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Punjab is not only great but is also
vast and varied. Punjab, the land of five rivers,
is very fortunate in having developed and cherished,
since centuries, a long and glorious tradition of
a composite culture. It seems to have been evolved
and enriched by a galaxy of God-intoxicated men
who belonged to various faiths and creeds, such
as Hindu saints, Sikh Gurus and Sufi fakirs. Their
mystical songs, in particular, are the pride of
the whole Punjab and form a common and invaluable
heritage of all Punjab's.
The lyrical effusions of those blessed men, incidentally,
gave birth to a distinct stream of the poetry of
this land, called Sufi Kavya-Dhara, which inherits
a rich and long literary tradition. The content
and form, scope and standard as well as the flow
of masterly beauty of Farid Bani, which has come
down to us through the grace of Guru Granth Sahib,
is a proof of this 'Dhara' having been in vogue
about seven centuries ago.
It was developed by Shah Hussain during the sixteenth
century and raised to its pinnacle by Bulleh Shah
during the eighteenth century. Its downfall began
after Hashim Shah during the second half of the
nineteenth century. It was, however, kept flowing
by Maulvi Ghulam Rasul, Syed Miran Shah and Khwaja
Ghulam Farid during the next few decades.
Most of all major poets of Punjab have, more or
less, been influenced by it. Its influence on the
Non-Muslim mystic poets of the first half of the
twentieth century viz. Sant Rein, Sadhu Daya Singh,
Paul Singh Arif, Man Singh Kalidas and Kishan Singh
Arif is quite evident. Even the poets of the modern
period, including Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957), the
father of modern Punjabi literature, have also imbibed
its impact.
Sheikh Farid-ud-din, (1173-1265) was the first
Sufi poet who sang of his insatiable hunger for
the love of the Lord in works of immortal beauty.
Farid's message had a wide humanitarian base and
a broad human approach. In an age marked by the
great brutality, he brought the touch of humanity
and fellow feeling to all.
Farid was also the first poet of Punjab and Punjabi
who used the symbol of human relationship between
wife and husband to express his longings for union
with the Divine.
The kafis (lyrics) of Shah Husain (1538-1599),
the popular romantic Sufi saint of Lahore added
to Sufi poetry its peculiar element of masti (rapture)
and introduced enraptured dancing and passionate
signing.
Hussain was also the first Sufi poet of Punjabi
who adopted the popular measure of Kafi to express
his mystic ideas. The credit of introducing the
element of the popular love-legends of Punjab (Heer
Ranjha and Sohni Mahiwal) to Sufi Verse and utilizing
their persons, places, motifs and incidents as images,
metaphors and allegories etc. also goes to him.
Sultan Bahu (1629-1691), one of the greatest mystics
of India, who belonged to district Jhang, adopted
the verse-form of Shiarfi (arostic) for the expression
of his sentiments, ending every line of his verse
with a lyrical tone of exquisite charm, pronounced
as hoo. It was he who, preferring 'Ishq' (love)
not only to 'Aqal' (wisdom) but also to 'Iman (faith).
Syed Bulleh Shah (1680-1758), was the most famous
Sufi poet of Punjab. Bullah asserted his commitment
forcefully and longed for his visit so feelingly,
as under :
You are just a herdsman for the folk,
People call you by the name of Ranjha.
But for me you are my religion and my faith.
O come and do enter my courtyard.
Bhullah's earlier verses expressed theological
ideas of Islam. But when he turned a pantheist under
the influence of Vedant and Sikhism, he became so
convinced of God's omnipresence and integrity of
the universal soul that he began to experience and
express that sort of cosmopolitan joy which knows
no limits and divisions.
Bullha had also taken then the path of reconciliation
and talked of peace and unity among the adherents
of various faiths and denominations.
Syed Ali Haider (1690-1785) of Multan, was the
first Sufi who poetized Heer Ranjha in the form
of a Qissa (long narration), entitled Qissa Heer
va Ranjha, and added thereby a new tributary to
the stream of Punjabi Sufi poetry.
His Abyat (verses) are known for their grace, poetic
flow and play with words. The first letter of the
alphabet, viz. Alif, stands for God and the letter
Meem for Muhammad, the prophet. While Bullha talked
of the agony of Punjab in some of his verses, Haider
grieved over the lot of Hindustan.
Referring to the invasion, slaughter and plunder
of Nadir Shah in 1739, he reproached and cursed
all those who were responsible for the loss and
distress suffered by India and Indians.
Fard Faqir (1729-1790) who lived during the same
time in Gujrat, also reproached the rulers of the
day. But he did so, in verses as the following,
for their ill treatment of laborers and workers
belonging to various professions
Being rulers they sit on carpets
And tyrannize the people.
They call the workers 'menials'
And keep on even sucking their blood.
His kasab nama broke a new ground by describing
the process of wearing cloth for expressing his
Sufistic ideas and beliefs. In his Siharfi, Fard
did not spare even the ever hostile Ulama (doctors
of law and religion) by expressing their hypocrisy
and observing that it hardly avails if an ass is
loaded with books. Punjabi Sufi Poetry got a new
fillips with the advent of Syed Hashim Shah (1735-1843),
a highly learned, prolific and multilingual writer
who flourished during the Sikh supremacy in Punjab
and who has been mentioned in terms of esteem even
by eminent Western scholars.
