Songs of the Hills: The Living Folk Music Traditions of Uttarakhand
Introduction
The echo of a dhol down a pine-covered slope, the wail of a ransingha (curved horn) at a wedding, or the trance-like rhythms of Jagar chants — Uttarakhand’s folk music is more than entertainment. It’s a living repository of memory, mythology, and mountain wisdom, passed from one generation to the next without pen or paper.
At a time when digital culture spreads fast, these musical forms continue to sustain local identity and often double as ecological storytelling tools.
The Major Folk Music Forms
1. Jagar
A ritual music form meant to invoke ancestral spirits:
- Performed during healings or community decisions
- Involves trance, storytelling, and chanting by a Jagariya
- Accompanied by traditional instruments: hurka, damau, dhol
“A single Jagar night can hold more history than a library,” says Mahesh Negi, a folk researcher in Almora.
2. Chhopati and Jhoda
Social and romantic songs sung during festivals or sowing/harvesting:
- Chhopati: Question-answer duets between men and women
- Jhoda: Group circle songs involving clapping and footwork
- Themes range from romance to village gossip to rain appeals
3. Barada Nati
A dramatic musical-dance form from Jaunsar-Bawar:
- Combines dance, martial gestures, and folk storytelling
- Performed during Dussehra and marriages
- Reflects tribal traditions and clan-based histories
Music as Ecological Memory
1. Songs About Seasons
Folk lyrics often track the natural rhythms of the year:
- Descriptions of rhodo blooms in March
- Arrival of monsoon winds from the Doon valley
- Instructions on when to plant chaulai or mandua
2. Animal and Forest Lore
- Songs about leopard sightings, bear encounters, or even bee attacks
- Many include advice for safe grazing, weather omens, and water source locations
“Our songs are maps — emotional, ecological, and spiritual,” says Meena Rawat, a singer from Bageshwar.
Preservation Efforts
1. Community Archives
Groups like PAHAR and Himalayan Trust have:
- Recorded hundreds of songs in Garhwali, Kumaoni, and Jaunsari dialects
- Digitized cassettes from the 1980s and made them available in schools
2. School Music Revival
Several rural schools now host:
- Folk choir groups
- Workshops with elder musicians
- Curriculum modules on music as oral history
3. Tourism and Cultural Festivals
Events like:
- Uttarakhand Mahotsav
- Tehri Lake Festival
- Doon Valley Literature & Arts Fest
...have helped bring folk artists to larger platforms, while promoting responsible tourism that respects cultural nuance.
Threats and Tensions
Despite renewed interest, folk music faces challenges:
- Language erosion: Migration and digital media dilute dialects
- Commercial remixing: Authentic songs are turned into pop without context
- Loss of patronage: Young musicians struggle without stable support
“Singing is easy. Living off it is hard,” laments Devraj Rana, a dhol player in Pauri.
The Road Ahead
With the rise of community radio and mobile documentation:
- YouTube channels like Himalaya Lok Kala are popularizing rare styles
- Collaborative projects between urban musicians and folk singers (e.g., folk fusion by the band Pandavaas) are gaining momentum
- NGOs are training youth in recording and archiving their village songs
Conclusion
Folk music in Uttarakhand is not a relic — it's a resilient river of voice and rhythm, shaped by land, weather, and memory. As the hills change under the pressures of time and climate, these songs remain a compass, pointing to who the people are and how they’ve survived — one note at a time.
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