age bajapachhe raja
Music is an inevitable part of life like songs. In traditional life, music is not performed for entertainment but in rite rituals also.Ganabaja ordulduli baja has a great role in the traditional life of Odisha in every way. In every rite ritual including marriage,ganabaja has its age-old position though nowadays we could see the modern form of band music is used in some marriage events.
Ganabaja is performed by people ofgana,dom,orpānacommunity not only in western or southern parts but other parts of Odisha also. The music is played not only during the marriage but also during death.
Thebājāperformed on the occasion of death is calledmarhābājābecause in this case only one rhythmmarhāpāris played. Similarly,ganābājāplays an important role in all the rituals of the village festival like bihanchhinā, nuākhāi,dasrā,chaitrā, bhimabasā, khndabasā, suliā jātrā, etc.
The main instruments ofganābajāaremahuri(is a wind instrument), dhol (drum), nisānorluhuti, andtāsāortiribidi. The instruments are made by members of the groups only. Theganābajāwherenisānwhich has the shape of a long iron like a horn, is called asinghbājā, and where it does not have this shape, it is called a murribājā.
Murribājāis also known in some areas asdholbājā, dhāpbājā, luhuti ortimkidibājā. Inmurribājāgenerally,dholis not used. Sometimes with the help ofdhāp,dhol,mahuri, and smallnisānortimkidiare used inluhutibājā.
Dhol,tamak,dhāp, etc. musical instruments are made byhādi,bāuri,pāna, andganāpeople only. These musical instruments use the skins of cattle, goats, monkeys, cows, and frogs, etc., so members of other groups (people from upper castes) other thanganāand some tribal groups generally do not want to play it. Similarly, the tribal people also make their musical instruments.
For example, thedungdungāof the Parajas, thekirkisāof the Durua, thedhaāpof the Kandh’s, theregregāof the Saura, themādalof the Gond, Saura, and the Santals are made only by the members of the respective groups. In different parts of the undivided Koraput district, tribal music is also known asdesiābāidaor the county music.
Among the musical instruments in the tribal group aredungdungā(Kandh, Parja, Gadaba), ramgutā(Gadaba, Paraja, Omanatya), dhudki (Saura), mujra (Bhatra), gununku (Banda),shingā(Banda, Didayi, Kandha, Durua, Saura), bāikundal (Lodha), chāngu (Bathudi, Juang, Pahadi Bhuiyan) are notable.
It is important to mention here that the Juang and Bathudi people are also seen worshiping at certain festivals by placingchānguin theirmajāngor the youth dormitory. Similarly, some musical instruments vary in region and group.
For example, Gonddhol(dumri), Banda and Sauradhol(tudung), Duruadhol(dhola), etc., maintain their uniqueness not only for different names but also in terms of size and type. Similarly, the flute of Kandh, Saura, Durua, Santal also preserves their uniqueness. How the role of music in traditional lifestyles can be inferred from the following sayings:
āge bājā pachhe rājā(bājāin the front and the king is the next).
āge bājā pachhe debtā, pachhe bihā(bājā in the front, the deity is the next).
āge bājā pachhe bihā(bājā is the first in the marriage ceremony).
āge bājā pachhe desaltā(bājā is first,desaltā(other equipages are in the next thing in rituals) is the next.
Ganābājāis performed in all social and cultural activities such as marriage, worship of the deity, dance, in the occasion of death or the performance of death rituals,kanābari(pre-wedding rituals for girls) and so on.Pārthe playing style or rhythm of thebājādepending on the event and situation and the needs.
Bihā par(rhythm of marriage),debtā pār(rhythm of god goddesses), nāchani pār(rhythm of dance),marhā pār(rhythm of death)etc. are the traditional taxonomy of the different rhythms. Apart from these, at weddings, there are various styles of music played such asnāchni pār,gansen pār(a rhythm played on the occasion of marriage ritual when bride and groom takes ritual round around the marriage alter),durlānachā pār(dancing rhythm after thegansen),muhunjuā pār(a rhythm played at the time when turmeric powder-oil smeared to bride and bride groom by female members of their family at the marriage altar),parghen pār(a rhythm played at the time of formal inviting ritual of bridegroom by bride family and members),dāl bahalen pār(post-marriage ritual where floating of the branches takes place in a nearby river or pond),chaultiken pār(a ritual of marriage to smearing turmeric powder-oil-rice on the forehead of bride and bride groom),binki pār(rital of striking rice by bride and bride groom to each other), andlagan(event of tying knot)pār. Similarly themarhā pāris also known as called themarhā nisānbecause in this occasion only one style is played.
Apāris also played at different levels, such aschagen, dhār, utren, muden, chiden,udān,badhen,lasa,kuti,māthi,basen, andthumkel. The method of picking up a piece of music at the beginning of a song is calledchaghen.
Various musical instruments are played one by one before playing a certain par, and the sound that occurs when one comes to a direction is called achaghen.
From the beginning, the sound of themahuri, nisān,tāsā,dholtakes a certain rhythm is known asdhār dharbā means the initial movement of rhythm. Similarly, the music is played only after one verse is sung is known askāten. Noticing the style of the song, mahuri played accordingly.
When the music covers the end ofantarāof the song, the rhythm of themahurireturns to theantrā. This sudden change in music is called muden. The final landing of the rhythm is called theutrenand the end ischiden. Sometimes the rhythm whether it is dancing or playing at a fast pace it is known asudān.
In the same way, increasing the number ofkātenis known aspārbadhenor increasing the rhythm. Playing slowly musical instruments is calledlasa. Correspondingly, playing occasionally in between two sessions is known askuti, and being stable of the musical tune is known asmāthi.
In the case of dance performances, the style of the dance is often changed, in which case the drummer also softly strikes the drum. This style is calledbasen.Thumkeiis usually the music played at the time of dance of god goddesses.
It is noteworthy that in the case of gods and goddesses dance there is also a rhythm known aspatri ochhen pār,bharni pār, orboel pārto invoking the god goddesses which are different for different god goddesses.
(The views expressed are the writer’s own)
Dr.Sanjaya Kumar Bag
Koksara, Kalahandi, Ph.D. on folklore studies from the Department of Modern Indian Language and Literary Studies, the University of Delhi. Presently he teaches Odia in the Eastern Regional Language Centre, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.