In Punjabi, he versified the popular love-tragedies
of Punjab to describe and acclaim the 'Kamal Ishq'
(perfect love) of their heroes and heroines (viz.
Sassi & Punnu, Heer & Ranjha, Sohni &
Mahiwal, Shirin & Farhad).
Among the later Sufis of Punjab, Syed Ghulam Jilani
Rohtaki (1749-1819), gave a deep Vedantic touch
to his verses. Maulvi Ghulam Rasul, (1813-1874),
took refuge under the tragic romance of Sassi Punnu
to sing his own emotions and pangs of separations.
Sayed Karam Alim Shah (19th Century) contributed
musical Khayals (thoughts) and loris (Lullabies)
of Sufi effusions to this lore. The musical tunes
in which he expressed his sentiments of Divine Love,
are popular all over Punjab and more so in Sikh
circles. Sometimes he employs even the works peculiar
to the Sikh social and religious literature.
Syed Miran Shah (1830-1913) of Jalandhar like Sayid
Hashim Shah also symbolized his mystic experience
through love legends, his 'Guldasta' contains a
large numbers of Kafis, Ghazals, Baramah & Satvara.
Syed Mir Hussain of Dinjwan, (Gurdaspur) best conveys
the allegorical interpretations of Sassi Punnu,
in his version entitled (Bagh-e-Mohabbat, that is,
the garden of love. He interpreted almost all the
characters, motives, sites, and situations of the
tale in metaphorical and metaphysical terms. For
his Sassi, instead of being the daughter of someone
named Adam Jam was in fact, the human soul itself,
and Punnu as the object of union of divine love,
herdsmen as mediators of this union etc.
Sain Yatim Shah, another popular Sufi of the Punjab
(Distt. Gurdaspur) had versified the same love relations,
In order to convey its purport to the lovers by
presenting in it's the struggle between body and
the soul, Yatim Shah in this Qissa has woven the
beads of mysticism, preached virtuous and moral
values to all communities and has explained the
way of ignoring worldly things and coming into living
contract with the almighty.
The Sufi poets of Punjab, in the similar way, utilized
only those poetical modes and verse-forms, for the
expression of their emotions, experiences and yearnings
which were quite popular and familiar to the people
of the land. They composed Shloks, Dohe, Shabads,
Kafis, Khayals, Baramahs, Athwaras and Sinarfis,
etc.
As a matter of fact, the Sufi saints and poets
of Punjab contributed so much and so well not only
to the linguistic, literary and cultural heritages
of Punjab, they also identified themselves, intrinsically,
with its land and people.
LOVE LEGENDS OF PUNJAB
Punjab has always combated invaders. Therefore the
truth of life became a reality like blood in one's
veins. All this inculcated in the lovers of Punjab
not only an appreciation and periscopic sense of
beauty but also the courage to gift life. The action
became two dimentional: while on one hand mortal
love gained the stature of worship of God; on the
other hand, it lent courage to defy religious constraints.
The beautiful truth is that for centuries the saga
of the folk lovers which immortalizes the memory
of Heer, Sohni, Sahiban, Sassi, and others has been
handed down from generation to generation. Their
memories are still alive as they had died for love
and not because their lovers had died for them at
the alter of love. They rebelled against the conventional
norms of society. These women who loved did not
treasure their body or soul: they sacrificed everything
for love.
The roots of this philosophy are embedded in the
poetry of Waris Shah, who believed that the world
existed on love. He says:
Be thankful to God
For making love the root of the world
First he himself loved
Then he made the prophets
His beloved ones.
It is this belief which endowed the woman of Punjab
with a romantic soul and filled it with the conviction
of truth and gave her the courage to speak. Therefore
we do not come across any love story which portrays
a woman pining to death or quietly nursing her love
within her bosom. In all the love tales the women
are volatile and have dynamic characters.
HEER RANJHA
Waris Shah's composition, the love story of Heer
Ranjha takes a pre-eminent place, in what may be
called the 'qissa' literature of Punjab. It is the
story of the youngman and a youngwomen, which did
not receive the sanction of society in the shape
of marriage, a major theme of literature, music,
dance and drama not only in Punjab, but everywhere
in the world.
The story prformed in the form of an opera as well
as a ballet is very typical. Heer was the daughter
of a feudal landlord Chuchak Sial from Jhang. Before
her sacrifice for Ranjha, she proved herself to
be a very courageous and daring young girl. It is
said that Sardar (Chief) Noora from the Sambal community,
had a really beautiful boat made and appointed a
boatman called Luddan. Noora was very ruthless with
his employees. Due to the ill treatment one day
Luddan ran away with the boat and begged Heer for
refuge. Heer gave him moral support as well as shelter.
Sardar Noora was enraged at this incident. He summoned
his friends and set off to catch Luddan. Heer collected
an army of her friends and confronted Sardar Noora
and defeated him. When Heer's brothers learnt of
this incident they told her,If a mishap had befallen
you why didn't you send for us? To which Heer replied,
What was the need to send for all of you? Emperor
Akbar had not attacked us.
