geet (Work Songs)

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These songs are performed during manual labor to reduce the monotony and physical strain of work. Their rhythms often align with the pace of the tasks being performed.[7]

  • Jatsar: Sung while grinding grain on a hand-mill (jaata).[8]
  • Nirwahi (Sohni): Sung during weeding in fields.
  • Ropani: Performed by women while transplanting paddy saplings.
  • Kolhui Geet: Associated with oil-pressing activities.
  • Palki Geet: Sung while carrying a palanquin.
  • Khalihan ke Geet: Songs performed at the threshing floor after harvest.


Jaatiya Geet (Caste/Community Songs)

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These songs are specific to particular castes or occupational communities, often reflecting their livelihoods, customs, and revered deities.

  • Examples include songs of Ahirs (cowherds), Dhobis (washermen), Kahars (water-carriers), Nais (barbers), Telis (oil-pressers), Malis (gardeners), Dalits, Jogis (ascetics), and Gadariyas (shepherds).


Muslim Sampraday ke Geet (Songs of the Muslim Community)

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These songs pertain to the cultural and religious events of the Muslim community in the Awadh region, encompassing both joyous and mournful occasions.

  • Joyous Occasion Songs: Sung during weddings and births.
  • Shokgeet (Elegies): Mourning songs, such as Daha Rona or those performed during Tazia processions in Muharram.


Dharm Darshan, Vrat, Anushthan aur Poojan ke Geet (Religious and Devotional Songs)

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This category includes songs related to religious practices, rituals, and devotion, covering a wide range of spiritual expressions.

  • Songs for Vrat (fasts), festivals, charity, and holy bathing.
  • Songs praising various gods and goddesses.
  • Songs based on mythological narratives (Pauranik Akhyan).
  • Prabhati: Morning prayer songs.
  • Spiritual and philosophical songs.
  • Songs involving mantras, tantra, magic, and invocations.
  • Auspicious prayer songs for various ceremonies.


Lori aur Palne ke Geet (Lullabies and Cradle Songs)

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These are soothing songs sung to lull children to sleep, often carrying tender and affectionate themes.


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These are songs performed by children during play, reflecting innocence and creativity.

  • Songs for boys' and girls' games.
  • Songs based on tongue-twisters.
  • Songs sung during water games.


Mukt Chetna ka Kavya Gaati Geet (Songs Expressing Free Consciousness)

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This category encompasses miscellaneous songs that express pure emotion, narrative, or entertainment, not necessarily tied to specific occasions or rituals. Scholars note that all folk songs inherently reflect free consciousness, but this classification is used for songs that do not fit into other defined categories.


Pranay Geet (Love Songs)

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These songs focus on themes of love, longing, and separation, often deeply emotional and personal.[9]

  • Nakta
  • Purvi
  • Jhoomar
  • Nach ke Geet (Dance songs)
  • Lachari
  • Bidesiya: A popular genre expressing a wife's yearning for her husband who has migrated for work. (In some eastern parts of Awadh)
  • Ghazal: A folk adaptation of the traditional poetic form, centered on themes of love and loss.

Cultural significance

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Awadhi folk music serves as a repository of the region’s cultural identity, preserving social values and historical narratives through oral tradition. Performed during festivals, rituals, and communal gatherings, it fosters social cohesion. However, urbanization poses challenges to its preservation.

Modern context

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While Awadhi folk music has appeared in Bollywood films such as Pakeezah ("Inhin Logon Ne") and Silsila ("Rang Barse"), it is often overshadowed by other regional styles like Bhojpuri. New media platforms, including YouTube and social media, have facilitated wider dissemination and documentation, though they risk altering traditional performance contexts.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Awadhi Folk Songs: A Comparative Study Between Traditional Media and New Media Platform". NeuroQuantology: 860, 861.
  2. ^ Singh, Dr Vidya Vindu (2021-01-19). Awadhi Lokgeet Virasat: Awadhi Lokgeet Virasat by Dr. Vidya Vindu Singh - Preserving the Legacy of Awadhi Folk Songs (in Hindi). Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 978-93-84344-39-9.
  3. ^ पांडेय, जगदीश प्रसाद (2011). अवधी ग्रंथावली (in Hindi). Vāṇī Prakāśana. ISBN 978-81-8143-900-0.
  4. ^ Luhar, Sahdev (2023-02-25). Folklore Studies in India: Critical Regional Responses. N. S. Patel (Autonomous) Arts College, Anand. ISBN 978-81-955008-4-0.
  5. ^ Bhardwaj, Shailja (2024-02-29). Hindi Lokgeeton ka Samajik, Sanskritik Evam Shastriya Anusheelan (in Hindi). BFC Publications. ISBN 978-93-5992-395-6.
  6. ^ पांडेय, जगदीश प्रसाद (2011). अवधी ग्रंथावली (in Hindi). Vāṇī Prakāśana. ISBN 978-81-8143-900-0.
  7. ^ Singh, Dr Vidya Vindu (2021-01-19). Awadhi Lokgeet Virasat: Awadhi Lokgeet Virasat by Dr. Vidya Vindu Singh - Preserving the Legacy of Awadhi Folk Songs (in Hindi). Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 978-93-84344-39-9.
  8. ^ The Journal of Intercultural Studies. Intercultural Research Institute, Kansai University of Foreign Studies. 1985.
  9. ^ Singh, Dr Vidya Vindu (2021-01-19). Awadhi Lokgeet Virasat: Awadhi Lokgeet Virasat by Dr. Vidya Vindu Singh - Preserving the Legacy of Awadhi Folk Songs (in Hindi). Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 978-93-84344-39-9.
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