উত্তরবঙ্গের জাগের গান

জাগের গান , জলপাইগুড়ি ও কোচবিহার জেলা এবং বাংলাদেশের দিনাজপুর ও রংপুর জেলায় এই গান শোনা যায়। চৈত্রমাসে মদনচতুর্দশী উপলক্ষে জাগের গান প্রচলিত। জাগের গান মূলত দুই প্রকার – কৃষ্ণলীলা বিষয়ক কানাই-ধামালী ও অশ্লীল আদিরসাত্মক মোটাজাগের গান। এছাড়াও বীররসাত্মক গানও কখনও কখনও গাওয়া হয়ে থাকে।

জাগের গান উৎসব অনুষ্ঠিত হয় ফাল্গুন মাসের মদন চতুর্দশী উপলক্ষে। কোনো কোনো অঞ্চলে এই উৎসব চৈত্র মাসের শুক্ল ত্রয়োদশী তিথিতেও উদযাপিত হয়ে থাকে। মাসাধিক কাল ধরে চলে এই উৎসব। ছেলেরা বাড়ি বাড়ি ঘুরে মাগন করে ও গান গেয়ে অর্থ সংগ্রহ করে থাকে।
চৈত্র শুক্ল ত্রয়োদশী তিথিতে পুষ্পিত অশোকবৃক্ষের মূলে কামদেবের পূজা ও চামর ব্যজন করার শাস্ত্রীয় বিধান রয়েছে। উত্তরবঙ্গের অনেক ভদ্র পরিবারে এই কামপূজা অনুষ্ঠিত হয়। বাড়ির বাইরে দুই-তিনটি বাঁশের টুকরো মাটিতে পুতে, দুই-তিনটি দীর্ঘ কাপড়ে জড়ানো বাঁশের টুকরোর আগায় চামর দিয়ে সেই পোতা বাঁশের সঙ্গে বেঁধে কামপূজা করা হয়। রাজবংশীরাও এই কামপূজায় অংশ নেন। তবে তাঁরা লোকালয় থেকে একটু দূরে কোনো মাঠে গিয়ে এই পূজা করেন। পূজা উপলক্ষে গীত হয় জাগের গান।
জাগের গান
জাগের গান গাওয়ার সময় মূল গায়ক হাতে চামর ধরে গান করেন এবং দোতাররা মন্দিরা বাজিয়ে ধুয়ো ধরেন। এই গানের দ্বারা কামকে জাগরিত করা হয় বলে এর নাম জাগের গান। জাগের গান মূলত দুই প্রকার। যথা –(১) মোটাজাগ ও (২) কানাই ধামালী বা লীলা জাগ। এছাড়াও কখনও কখনও বীররসাত্মক জাগের গানও শুনতে পাওয়া যায়। সুশীলকুমার ভট্টাচার্য এক জমিদারের পৌরুষবর্ণনাত্মক একটি বীররসাত্মক গান সংগ্রহ করেছেন। গানটি এইরূপ
মাঠের মতন, কেমন ওসার পাঠার মতন বুক
সে কঠিন বুক দেখিয়া, শত্রুর শুকায় মুখ।
মোটাজাগ, গবেষক মধ্যবিত্তের ভাষায় অশ্লীল আদিরসাত্মক গান। এই গান বাড়িতে গীত হয়না। হয় মাঠে ঘাটে। সাধারণতঃ জাগের গানে এই ধরনের আদিরসাত্মক গানের প্রাধান্য বিশেষভাবে লক্ষিত হয়।
কানাই ধামালী বা লীলা জাগ রাধা-কৃষ্ণের লীলা বিষয়ক গান। তবে এই লীলাগান সম্পূর্ণ লোককবিদের নিজস্ব কল্পনা। এর সঙ্গে পৌরাণিক রাধাকৃষ্ণ কাহিনির যোগ বড় একটা নেই। পালার আকারে এই গানগুলি রচিত হত। দুইজন বালককে রাধা ও কৃষ্ণ এবং একজন প্রৌঢ় ব্যক্তিকে বড়ায়ি সাজিয়ে এগুলি অভিনীতও হত। পণ্ডিতরাজ নামক জনৈক সংগ্রাহক তাঁর পালা সংকলনে এগুলিকে রতিরাম নামক জনৈক কবির রচনা বলে উল্লেখ করেছেন। তবে সুশীলকুমার ভট্টাচার্য এই পালাগুলির রচনাবৈষম্য পর্যবেক্ষণ করে এগুলি একাধিক কবির রচনা বলে মতপ্রকাশ করেছেন। এগুলির বিষয়বৈচিত্রেও স্বতন্ত্র। “রাধার শাক তোলা” বা “কৃষ্ণের ধোরে মাছ তোলা” প্রভৃতি অভিনব বিষয় এই সব পালায় দেখা যায়। অনেক শহুরে গবেষক এগুলিকে অশ্লীল বলেছেন। তবে মোটা জাগের তুলনায় অনেক সংযত ও মার্জিত।