It is the same Heer who, when she is in love with
Ranjha, sacrifices her life for him and says, Saying
Ranjha, Ranjha all time I myself have become Ranjha.
No one should call me Heer, call me Dheedho Ranjha.
When Heer's parents arranged her marriage much
against her wishes, with a member of the house of
Khaidon, it is Heer who plucks up courage during
the wedding ceremony and reprimands the Kazi (priest).
Kazi, I was married in the presence of Nabi (Prophet).
When did God give you the authority to perform my
marriage ceremony again and annul my first marriage?
The tragedy is that people like you are easily bribed
to sell their faith and religion. But I will keep
my promise till I go to the grave.
Heer is forcibly married to Khaidon but she cannot
forget Ranjha. She sends a message to him. He comes
in the garb of a jogi (ascetic) and takes her away.
When Heer's parents hear about the elopement they
repent and send for both of them promising t get
Heer married to Ranjha. But Heer's uncle Khaidon
betrays them and poisons Heer.
In this love tale Heer and Ranjha do not have the
good fortune of making a home. But in the folklore
sung by the ladies, Heer and Ranjha always enjoyed
a happy married life.
It was Heer's strong conviction, which has placed
this tragic romantic tale on the prestigious pedestal
along with Punjab's religious poetry.
SASSI PUNNU
Sassi was another romantic soul, the daughter of
King Adamkhan of Bhambour. At her birth the astrologers
predicted that she was a curse for the royal family's
prestige. The king ordered that the child be put
in a wooden chest with a 'taweez' tied on her neck
and thrown into the river Chenab. The chest was
seen floating by Atta, the washer man of Bamboon
village. The dhobi believed the child was a blessing
from God and took her home and adopted her as his
child. Many, many years passed by and the king did
not have another child, so he decides to get married
again. When he heard that the daughter of Atta,
the washer man, was as beautiful as the angels,
the king summoned her to the palace. Sassi was still
wearing the tabiz (amulet), which the queen mother
had put around her neck when she was taken away
to be drowned. The king recognized his daughter
immediately on seeing the tabiz. The pent-up sufferings
of the parents flowed into tears. They wanted their
lost child to return to the palace and bring joy
and brightness to their lives, but Sassi refused
and preferred to live in the house where she had
grown up. She refused to leave the man who had adopted
her.
Sassi did not go to the palace but the king presented
her with abundant gifts, lands and gardens where
she could grow and blossom like a flower. As all
the rare things of the world were within her reach
she wanted to acquire knowledge and sent for learned
teachers and scholars. She made sincere efforts
to increase her knowledge. During this time she
heard about the trader from Gajni, who had a garden
mad with a monument, the inner portion of which
was enriched with exquisite paintings. When Sassi
visited the place to offer her tributes and admire
the rich art, she instantly fell in love with a
painting, which was a masterpiece of heavenly creation.
She soon discovered this was the portrait of Prince
Pannu, son of King Ali Hoot, the ruler of Kicham.
Sassi became desperate to meet Punnu, so she issued
an order that any businessman coming from Kicham
town should be presented before her. There was a
flutter within the business community as this news
spread and someone informed Punnu about Sassi's
love for him. He assumed the garb of a businessman
and carrying a bagful of different perfumes came
to meet Sassi. The moment Sassi saw him she couldn't
help saying, Praise to be God!
Punu's Baluchi brothers developed an enmity for
Sassi. They followed him and on reaching the town
they saw the marriage celebrations of Sassi and
Pannu in full swing, they could not bear the rejoicing.
That night the brothers pretended to enjoy and participate
in the marriage celebrations and forced Punnu to
drink different types of liquor. When he was dead
drunk the brothers carried him on a camel's back
and returned to their hometown Kicham.
The next morning when she realized that she was
cheated she became mad with the grief of separation
from her lover and ran barefoot towards the city
of Kicham. To reach the city she had to cross miles
of desert land, the journey that was full of dangerous
hazards, leading to the end of world.
Her end was similar to the end of Kaknoos bird.
It is said that when this bird sings, fire leaps
out from its wings and it is reduced to ashes in
its own flames. Similarly Punnu's name was the death
song for Sassi who repeated it like a song and flames
of fire leapt up and she was also reduced to ashes.
SOHNI MAHIWAL
Sohni was the daughter of a potter named Tula, who
lived in Punjab near the banks of the Chenab River.
As soon as the Surahis (water pitchers) and mugs
came off the wheels, she would draw floral designs
on them and transform them into masterpieces of
art.
Izzat Biag, the rich trader form Balakh Bukhara,
came to Hindustan on business but when he saw the
beautiful Sohni he was completely enchanted. Instead
of keeping mohars (gold coins) in his pockets, he
roamed around with his pockets full of love. Just
to get a glimpse of Sohni he would end up buying
the water pitchers and mugs everyday.
Sohni lost her heart to Izzat Baig. Instead of
making floral designs on earthenware she started
building castles of love in her dreams. Izzat Baig
sent off his companions to Balakh Bukhara. He took
the job of a servant in the house of Tula, the potter.
