198
Collection and analysis of primary and secondary data from various sources and
tabulation of the data according to the research need.
Considering all aspects from socio-economic and cultural dimensions and probabilities to understand the problem deeply to find out the conclusion.
11.6 Gajan Songs and Gajan Artists
Gajan starts from the 26th day of Chaitra on the occasion of Charak and lasts till end
of the month. It is performed throughout the day except the time of worship of lord
Shiva. The Gajan becomes lively with the assembly of enthusiastic Gajan loving
people of all age groups. There are people of different age groups in the Gajan Party
(Gajan Dal), but youth form the major portion. A team consists of 30–35 person
including music composer, harmony hand, table player, dancers, singers, comedian
and some assistants helping the smooth movement of the team. Artists usually wear
low-cost colourful costumes, males wear dhootis, pyjamas, pants and shirts, but
comedian wears funny dress with broken spectacle, goggles, some wear dress made
of sack and wear bamboo made crown and their appearance will not leave the audience without laughter. Young male have a good shave and dresses like female character, and it is hardly possible distinguish them from women.
The sun is scorching overhead, Gajan team are seen roaming from one village to
another carrying the musical instruments and other accessories with themselves,
and “Bhakta” or “Sannyasi” is seen to walking from one shivtala (site of lord Shiva)
to another tirelessly. The team gets hearty welcome at the Shivtala, and drums are
beated to announce the coming of a team. Nowadays loudspeaker are also used to
announce and people from neighbourhood area rush to the ground. Organisers
arrange cold water, batasa (a kind of sweet), or sometimes they are entertained with
Prasad (fruits and sweet offered to god).
The performance begins with “scene” (playing all instruments at a time on a
particular sound so that tune is well set), then come Bandana (invocation) artists
enter the open stage singing with dramatic gestures and they sing prayer songs dedicated to Shiva, Dharma Thakur, Durga and other deities as well. The dramatize story
of Puranas like killing Mahisasur, Sumbha Nisumbha badh, marriage of Shiva and
Durga and many stories from Mangalkabya, with duet of Radha Krishna and young
boys who are gained Shiva hood and dressed like Sannyasi appear on the stage and
sing bandana songs. After invocation solo performance and Baul (mystic saint)
songs are presented then after introductory songs, a particular pattern of Gajan
(Chak Gajan) begins, excess of humour is the main features of this song, and it is
performance in the form of folk drama where 5–12 performers take part. These
Gajan performances have the type of opera, and the composer of opera prefers a
mixture of different tunes of popular songs in their composition; it past times common people and their day-to-day life were presented, but nowadays operas are rich
in verity, love, languishment, domestic and conjugal life, social and socio-economic
problems, history and communal harmony, present trends in politics, political
M. Ghosh and L. Satpati
Collection and analysis of primary and secondary data from various sources and
tabulation of the data according to the research need.
Considering all aspects from socio-economic and cultural dimensions and probabilities to understand the problem deeply to find out the conclusion.
11.6 Gajan Songs and Gajan Artists
Gajan starts from the 26th day of Chaitra on the occasion of Charak and lasts till end
of the month. It is performed throughout the day except the time of worship of lord
Shiva. The Gajan becomes lively with the assembly of enthusiastic Gajan loving
people of all age groups. There are people of different age groups in the Gajan Party
(Gajan Dal), but youth form the major portion. A team consists of 30–35 person
including music composer, harmony hand, table player, dancers, singers, comedian
and some assistants helping the smooth movement of the team. Artists usually wear
low-cost colourful costumes, males wear dhootis, pyjamas, pants and shirts, but
comedian wears funny dress with broken spectacle, goggles, some wear dress made
of sack and wear bamboo made crown and their appearance will not leave the audience without laughter. Young male have a good shave and dresses like female character, and it is hardly possible distinguish them from women.
The sun is scorching overhead, Gajan team are seen roaming from one village to
another carrying the musical instruments and other accessories with themselves,
and “Bhakta” or “Sannyasi” is seen to walking from one shivtala (site of lord Shiva)
to another tirelessly. The team gets hearty welcome at the Shivtala, and drums are
beated to announce the coming of a team. Nowadays loudspeaker are also used to
announce and people from neighbourhood area rush to the ground. Organisers
arrange cold water, batasa (a kind of sweet), or sometimes they are entertained with
Prasad (fruits and sweet offered to god).
The performance begins with “scene” (playing all instruments at a time on a
particular sound so that tune is well set), then come Bandana (invocation) artists
enter the open stage singing with dramatic gestures and they sing prayer songs dedicated to Shiva, Dharma Thakur, Durga and other deities as well. The dramatize story
of Puranas like killing Mahisasur, Sumbha Nisumbha badh, marriage of Shiva and
Durga and many stories from Mangalkabya, with duet of Radha Krishna and young
boys who are gained Shiva hood and dressed like Sannyasi appear on the stage and
sing bandana songs. After invocation solo performance and Baul (mystic saint)
songs are presented then after introductory songs, a particular pattern of Gajan
(Chak Gajan) begins, excess of humour is the main features of this song, and it is
performance in the form of folk drama where 5–12 performers take part. These
Gajan performances have the type of opera, and the composer of opera prefers a
mixture of different tunes of popular songs in their composition; it past times common people and their day-to-day life were presented, but nowadays operas are rich
in verity, love, languishment, domestic and conjugal life, social and socio-economic
problems, history and communal harmony, present trends in politics, political
M. Ghosh and L. Satpati