তথ্যসূত্র - প্রবন্ধ উত্তরবঙ্গের জাগের গান : সুশীলকুমার ভট্টাচার্য ; এবং স্বদেশচর্চা লোক পত্রিকা ; আশ্বিন, ১৪১৫, (অক্টোবর, ২০০৮) ; বিষয় গ্রামীণ বিনোদন সেকাল ও একাল ; সম্পাদক : প্রণব সরকার, সোনারপুর, দক্ষিণ ২৪ পরগনা, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ

WoodCurving

WBHandicraftsMela5

Mukha&OtherArtifactsOfNorthBengal, Dinajpur

WBHandicraftsMela4

Dhokra artisan Dilli Sarkar of Dinajpur with LOKFOLK team member Bidhan Biswas

WBHandicraftsMela3

These are innovative cane products of North Bengal.

HillCraftsOfDerjeeling

The state of tea gardens has Lepchas as their true inhabitants. People from Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet, Bhutan and West Bengal have also settled here. The tea garden workers are mainly tribals from Central India and Chota Nagpur, local people called them Modeshiya i.e., people came from middle country.
The handicrafts of Darjeeling are quite different from the crafts existing in the rest of West Bengal and it expresses cultural heritage of Buddhism prevailing in the eastern Himalayas. Traditional hill craftsmen prepare the sculptural model of bronze figure using direct wax for each bronze figure. Bhutia villages have skilled musicians, painters and authentic artists who take pride in representing the folk cultures of the hill people.
People living in the foothills of West Bengal practice a lot of bamboo and cane craft. Craftsmen of West Bengal are skilled at making beautiful cane baskets of various designs and shapes. These baskets have multi uses. Craftspersons also prepare ceremonial baskets, cages and fishing traps which are made with lot of effort and requires skilled technique. Bamboo dowry boxes are very intricately woven and play a very important role in the marriage ceremonies.
At Bhutia basti, the traditional scroll paintings are made which are known as Thankas. These paintings have the Budhist Jataka tales from the Buddhists scriptures. These are made in the most traditional way by the craftsmen using the paper form Tibet or Nepal. Grounded stone and earthen colors are used. Lapis Lazuli, a blue stone colour, is obtained by grinding semi precious stones form Tibet. These paintings are hung on the home as well as on the walls of the monasteries. Sacred value attached to each Thanka which are bordered with Buddhists motifs in fine brocade. Powdered gold is also used to beautify the Thanka and enhance the value of the painting. The technique used is a closely guarded secret. The Thankas are used in all Buddhists household shrines and monasteries.
Kalimpong, another hill station tucked in the vicinity of Darjeeling is famous for weaving of Tibetian woolen carpets. The wool for the same is spun by the Tibetian women of Darjeeling on the traditional spinning wheels known as Chassba. Generally, bold colours and geometric patterns are used. The most common of all carpets is the dun a small bedside carpet which has upto sixty knots to a square inch.