He would even take their buffaloes for grazing.
Soon he was known as Mahiwal (potter).
When the people started spreading rumors about
the love of Sohni and Mahiwal, without her consent
her parents arranged her marriage with another potter.
Suddenly, one day his barat (marriage party) arrived
at the threshold of her house. Sohni was helpless
and in a poignant state. Her parents bundled her
off in the doli (palanquin), but they could not
pack off her love in any doli (box).
Izzat Baig renounced the world and started living
like a fakir (hermit) in a small hut across the
river. The earth of Sohni's land was like a dargah
(shrine) for him. He had forgotten his own land,
his own people and his world. Taking refuge in the
darkness of the night when the world was fast asleep
Sohni would come by the riverside and Izzat Baig
would swim across the river to meet her. He would
regularly roast a fish and bring it for her. It
is said that once due to high tide he could not
catch a fish, so he cut a piece of his thigh and
roasted it. Seeing the bandage on his thigh, Sohni
opened it, saw the wound and cried.
From the next day Sohni started swimming across
the river with the help of an earthen pitcher as
Izzat Baig was so badly wounded, he could not swim
across the river. Soon spread the rumors of their
romantic rendezvous. One-day Sohni's sister-in-law
followed her and saw the hiding place where Sohni
used to keep her earthen pitcher among the bushes.
The next day her sister-in-law removed the hard
baked pitcher and replaced it with an unbaked one.
At night when Sohni tried to cross the river with
the help of the pitcher, it dissolved in the water
and Sohni was drowned. From the other side of the
river Mahiwal saw Sohni drowning and jumped into
the river.
This was Sohni's courage, which every woman of
Punjab has recognized, applauded in songs: Sohni
was drowned, but her soul still swims in water.
MIRZA SAHIBAN
Mirza-Sahiban, a love-lore is a treasure of Punjabi
literature. It is a romantic tragedy. Sahiban was
another love-lorn soul. Shayer Pillo raves about
her beauty and says, As Sahiban stepped out with
a lungi tied around her waist, the nine angels died
on seeing her beauty and God started counting his
last breath.
Mirza and Sahiban who were cousins and childhood
playmates, fell in love with each other. But when
this beauty is about to be wedded forcibly to Tahar
Khan by her parents, without any hesitation she
sends a taunting message to Mirza, whom she loves,
to his village Danabad, through a Brahmin called
Kammu.
You must come and decorate Sahiban's hand with
the marriage henna.
This is the time you have to protect your self
respect and love, keep your promises, and sacrifice
your life for truth. Mirza who was a young full-blooded
man, makes Sahiba sit on his horse and rides away
with her. But on the way, as he lies under the shade
of a tree to rest for a few moments, the people
who were following them on horseback with swords
in their hands catch up with them.
Sahiba was a virtuous and a beautiful soul who
did not desire any bloodshed to mar the one she
loved. She did not want her hands drenched in blood
instead of henna. She thinks Mirza cannot miss his
target, and if he strikes, her brothers would surely
die. Before waking up Mirza, Sahiban puts away his
quiver on the tree. She presumes on seeing her,
her brothers would feel sorry and forgive Mirza
and take him in their arms. But the brothers attack
Mirza and kill him. Sahiban takes a sword and slaughters
herself and thus bids farewell to this world.
Innumerable folk songs of Punjab narrate the love
tale of Sassi and Punnu. The women sing these songs
with great emotion and feeling, as though they are
paying homage to Sassi with lighted on her tomb.
It is not the tragedy of the lovers. It is the conviction
of the heart of the lovers. It is firmly believed
that the soil of the Punjab has been blessed. God
has blessed these lovers to. Though there love ended
in death, death was a blessing in disguise, for
this blessing is immortalized.
Waris shah who sings the tale of Heer elevates
mortal love to the same pedestal as spiritual love
for God saying, When you start the subject of love,
first offer your invocation to God. This has always
been the custom in Punjab, where mortal love has
been immortalized and enshrined as spirit of love.
Just as every society has dual moral values, so
does the Punjabi community. Everything is viewed
from two angles, one is a close up of morality and
the other is a distant perspective. The social,
moral convictions on one hand give poison to Heer
and on the other make offerings with spiritual convictions
at her tomb, where vows are made and blessings sought
for redemption from all sufferings and unfulfilled
desires.
But the Sassis, Heers, Sohnis and others born on
this soil have revolted against these dual moral
standards. The folk songs of Punjab still glorify
this rebelliousness.
When the sheet tear,
It can be mended with a patch:
How can you darn the torn sky?
If the husband dies, another one can be found,
But how can one live if the lover dies?
And perhaps it is the courage of the rebellious
Punjabi woman, which has also given her a stupendous
sense of perspective. Whenever she asks her lover
for a gift she says,
Get a shirt made for me of the sky
And have it trimmed with the earth
FOLK DRAMA
In Punjab the birth of folk drama appears to have
taken place with the birth of man.
