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Bhangra
(Dedicated to Biroo Dholi (Drummer), one of the finest Dholis of Punjab, who devoted his life to Bhangra and taught
Bhangra and about Bhangra to generations of Punjabi Youth)

By Jaspal Singh

According to a folk tradition, Bhangra comes from Bhaungra, which means action on land, activity on
land. Whatever one does on land, with land is Bhangra. Bhangra through dance expresses all human
endeavor with nature and with each other. Whatever one does for production and reproduction of life,
Bhangra reflects it through dance.

According to another tradition, farmers and their families, in celebration of a good harvest drink Bhang,
(Siva's herb), and dance, this dance is called Bhangra. This dance is in thanksgiving to mother earth,
Bhaun, and celebration of their own endeavor and effort, their own hardwork and toil. Peasants and
farmers in Punjab are seen even now at Vaisakhi, the first day of harvest drinking and dancing, doing
Bhangra in the fields, villages and lanes.

Another folk tradition claims that the whole creation was

started by Mahadev-Siva, by the three beats Da, Da, Da
from his hand drum - Damroo. Everything in this cosmos
came into being with these three beats. Bhangra also
started with these beats, from Bhu- to be. It is for this
reason that even today the Dholi, (Drummer), starts
Bhangra with three beats. Since Bhangra has been with
creation right from the beginning, it also reflects Maya -
the world and its Awagaman, (coming into being and
fading away). This tradition is closer to the classical
Indian tradition according to which, Jag and Jog, (world
and Yoga), Geet and Sangeet, (Music), Nrtya and Naach,
(Dance), are creations of Siva and that's why he is also
called Natraj-king of all dancers. Bhangra through dance
shows relations of humans with nature and relations of
humans with each other.

Harappa and Kalianbanga indicate some form of this folk

dance being done in those times. Rig Veda also hints at
it. Women and men celebrate harvesting with dance and drinking soma . Mahabharta also mentions the
celebrations and dancing of Punjab. Arjun spent part of one year as a woman, learning to dance in
Punjab, dancing with the villagers in their celebrations of harvest and victory in wars.

Punjabis are seen doing Bhangra in preparation of war with Alexander under the banner of Porus. In
these Bhangras they show their preparation, valor and determination to cut the enemy into pieces.
During the times of Gorakhnath, the great yogi, Punjabis did Bhangra at weddings, Melas, (fairs), and
other occasions.

Bhangra is an integral part of Punjab and its people. Through its movements and actions it reveals the
zits-im-leben, the life situation of Punjab. It is for this reason that it is called the Shaan of Punjab. An
old Bhangra Boli says :-

Sada Na Bagin Bulbulan Bolan, Sada
Nan Mauj, Baharan, Bhangra Pao
Belio, Punjabiyan Di Shaan Bhangra
( Nightingales will not sing forever in
the garden, our life and celebrations
are not forever, so friends lets let us
celebrate life with Bhangra, Bhangra
is dignity of the Punjabis).

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Bhangra tells the tale of the Punjabis and especially the life in villages. It shows how a day begins with
dawn, farmers get their oxens and implements ready to go to the fields. They toil on the land by tilling
it, leveling it, weeding it, watering it, sowing the seed, protecting it from animals and birds, harvesting
it, loading it on the carts and taking it to the Mandi, fighting with Arhtiyas in the Mandi. Boliyan (lyrics)
of Bhangra describe all this graphically.

With the changing times the themes and stories acted out in Bhangra have also changed. With the rise
of Patriarchy and Brahmanical order, only men started participating in Bhangra. Women were taken out
of it and confined to the four walls of the house or doing chores such as bringing water from the well or
taking food to the fields for men. This change is also reflected in Bhangra. In Bhangra scenes also,
women are shown doing these chores such as churning the milk, going to the well, going to the fields
with food for men. Under new conditions, when the ruination and exploitation of peasantry by
excessive taxation by local kings and marauders invading Punjab became order of the day, Bhangras
also depicted these conditions. During the time of Akbar, Dulla Bhatti and his friends are doing Bhangra
to celebrate their revolt against Akbar. Since then Eulogy of Dulla Bhatti, Jaimal Fatta and their exploits
against Akbar became integral part of Bhangra as reflected in the Boliyan.

Boliyan, (lyrics), describe conditions in verse, and the actions of Bhangra act these out. Boliyan
describe conditions of the people, farmers and villagers. For instance that part of Heer Waris Shah has
become integral part of Bhangra, in which he describes the break of dawn in a village:-

Birds chirp, traveler afoot, milk is being churned

Blessed morning with its red dawn has awakened everyone with its tickle
One is up and churning, another washing the churning stick
Men ready with their oxen and plough to tackle the land
Women are grinding grain for flour to make Rotis
Whole world is busy, young girls are spinning at the wheel.

