Sindhi bhagat
Encyclopedia
Sindhi Bhagat is a Sindhi
folk art
incorporating song, dance, story and drama. It is the most popular Sindhi folk form of entertainment.
s who wandered through the countryside singing and narrating the old heroic ballad
s of the lovers and warriors of the olden times. The Sindhi Bhagat acquired its distinct form over a century ago, gradually developing into the current popular source of cultural entertainment. Its performances became more professional and it became a collectively created folk-art form.
, and the soul of the performance. The others are the "Boldias" (supporting players) and also the players of musical instruments such as harmonium
, tabla
, dholak
, khanjri, etc., simple rhythmical instruments.
The Bhagat combines the finer qualities of different performing arts in such an effective and appealing order that the audience are kept spellbound for hours together, because the Bhagat is supposed to start late in the evening, when the village or town folk have taken their night meal and are ready to sit till the early hours of the next morning. Men, women and children partake of the bewitching pleasure of the performance, often sitting through the night.
The Bhagat with his melodious voice, the delicate rhythm of his steps, body movements and very effective dramatised storytelling, keeps the audience glued to their seats without even blinking their eyes throughout the show. He has a variegated voice, creating different moods – be it pathos, agony, humour, melody, glory, or tragedy as required for the narration. He moves the hearts of his audience, bringing laughter or tears as the situation demands.
and socio-economic compulsion. However, there are still a few prominent Bhagats who are dedicated and perform occasionally.
[Special thanks to Shri Kirat Babani for giving us this input and information.]
Sindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
folk art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
incorporating song, dance, story and drama. It is the most popular Sindhi folk form of entertainment.
History
Bhagat developed through the years. Its origin could be traced to the ancient bardBard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
s who wandered through the countryside singing and narrating the old heroic ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s of the lovers and warriors of the olden times. The Sindhi Bhagat acquired its distinct form over a century ago, gradually developing into the current popular source of cultural entertainment. Its performances became more professional and it became a collectively created folk-art form.
Performance
The pivotal character in the performance is the "Bhagat", after whom the art form is named. He is the prime dancer, the storytellerStorytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
, and the soul of the performance. The others are the "Boldias" (supporting players) and also the players of musical instruments such as harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
, tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
, dholak
Dholak
The Dholak is a North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese double-headed hand-drum Madal. The name dholki may also refer to a slightly different instrument that uses high-pitch tabla style syahi masala on its treble skin. This instrument is also known as Naal or Dholki....
, khanjri, etc., simple rhythmical instruments.
The Bhagat combines the finer qualities of different performing arts in such an effective and appealing order that the audience are kept spellbound for hours together, because the Bhagat is supposed to start late in the evening, when the village or town folk have taken their night meal and are ready to sit till the early hours of the next morning. Men, women and children partake of the bewitching pleasure of the performance, often sitting through the night.
The Bhagat with his melodious voice, the delicate rhythm of his steps, body movements and very effective dramatised storytelling, keeps the audience glued to their seats without even blinking their eyes throughout the show. He has a variegated voice, creating different moods – be it pathos, agony, humour, melody, glory, or tragedy as required for the narration. He moves the hearts of his audience, bringing laughter or tears as the situation demands.
Sindhi Bhagat today
Bhagat is the most important and integral part of Sindhi folk-art, a rich cultural heritage of the Sindhi community and widely acclaimed. There were once scores of these versatile artists in the countryside as well as in the urban pockets of Sind. However, after partition of the country this folk art is on the decline due to a variety of reasons, including the influence of electronic mass mediaMass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
and socio-economic compulsion. However, there are still a few prominent Bhagats who are dedicated and perform occasionally.
[Special thanks to Shri Kirat Babani for giving us this input and information.]
List of influential Sindhi & Other Bhagats
The following is an incomplete list of Sindhi Bhagats who are considered to be promoters and preservers of the rich Sindhi heritage and culture:- Arjan Bhagat
- Bhagwan Chawla
- Ghansho Bhagat
- Gobindram Bhagat
- Hassaram Bhagat
- Khanuram Bhagat
- Pratap Bhagat
- Pritam Bhagat
- Ayaz Ali Bhagat
- Prof.Raj Kumar Bhagat
External links
- http://bhagatmahasabha.blogspot.com-Megh/Bhagat Samaj living in punjab,Haryana,Himachal,J&k,Rajasthan,Delhi
- Sindhi Sangat - A nonprofit organisation promoting Sindhi culture, language and art by way of drama and artist promotion worldwide