RAMLILA
Conscience-keeper of tradition Shri Ram Chander
has always been the beau ideal of the Indians who
suffered great hazards but established and maintained
high principles. Two great epics, Maharishi Balmiki's
Ramayan and Tulsi Das Ji's Ram Charitra Manas formed
the womb out of which folk drama was born. On the
basis of these epics Ramlila was designed as a play.
Huge stage is setup and adorned artfully. The life
of Lord Rama is depicted through authentically dressed
character. Sometimes more than one episode is staged
concurrently, like Sita's abduction from Ashok Vatika
and the war between Sri Ram & Ravana. The characters
impart unity to the action by reciting verses in
the fashion of a Greek drama.
Burning the effigies of Ravan, Meghnath and Kumbhkaran
ends the Ram Lila and Sita Ji is rescued with honor
signifying victory of good over evil. Ram Lila is
played in all cities of Punjab every year with great
gusto.
PRAHLAD LEELA
Symbol of God-love, Bhagat Prahlad is venerated
by the Punjab's on the occasion of Holi festival.
Rasdhris (traditional dancers) dramatize the saga
of Bhagat Prahlad's life with great respect. It
is done through imitation roles and the interest
in action is maintained through songs and music.
Bhagat Prahlad, inspite of tortures does not move
from his faith in God. In the end truth is shown
as the victor over evil.
BABA BALIK NATH LILA
Baba Balik Nath was a super-being blessed with spiritual
powers who is venerated in Jalandhar Doab. Saga
of his life is delineated on the stage through music,
song and dance which in dramatic parlance is called
Lila and which highlights saintly values.
GURU BALMIK LILA
The story of the Guru's life is dramatized in a
moving manner. Major events of his life have been
versified which are acted through dance, music and
song. This Lila is of recent origin and the Rasdharis
of Jalandhar Doab are renowned for dramatizing it.
GURU RAVI DAS LILA
Rasdharis have made a beautiful endeavor to project
the spiritual message of Guru Ravi Das's life. The
Lila depicts the injustices heaped on him, his eternal
faith and God-love and the great honor received
by him eventually in a spirit of surrender and is
put on show in almost every city of Punjab on the
Guru's birthday.
SWANG
It is a kind of song-drama which is played either
in the open or atop of platform. The plot is based
on the story of a great personality. In Punjab the
Swangs of Puran Nath Jogi, Gopi Nath and Veer Hakikat
Rai are very popular. In the first two, the life
of detachment and in Kakikat Rai's Swant, the love
of religion and spirit of sacrifice for its sake
are highlighted and their popularity rests on the
fact that they make one conversant with medieval
life.
NAQALS
Naqal is the art of imitation. The Naqal imitate
life in a manner that provokes violent laughter.
Naqals entertain as they instruct also. Naqals exhibit
their art through crisp conservation. The First
: Why ! from where have you come ? The Second :
Give me food I am starving. Don't you know that
I had gone to meet my daughter and we do not eat
anything at our daughter's house.
BHANDS
They are the traditional entertainers of Punjab
and entertainment is their whole-time profession.
They are either invited or just gatecrash during
marriages and produce lot of fun and frolic. Their
music and dance are typical and they also evoke
jokes through dialogue.
ORAL LITERATURE
Oral literature compared with written literature
has many distinct features of its own. Whereas written
literature is the outcome of the cultivated faculties
of the artists, oral literature is a spontaneous
outburst of the innermost feelings which emerge
from the depths of the unconscious mind of the community.
It has its roots deep in tradition and is preserved
in memory. It is ever fresh and ever on the move
like a river.
All literature, oral or written, springs from life,
but oral literature is a better projection of the
innermost recesses of the social and cultural life
of a society, its traditions, customs, habits, behaviour,
rites, etc.
Off and on the village-folk get together to hear
a minstrel, a bard, or other folk singers who may
have assembled to entertain them. Ras-dhariye perform
etrical plays the theme of which centres round immortal
lovers, heroes and saints. Very popular with the
people are the baints of Waris Shah's Heer, sad
of Pilu's, Mirza Sahiban, and dohre of Hashim's
Sassi Punnu. These compositions are the workmanship
of famous writers in Punjabi and form part of the
written literature, but the love tales for untold
generations have also been a part of folklore.
Folklore is so much a part and parcel of village
life that the old and the young virtually live on
it. On moonlit summer nights when people sleep in
the open, or during the cold nights of winter when
they are wrapped up in their quilts, all enjoy listening
to these folk-tales.
The daily conversation of the Punjabis is so replete
with proverbs and sayings that almost every fifth
sentence is a saying.
The different forms of oral literature popular
in the Punjab are as follows :
FOLK-SONGS
If poetry is the expression of deeply-felt emotions,
nothing can be purer than folk poetry The social,
religious and cultural life of a community lies
embedded in its folk-songs. Punjabi folksongs are
varied and colourful. Laughter, happiness, pain,
sorrow, all form ingredients of these songs. They
are simple, charming, and full of the sincerity
of emotion, and the purity of feeling. The entire
Punjabi culture, so to speak, is reflected in them.
SONGS ABOUT CULT, RITUAL AND SACRAMENT
The Punjab is inhabited by people of different sects,
religions and cults which have their own modes of
prayer and worship. But since folk poetry belongs
to a whole social group, only those songs become
popular which are acceptable to the entire community.