MukhaKhail/MaskDance

Practiced in the Tarai Region of Jalpaiguri district of Northern parts of Bengal. Mask dance practiced by the rural people representing various ethnic groups. Masks are made locally using locally available wood. Kushmandi Block is the main centre at present. Masks of animals like monkey, Tiger, Gods & Goddesses such as Kali, Shiva, and also of some fictitious comic characters Bura-Buri are made. Male dancers wear these masks with suitable attire and perform. The dancers are accompanied by drummers and local flute players.

Dotara

The dotara (or dotar) is a two or four stringed musical instrument resembling a small guitar. It is commonly used in West Bengal, and dates from the 15th-16th century when it was adopted by the ascetic cults of Bauls and Fakirs.
The dotara is the singlemost important folk instrument used in various genres of folk music throughout the land of Bengal. It has two main forms, the Bangla and the Bhhawaiya. The Bangla form originated in "Rahr Bangla" where it is still predominantly played. It has metal strings, which give it a brighter tone than other instruments played in the area.
The Bhhawaiya form dotara is almost extinct in contemporary times and has a more primeval beginning than its Bangla cousin. Again the strings are its striking feature, being either made of thick cotton strings or more popularly of catgut, giving it a more bass timbre. This instrument is widely used in the Bhhawaiya, Goalparia and Mahishali forms of folk music prevailing in and around the Bengal Province (which makes this instrument trans-regional, as this includes areas in Assam and East Bihar).
The dotara is a stringed, pluck instrument, played in an open note combination, widely accompanying the beat and rhythm structure of folk percussions such as Dhhol, Khhol or Mandira.
It is made out of neem or other species of hardwood, with an elongated, roundish belly for a sound box, tapering to a narrowish neck culminating in a peg box which is elaborately carved in the shape of peacock-head, swan-head or other animal motif. The narrow neck serves as the finger-board (albeit without frets)—this is made of brass or steel (as in a sarod) and particularly lends the liquid form to the tonal quality (as opposed to the discrete quality of a fretted instruments). The sound box of the instrument is covered with a tightly stretched kid-skin or lizard-skin, as in a rabaab or a sarod. In fact, the dotara is a simpler folk version of sarod.
The name of the instrument itself suggests two-strings—Bengali “Do”=Two, Bengali “Tar”=String—which suffices both as an octave for a complete set of notes in a scale as well as the bass and treble of the percussion (the low strung string serving as bass and the higher one as treble). However, the contemporary instrument can have as many as four strings or more (which gives a little more than two and a half of an octave) and increases the versatility of the instrument in terms of both music and rhythm. With four strings, the tuning structure is as follows (from top to bottom)—Do(lower)-Soh(lower)-Do-Fah , with Do being the dominant/root note of the song.

