Uttarakhand is famous for its natural beauty of the Himalayas, Wildlife sanctuaries like Corbett National park, and people also come here for the Char Dham Yatra. It is also known as Devbhoomi (The land of Gods), due to many Hindu temples and pilgrimage centers located in the state.
But I assure you that’s not it. If you are living anywhere near North India, you would have probably listened to the famous Pahari songs like ‘Fwa Bhaga Re‘ or ‘Chaita Ki Chaitwal‘, but Folk Songs of Uttarakhand also have some history and meaning to them, so let’s dive deeper into the divine culture of Folk Songs Of Uttarakhand.
Jaggar
Jaggar is one of the most famous and multipurpose folk songs of Uttarakhand, as it is used for worshipping spirits and ghosts, but also is used as a religious hymn while offering prayers to various gods and goddesses.
It is performed to call spirits and ghosts of the people so that their family members could meet them and speak to them. There are around 50 Jaggar in Uttarakhand that has been written down for worshipping various gods and goddesses, spirits and ghosts.
Jhumeila
Jhumeila is a folk song in Uttarakhand that is sung to praise the beauty of nature that is spread across the Himalayan foothill. The song is also accompanied by a dance that is mainly held for women, but at times men also join them.
Jhumeila song is sung at all of the major fairs and festivals, for example- Baisakhi, Guru Purnima, Makar Sankranti or any other festival related to nature.
Khuded
Khuded is also one of the famous folk songs of Uttarakhand. The song describes the misery and pain of a lady who has been living apart from her husband. This song is very painful and emotional. It echoes the suffering of the woman who is left alone after her husband leaves her and goes to another place in search of a job.
This song depicts the life of a low-income family where the husband has to move out in search of a better job so that he can run his family. Each and every word of this folk song has a very deep meaning attached to it.
Mangal
As the word suggests (Mangal means goodness), Mangal is a folk song that is sung for good luck and when the wedding rituals are on. This folk song is sung along with the shlokas chanted by the priests. This is a song that brings good luck to the singers and listeners. The song is sung during the wedding so that the new life of the couple starts auspiciously.
Basanti
Basanti too is one of the most popular folk songs, sung for the arrival of the spring season, when the flowers would bloom and would add glare to the beauty of the hill state of Uttarakhand.
The Basanti of Uttarakhand is a very special folk song. When the spring is about to take over the Himalayan foothill, people across the state of various religions start singing Basanti to celebrate the coming of the new season.