Religion reflected in the folksongs is religion
not of a sect but of the whole community.
Some remnants of nature worship can still be found
in Punjabi culture. This worship has found expression
in songs. When a Punjabi woman, especially an orthodox
one, sees the new moon, she folds her hands and
bows to it respectfully and recites folk songs.
Some people in the Punjab still worship trees.
The peepal tree is supposed to be the manifestation
of Brahma and all gods are believed to be residing
in it. The peepal is thus extolled in a folk-song.
Punjabis are very religious. Theirs is the land
of the Vedas enriched by the experiences of saints
aid sages. Folk-songs abound in eulogies of famous
gurus, bhagats and jogis, like Guru Nanak Dev, Guru
Gobind Singh, Farid, Namdev, Gopi Chand, Bharthrihari
and Puran.
There are devotional folk-songs about Indra, Brahma,
Saraswati, Vaishno Devi, Ramehandra and Seeta and
many that narrate small, interesting episodes from
the life of Krishna. But characteristically these
songs are not sectarian. They are sung and enjoyed
by all Punjabis, depending upon the suitability
of the occasion. There are some folksongs in which
Hindu gods and goddesses and Muslim pirs are invoked
simultaneously.
Songs for ceremonial occasions have a great cultural
significance. They are more an expression of the
deeply felt emotions of the community as a whole
and not of an individual. These songs are generally
sung in groups. They are of great variety, and there
are different songs for different occasions; for
example, haria, suhag, vatna, ghorlain, sithanian
and alhanian. The life of a Punjabi is studded with
songs. When a baby is born, all women of the family
and the neighbourhood get together and sing haria.
Some even sing ghorian on the birth of a son because
according to Punjabis son is like bridegrooms from
birth itself. The child grows in the midst of lullabies.
The theme of the lullabies is invariably a mother's
dreams about her son.
The wedding songs are the most interesting and
popular ones. When girls come from the husbands'
house to the parents' to attend the marriage of
their brothers, they sing sohile, the subject matter
of which is superlative praise for the brother and
the parental home. A few days before marriage, women
get together daily at night and sing to the accompaniment
of the dholaki. The songs sung at the bridegroom's
house are called ghorian and those at the bride's
house suhag. What the mother, sisters and sisters-in-law
look forward to at the marriage of a boy of the
family is all expressed vividly in ghorian.
Suhag is the echo of a young Punjabi girl's feelings.
It draws attention to the young girl's hopes, dreams
and joys of life. In Punjabi villages a young girl
has no say in the choice of her husband. It is the
parents who make the selection. The girl's feelings
in the matter are sung of in many of the suhags.
One folk-song, Devin ve babla us ghare (Send me
only to such a house, 0 father), is an expression
of a Punjabi girl's desire to go into a family where
the mother-in-law is good and virtuous, the father-in-law
holds an esteemed position, where the mother-in-
law has many sons and is always busy celebrating
marriages, where there are many buffaloes and such
abundance or milk that the girl will always be busy
churning curd and making butter.
When the marriage partv arrives at the bride's
house, sithanian are sung, which are doggerels full
of wit and sarcasm. Sometimes women find them a
handy medium to point out the weak points of the,
bridegroom's party or of any particular member of
it. These songs are packed with pungent wit but
are accepted in good humour.
Similarly, expressive songs are sung on many other
occasions connected with marriage. When the bridegroom
is led into the bride's house before the wedding
is solemnized, he has to recite chhand. This is
a test of the boy's ability to speak intelligently,
and also of his ready wit.
Songs are sung at the departure of the Doli. This
is the time of separation. The girl has a heavy
heart since she has to bid farewell to her parents
and parental home; at the same time there is a subdued
thrill at the prospect of her going to her husband's
house. The Doli songs are very touching.
When the girl goes to the house of her in-laws,
the mother-in- law performs certain ceremonies.
Songs are sung on this occasion too.
Vain and alhania are songs for mourning. They are
poignant songs which help to release the pent-up
emotions of the bereaved persons by stressing the
pain of the departed soul.
WOMEN AND FOLK-SONGS
A woman's sentiments are deftly woven into the fine
fabric of the folk-songs of the Punjab. The main
supposition at the back of these songs is that a
woman has two lives and two minds, one for her parents
and the other for her in-laws. She draws strength
from both families. In her new home after marriage,
she leans on the husband, whereas in the parental
home her attention is concentrated more on the brother
than anyone else. In all her childhood games, she
idealises her brother, and after marriage, on all
occasions of family celebrations, her brother brings
her home from her husband's house. A Punjabi girl
almost worships her brother. She is proud of him
and custom has taught her to look forward to his
visits, because on all festive occasions it 1$ the
brother who brings gifts to her house.
And though she would like to show an extravagant
hospitality towards her visiting brother, the inhibitions
of the joint family stand in her way. She is afraid
of the taunts of her mother-in-law.