Gitika

Gitika a form of oral narrative poetry, often referred to as ballads. Like western ballads, gitika narrate a single event or a dramatic story, often through dialogue. They are marked by a well-knit plot and compression of detail. They achieve their effect by focusing on dramatic events rather than on chronological and narrative accounts. The narrative is not interrupted by other episodes or sub-plots, and the themes are sometimes suggested rather than clearly stated.
Typed characters generally tend to predominate in gitika. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC accompanies the recital, but the focus is more on the story than on the music. Because gitika are oral, certain mnemonic devices, such as a dhuya, or refrain, are adopted to aid the memory.
There are two types of gitika: PURBABANGA-GITIKA and Nath Gitika. DINESH CHANDRA SEN compiled 54 purbabanga (East Bengal) gitika in Purbabanga-Gitika, published from Calcutta University in four volumes. Prachin Purbabanga Gitika, edited by Kshitish Chandra Maulik and published in seven volumes, is a revised version of the volumes edited by Dinesh Chandra Sen.
Thirty-nine of the poems in the volumes edited by Dinesh Chandra Sen and Kshitish Chandra Maulik are from MYMENSINGH. The remaining poems are from SYLHET, CHITTAGONG and NOAKHALI. The most popular gitika are 'Mahuya', 'Maluya', 'Chandravati', 'Dewana Madina', Kanka O Lila', 'Kamala', Dewan Bhabna' etc. The bhanita (prefatory narration) to some of the pieces give the names of their writers: Dwij Kanai in Mahuya, Nayan Chand in Chandravati, CHANDRAVATI in Dasyu Kenaram, and MANSUR BAYATI in Dewana Madina. Dinesh Chandra Sen also brought out an English translation of the poems in Eastern Bengal Ballads.
Nath Gitika focus on Prince Gopi Chandra and the Nath guru. These poems may be divided into two groups: those focusing on the miracles of the Nath Guru (GORAKSAVIJAY, Minchetan) and those on the religious conversion of Gopi Chandra (Manik Chandra Rajar Gan, Govinda Chandrer Git, Maynamatir Gan, Gopi Chandrer Sannyas, Gopi Chander Panchali etc.) The genre was popular in Northern part of West Bengal where it was known as Yugiyatra.
ASHUTOSH BHATTACHARYA classified gitika into two categories. In addition to the East Bengal gitika, he classified some as belonging to South-East Bengal. Nizam Dakater Pala (The Story of a Pirate Named Nizam), Chowdhurir Ladai (The Fight between the Chowdhurys), Bheluya, Kafan Chor (The Shroud-thief), Ayna Bibi, Kamal Saodagar (Merchant Kamal), Nurunnessa O Kabarer Katha (Nurunnessa and the Stories of a Grave) are, according to Ashutosh Bhattacharya, examples of ballads of South-East Bengal, that is, the Noakhali and Chittagong regions. These gitika describe the occupations, adventurousness and cruelty of the people living in the coastal belt. Compared to these, the poems in Maimansingha-Gitika and Purbabanga-Gitika are more humane and gentle.
According to Dinesh Chandra Sen Gitika’s are the oldest traditions of literature of Bengal.
The BANGLA ACADEMY has published a number of volumes of regional gitika: Momenshahi Gitika (Ballads of Mymensingh, 1971), Sylhet Gitika (Ballads of Sylhet, 1972) and Rangpur Gitika (Ballads of Rangpur, 1977). From Kolkata, Chittaranjan Dev published a book called Banglar Loka-Gitikatha (Stories of Ballads of Bengal, 1986); most of the nine ballads in the book are collected from the FARIDPUR region.
The predominant theme in the gitika is that of love, licit and illicit, as in the following gitika: love ('Mahuya', 'Maluya', 'Kamala'), spiritual love ('Chandravati'), post-marital love ('Dewana Madina'). Other poems feature historical characters and episodes ('Isha Khan Masandali'), stories of adventure ('Kena Ramer Pala'), stories of pilgrims ('Baro Tirther Gan'), or descriptions of the six seasons ('Bagular Baramasi'). Some gitika are allegorical ('Kajal Rekha').

SholaPith/KaaliKaach/KaliMukha

Gopichandrer Gaan

Gopichandrer Gan famous Nath poem, based on the life of Prince Gopichandra of Meherkul. This poem, which was once very popular in north-eastern India, is an allegory describing the true yogic way of sannyas (life of a saint). On the advice of his ascetic mother, Maynamati, Gopichandra became a disciple of the sage, Hadipa. After twelve years of ascetic life, Gopichandra returned home. However, he did not understand the true implication of yoga and used the magical skills he had learned to amuse his wives. Hadipa became annoyed at this misuse of yogic lore. Gopichandra realized his mistake and rectified his ways. Finally understanding the meaning of YOGA, he permanently accepted sannyas. The story is familiar to Bengalis under three names: Maynamatir Gan, Govindachandrer Git and Gopichandrer Sannyas. The three poets who are associated with these versions are Durlabh Mallick, Bhabani Das and Sukur Mohammad.