Most of the Bhangras in Punjab start with this Boli, which describes life very graphically. Boliyan from
Mirza Sahiban, Jugni, Chhalla and other folk songs have become part of Bhangra. They describe
conditions of agriculturists, villagers, and their struggles in nature and society. After the occupation of
Punjab by the British, Punjabi peasants gave rise to a movement called Pagrdi Sambhal Jatta, (Defend
your dignity), to protest against the execssive revenue collection by the new rulers and their
henchmen. This song became the song of the Punjabi peasantry and was sung in villages and towns. It
also became part of Bhangra. Bhangra depicted the condition of peasants buried under the weight of
debt, being born in debt and dyeing in debt. The Boli says:-

Our fate is imprisoned in the thick book

Of the money lender with a red ribbon.
Pagrdi Sambhal Jatta, Pagrdi Sambhal Oye
Loot Gya Maal Tera, Loot Gya Maal Oye
(Arise and take control of your turban, your dignity, you are being looted)
(You middleman, you are depraved
You yourself are thief and also are judge
You eat all that we produce with our toil
You are an evil fellow)

These Boliyan and other Boliyan from Jaago, (awakening), became part of Bhangra during the
independence movement. Bhangras done by the students of Punjab University Lahore, Khalsa College
Amritsar, DAV College Jullunder were expressions of their times. Bhangras performed at the Kisan
rallies in Tobha Tek Singh, Gujranwala were well acclaimed and appreciated. These Bhangras
expressed the spirit of their times. In these Bhangras new themes and elements such as tractors,
thrashers, trains, trucks, motors, tubewells, going outside Punjab in search of employment were also
evident. For instance the following Boliyan show the conditions of Punjab at this time:

(Oh you Drummer, my friend, play one more beat on the drum
Awaken my land which is asleep)
(Allah give us clouds, give us rain, Allah give us clouds)
(Oh my strong oxen, till the land well
We are going to sow weapons)
(Our land is like gold and water like silver
Bone breaking toil we do but still have nothing to show)
(The days to guard our crop from the birds, animals and thieves

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Are over, look harvest time is here)

(They do not give a damn to us weak and poor
Justice is only for the strong and rich)

(Balle, Balle, truck drivers have tough life

They eat at Dhabas and sleep on the wheel)
(A ray of hope has come, bringing the message of Unity
Kisan is awakening, Hindustan is rising)
(Early spring you went away to serve
now it is middle of summer, what kind of job is it, you do not even have a
car)

Partition of Punjab had its impact on Bhangra also. In west Punjab, it is said Bhangra has been reduced
to minimum. When coeducation in East Punjab was started, men and women started doing Bhangra
once again. But it has remained confined to the Bhangras of colleges in cities. The conditions of life in
Punjab, in countryside were reflected in these Bhangras. The annual Bhangra championships held at
the Punajb univetrsity Chandigarh, Punjabi University Patiala, Guru Nanak University Amritsar,
produced and performed some of the best Bhangras. The Struggle for Punjabi Suba, struggle against
prosperity levy, new technology, green revolution, Naxalbari movement, Morcha against Emergency,
they all were reflected in these Bhangras. For instance, instead of using the bullock cart, grain is taken
in a tractor trolley to the market. Bhangras depicted this changing world and relations. In the Bhangras
of the villages and schools, these Bhangra deeply reflect the situation in Punjab in the last decade and
half. Bhangras at Jor Melas, Chapar Mela, Roshni Mela, Guga Mela, wrestling Melas and other
countryside festivals depict the tragic events of last few years. These Bhangras have popular themes of
Dulla Bhatti and his fight against Akbar, Fight against Aurangzeb and valour of Punjabis against
oppression.

In last few years commercialization of

Bhangra began with the explosion of the
entertainment industry. In the
commercialized Bhangra, Bhangra has no
relation to Bhaun, land and the life of
which it is an expression. It is marketed
as a product for entertainment. It is a
commodity, bought and sold in the global
entertainment market. These Bhangras
have no theme or story to tell, of a people
and their land. It no longer is connected
with Bhaun. It does not reflect their weal
or woe, joy or celebrations.

Abroad this Bhangra was marketed by music corporations as a source of revenue in the form of
cassettes and CDs. South Asians abroad, who have been victims of racism and racist violence and
denied their national and cultural heritage, welcomed this as a step towards asserting and affirming
their culture and identity. Commercial Bhangra groups came into being in UK and other places and
performed this commercial Bhangra. But Several Bhangra groups also came into being in UK, US,
Canada and other places whom wanted to maintain the integrity and dignity of Bhangra and Punjab.
Some of these group wanted to go back to some pristine Bhangra with a feeling of nostalgia. Others
wanted to develop Bhangra under the new conditions of Diaspora, expressing these new conditions in
actions and Boliyan of Bhangra. They depicted the conditions of Punjabis abroad and their struggles in
new lands for dignity and livelihood:

We will walk two yards less

But we will walk with dignity
We prefer to live two days less
But want to live with dignity.
Given that we have come here in search of bread
But we are fed up with the racist taunts
Pick up a two by two young man
And settle scores with racists.

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Caught in the web of bills

Working overtime always
Rest you spend in the Pubs
You are in bad shape friend, you are in bad shape.
Your life is wasted in foundries

My love, I wait for you.

The sale is on in the shops
Buy me a Japanese Sari.

Some of these Bhangra groups and teams participated in the 1st International Sports and Cultural
Festival organised by the South Asians in Vancouver. Bhangras performed at this festival expressed
and reflected conditions of Punjab and new conditions of Punjabi Diaspora. Many Bhangra teams
participated in the International festivals in England in 1982 and in Punjab in 1983 and presented quite
creative Bhangras. The teams participating from UK and other parts of the world attempted to express
their reality, conditions of their Bhaun in these Bhangras.

Bhangra as is said is Shaan of Punjab. Under the present and new conditions, how can it continue and
further develop? Can the old Bhangra continue under new situation? How can the good qualities of the
old Bhangra be brought forwarded and Bhangra be upgraded? These are some of the questions that
arise. They are connected with our tradition, culture and identity. In this regard, there is a suggestion
by some lovers of Bhangra to organize an international Bhangra Mela- competition- in year 2000 and
deliberate on this issues of Bhangra. It would definitely be a positive step for Bhangra.

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