Next to the brother it is the mother who is remembered
most by the Punjabi girl for she is the sharer of
her daughter's sorrows. A mother having borne much
the same sort of suffering in her own life can understand
her daughter's predicament best. The daughter comes
to her and talks freely about the injustice and
cruelty which she receives at the hands of her mother-in-law
and sisters-in-law .
In her husband's home she is afraid of the mother-in-law's
conventional tyranny. If the mother-in-law is good,
life becomes a heaven, but what happens more often
is that the cruel mother-in-law makes life a hell
for her. She taunts her over small things, passes
scathing remarks on her parents, brothers and sisters,
and irritates her so much that her heart is filled
with hatred for her. This dislike for the mother-in-law
is expressed in many folk-songs of the Punjab.
SONGS OF TRINJAN
Women seldom sit idle in the Punjab. When they are
free from household chores, they bring out their
spinning wheels and sit out in the open under a
tree. Women of all ages and from all houses of the
locality sit together and spin, and as they spin
they sing. This is a common sight in the villages.
Sometimes on a winter night they all assemble at
someone's house and keep spinning and singing throughout
the night. These spinning sessions are called trinjan
-the day session is known as Chiri Chirunga (sparrows
big and small) and the night session is called Rat
Katni (spinning at night). Sometimes there are spinning
competitions among young girls with a chain of songs
in the background. Spinning is seldom independent
of the song. Spinning goes on accompanied by spontaneous,
unrestrained music.
Trinjan songs cover all aspects of life particularly
the long cherished dreams of a woman, her aspirations,
fears, love longings and tuggings at the heart.
These songs combined with the drone of the spinning
wheel create an enchanting atmosphere.
SONGS OF TEEYAN
The festival of Teeyan is an occasion for all married
girls to visit their parents for a few days, and
thus enjoy again the carefree days of their childhood.
They run to the swings on the peepal trees. It is
fascinating to see the earth all round becoming
green again, the welcome drops of rain falling,
and the youthful girls in colourful dresses. The
girls sing songs and dance Giddlia. Songs of Teeyati
mostly speak of love, and are highly charged with
emotion.
LOVE DITTIES
Love lyrics comprise the best part of Punjabi folklore.
The songs of this category express the ecstasy of
union as also the pangs of separation. These lyrics
are short and absorbing, the most popular among
them being Bolian, Mahiya and Dhola. The natural
exuberance of a Punjabi does not allow him to put
any limits to his appreciation of beauty.
As popular as Boli is Mahiya, which presents an
expressive picture of the torments of separation
and the thrills of reunion. Dhola like Mahlya is
an appealing storehouse of the softest sentiments.
Considering that for centuries the Punjabis had
to bear the brunt of foreign attacks, it was natural
that sometimes when young men went out to fight,
the wives expressed a wish to go and brave it with
them rather than stay back and suffer the torments
of separation.
Some folk-songs have a historical significance
and reflect the attitude of the entire community
towards certain events. The Punjab has.been a frontier
province and Punjabis have always suffered from
the aftereffects of foreign invasions. Every invasion
brought plunder, rape and arson in its wake. There
is a song which gives a heart-rending description
of the cruelty of a marauder who forcibly carries
away a beautiful young lady. Her husband, father
and brother, in spite of their earnest efforts,
fail to rescue her, and the brave girl, instead
of falling prey to that brute's passion, burns herself
to death. The entire poignant tale is contained
in a ballad.
The invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali
created terror among the people of the Punjab. There
are some songs expressing their indignation towards
them. When the long enslaved Indians started their
fight for freedom from the British yoke, the offended
masters let loose upon them a bell of spiteful cruelty.
Some folk-songs refer to these movements of rebellion
in the Punjab.
FOLK-TALES
Story telling is a very popular pastime with the
Punjabis. During months of extreme winter, groups
of men, women and children sit near the fire-place,
or lie akimbo in their beds under cosy quilts, or
in summer, sit out in the open under the sky and
tell or bear stories and thus beguile time. Stories
are not told during daytime because of the belief
that if that is done, poor travellers tend to lose
their way. The tales told are a well-preserved valuable
treasure handed down for ages from generation to
generation. Old people relate them with special
relish. Every village has its own expert story tellers.
Their narration is so dramatic that even kids stay
awake till a story comes to its end. Sometimes a
story goes on for a whole night, and sometimes the
narrative is so linked that it is kept up night
after night for a long time. The world-famous Panchatantra
is actually in anthology of tales which were popular
in the Punjab in earlier times when the Aryans were
settled there.
The oldest and most famous book of fairy tales,
Vad Kaha, composed by Rishi Gunadhya was written
in the Panjab.in the then prevalent dialect, Paishachi.
This collection is not available now but Katha Sarit
Sagar based on it and written in Sanskrit by Somadeva
is available.
The famous Arabic collection of fables, Kalilawa
Dimnah, is based on the Panchatantra. Similarly,
most of the tales of Alif Laila are said to have
originated from Katha Sarit Sagar or Vad Kaha. The
Punjab has thus been an ocean whence innumerable
gems of folk-tales have spread all over the world.
Legends form the most interesting and inspiring
part of the folk-tales of the Punjab. They are mostly
about lovers, warriors, saints, devotees and pirs.
