Bhojpuri folk songs exalted

Towards the end of September, I received an invitation card which really intrigued me by its originality. A glance at the envelope made me guess that it was an invitation to a wedding ceremony. But there was the seal of the Bhojpuri Speaking Union, Mauritius, on the back of the envelope. What could it be? 

I was even more surprised when I opened the envelope and found a card that looked typically like invitation cards to wedding ceremonies. It was in fact an invitation to the Geet Gawai Utsav, organized by the Bhojpuri Speaking Union, under the aegis of the Ministry of Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the High Commission of India and the Mauritius Bhojpuri Institute, to be held at  the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture (IGCIC) on Sunday 9 October. 

I made up my mind that I would certainly attend this “first ever Geet Gawai Utsav in the world” and take a plunge in our ancestral cultural heritage. I was not disappointed. 

LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE FIRST INDIAN IMMIGRANTS DEPICTED

The moment I reached the IGCIC, in Phoenix, I could feel the warmth that is typical to such gatherings. An exhibition, held in the lobby of the IGCIC, gave me a foretaste of the program. Several aspects of the living conditions of the first Indian immigrants were depicted, namely their thatched huts, their cooking utensils, the food ingredients that they probably brought along with them  and those that they adapted to their food habits like “suran”, their clothes, their jewelries and much more.

Perfume was sprayed on the guests as we made our entry in the hall, thus giving this unique feeling of being welcomed to a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony.

No sooner had the VIP guests been seated than a pageant recreating the beautiful and soulful Bhojpuri songs of Geet Gawai, associated with the marriage ceremonies, was presented. As proudly mentioned by the organizers, these traditional pre-wedding Bhojpuri songs have been well preserved in Mauritius from the advent of the Girmitia- Indian Indentured Immigration, from the Bhojpuri belt,  to date.

The presence of dignitaries ranging from the Vice president of the Republic Shri Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Shri Santaram Baboo, the High  Commissioner of India Shri Abhay Thakur to the former Vice President Janab Raouf Bundhun enhanced the ceremony. 

The pageant kick started with a vibrant homage to Aditi, the Earth goddess and also regarded as the fertility goddess. As underlined by the chairperson of the Bhojpuri Speaking Union, Dr. Mrs Sarita Boodhoo, “Bhojpuri is a national heritage. It is an intangible cultural heritage whose origins are found in the Rig Veda, dating some 5,000 years back”. She added that the Geet Gawai here takes a distinct Mauritian colouring making it unique. 

MELODIOUS SONGS ASSOCIATED WITH RITES, RITUALS AND CUSTOMS 

The pageant pursued with melodious songs that are associated with the different rites, rituals and customs that are performed at the coming together of a man and a women. Although the Geet Gawai mostly celebrates the pre-wedding moments, it nevertheless marks other aspects of the life of a human being like on the occasion of a birth, janeo (thread giving ceremony) and mundane (tonsure). 

“The Geet Gawai is a life cycle oral tradition of Bhojpuri folk singing sung on auspicious occasions principally on pre-wedding ceremonies but it is also performed on other occasions”, explained Dr. Mrs Sarita Boodhoo.   

The pageant beautifully portrayed several aspects of the life of the early Indian indentured immigrants and upheld by their descendants. For instance, the Sandhya Geet, a song that is sung while lighting the earthen lamp, really touches the soul. Similarly, the traditional prayer to Tulsi Ma is but a reminder that Hindi Holy scriptures advocated the respect and preservation of nature.

I was particularly moved by the depicting of the “pinda”, a ritual that is organized in remembrance of the deceased parents and ancestors, as it stood as a reminder of our debt towards our parents and ancestors. The important role that the Ramayana played among the Indian immigrants, and particularly as a teaching tool for dharma and other Hindu concepts, was rendered vividly by the artists on stage. The epic poem continues to have a considerable impact on the descendants of the Indian immigrants. 

Whether it is sandhya geet, devi devta geet, mahadev, shaadi geet or sumiran, mandar puja,  dharti bandhal, suhag geet, jhumar, haldi songs, we were mesmerized by the performance of the various artists, many of them being very young. On the other hand, the “Kajri” song was really refreshing as it is in fact a teasing satire about problems in the house. The audience was also captivated by the  Trinidian Bollywood song titled “Phulori bina chatni”. 

The real surprise of the cultural show was the unequalled performance of Mrs. Manti Ramoodin Mathura, a 67 year old woman, hailing from Morcellement St. André. Mrs Mathura has memorized several songs, which she undoubtedly learnt from her parents and grandparents. We learnt that renowned Professor Helen Mayers has made a study on this unique folk singer and has even recorded her songs for posterity. 

DOSSIER TO BE EXAMINED BY THE UNESCO 

The Vice President of the Republic Sri Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory very aptly described the Geet Gawai Utsav as a “delightful show of customs and traditions”. He praised all those concerned for the preservation of the various ancestral languages. 

The Indian High Commissioner Sri Abhay Thakur announced that prior to his posting to Mauritius, he had a meeting with the Indian Minister of External Affairs Srimati Sushma Swaraj. The Minister told him that India will support the “dossier” of the inscription of the “Geet Gawai” as an intangible heritage of Mauritius at the next meeting of the UNESCO in Paris in November.

No doubt that it is a matter of great pride for all those who have struggled for the preservation of the Bhojpuri folk songs that these would most probably be inscribed as a tangible heritage of the country. The Minister of Arts and Culture Sri Santaram Baboo confirmed in his address that indeed the “dossier” for the inscription of “Geet Gawai” will be examined by the UNESCO at its next meeting in November in Paris. The minister is also sitting on the inter-ministerial committee in UNESCO since June 2016.

As Bhojpuri is gaining international recognition, the chairperson of the Bhojpuri Speaking Union, Dr Mrs Sarita Boodhoo made an appeal to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Mr. Xavier-Luc Duval so that tourists visiting Mauritius be exposed to the rich Bhojpuri culture. 

As I left the IGCIC after a cup of hot tea and tasty sweets and chatting with some of the VIPs, I could not help thinking about the efforts made by Dr. Mrs. Sarita Boodhoo, the chairperson of the Bhojpuri Speaking Union and Mrs Dhundevi (Reeta) Poonith, the Head of the Geet Gawai School and Secretary of the Bhojpuri Speaking Union. Mrs Poonith conceptualized and presented the pageant. In my heart, I whispered: “Bhojpuri Khub Joli ba!”. (Bhojpuri is indeed beautiful).