Tales like Heer Ranjha,.Sassi Peinnu, Sohni Mahiwal,
Mirza Sahiban, Roda Jalaii, etc., are still listened
to with great relish.
Some legends are heroic in content, and they sing
praises of the warriors who sacrificed their lives
for the country. Raja Rasula the most famous character
of this heroic cycle. He was the son of King Salvahan
of Sialkot and is supposed to have lived towards
the end of the first century A.D. In Pothohar and
Sialkot, there are many places associated with Raja
Rasalu. The marks of the hooves of Raja Rasalu's
horse and the lunge of the sword which he is supposed
to have aimed at a witch are still preserved at
'Cheer Par'.
There are many legends about pirs, fakirs and jogis,
with supernatural elements playing an important
role in them. Prominent among the tales of jogis
are those of Bhartrihari, Gopinath and Gorakhnath.
Among the followers of Gugga Pir and Sakhi Sarwar
also some very interesting legends are prevalent.
Punjabi fairy tales are extremely fantastic. The
heroes and heroines of these tales pass through
various difficulties but by virtue, of their intelligence
and physical prowess they defeat the antagonistic
forces and succeed in achieving their object. The
stories always end in the victory of the hero. Among
the important fairy tales of the Punjab are Phulan
Shahzadi, Mirchan Shahzadi and Baingan Shahzadi.
Anecdotes called batan in Punjabi, are an essential
part of folklore and are very popular. They are
entertaining as well as instructive, they throw
light on social injustice and inequality, make sarcastic
comment on the weaknesses of human nature, and are
used as proverbs on appropriate occasions.
PROVERBS The superiority of proverbs to all other
forms of folklore can be judged from the popularity
they enjoy and the currency they have amongst the
people. They are a potent force in the development
of culture, act as repositories of wit and wisdom
and transcending all boundaries intermingle with
contemporary expression.
Punjabi oral literature is tremendously rich in
proverbial and gnomic lore. Proverbs, which play
a vital role in the daily life of the people, are
a perennial source of wit and humour. When a piece
of advice has to be tendered and a particular type
of behaviour or action has to be encouraged or discouraged,
the Punjabi takes frequent recourse to proverbs.
Punjabi proverbs are a true reflection of the heart
and soul of the people and grow out of their social
consciousness. They are a perennial source of inspiration
to the community.
Punjabi proverbs reflect precisely the life and
mode of living of the unsophisticated people. They
fully portray their habits, thoughts, sense of beauty,
their wit and humour on every subject relevant to
human life, there is a proverb.
Punjabi proverbs pertaining to human failings and
vices are very fascinating. They are poignant, stimulating
and witty and are often presented in colourful images
taken from daily life.
While vice is despised in Punjabi proverbs, virtue
is praised. Many of the proverbs urge patience,
humility, sweetness, hospitality, generosity, and
gratitude. The repertoire of Punjabi proverbs is
very rich and variegated indeed.
RIDDLES
Riddles, those ingenious questions in a metaphorical
form, are a very significant branch of folklore.
They are not only entertaining in character but
also help cultivate wit and intellectual capability
in a person. Punjabis are very fond of riddles.
Generally it is at night tune that they get together
and pose them. That is the time when they are free
from the day's routine and can sit down and indulge
in this pastime. When women assemble for trinjan
and get tired of spinning, they take some rest in
which they either sing or pose riddles to one another.
Sometimes there is a regular riddle competition
between the young and the old. Such competitions
are mentioned in many folk-tales of the Punjab.
We often bear stories of a princess who would marry
only a man who would pass the intellectual aptitude
test by answering her riddles; failure to do so
meant death. Even on marriages a proper assessment
of the intellectual calibre of the bridegroom is
made through riddles, although this custom is now
dying out.
MODERN LITERATURE
In the literary sphere Punjab's position is secound
to none. In poetry the immortal songs of Bhai Vir
Singh, Dhani Ram Chatrik, Amrita Pritam, Mohan Singh,
Balwant Bawa, Preetam Singh Safeer, Avtar Singh
Azad, Prabhjot Kaur and others have a soul moving
quality. In thought, expression and universality
of appeal Punjabi Poetry today is as rich and asthetic
as the poetry of any other language of the country.
In the sphere of drama, novel and short story, the
path blazed by I.C.Nandha, Nanak Singh and Gurbax
Singh had attracted first rate talent in Balwant
Gargi , Sheela Bhatia, Gurdial Singh Khosla, Harcharan
Singh, Sant Singh Sekhon, Kartar Singh duggal, Kulwant
Singh, Navtej and a host of other writers. There
is a regular spate of literary output of great merit.
The short story seems to have found a rich fertile
soil in Punjab, with the result that the Punjabi
short story can hold its head high in competition
with any regional short story. Even in all India
sphere of Hindi, the Punjabi writters like Yashpal,
Upinder Nath Ashok, Pt. Sudarshan, Mohan Rakesh,
Dev Raj Dinesh, Charanjit, Chandergupt Vidyalankar,
Rajiv Pannikar hold top positions. With the devotion
of such votaries, the Punjab literature is destined
to become one of the richest modern Indian literature
in the years to come.
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