MeraPahad Community Of Uttarakhand Lovers

Garhwali, Kumaoni, Himalayan Literature
Commentary of Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on As-Aulad -A Garhwali Play
                            Translation by Bhishma Kukreti
(Famous Garhwali language  dramatist and playwright  Kula Nand Ghansala wrote and published a Garhwali play - ‘As Aulad’ in 2001. The present Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ wrote commentary on this plya. Here is the translation of the commentary by Dr ‘Nishank’)
                                 Dwee Chhuin (Two Words )
  The customary folk dramas of Badi-Badan might be the initiating base for modern Garhwali dramas. Parsi theatre and Ramleela contributed for betterment and popularizing the hundred years journey of modern Garhwali dramas too. Jai Vijay (1911) is the first published modern Garhwali drama and Prahlad (1914) drama is second published drama of Bhawani Datt Thapliyal . The drama Prahlad is still relevant drama and is being staged many times everywhere . However, even after the hundred years journey, Garhwali drama could not find its place in the mind of Garhwalis and in Indian theatre world ,
   Kulanand Ghansala a dedicated Garhwali drama activist is busy to take the journey of Garhwali drama to its targeted place or position.  Ghansala wrote five dramas in garhwali before this drama ‘As aulad’. All his precious dramas are staged in  places as Dehradun, Pauri, Gopeshwar and other various places. As Aulad is fifth and first published garhwali language drama.
 The specialty of drama by Kulanand Ghansala , is   his narration of story. Story telling style is exclusivity of Ghansala. The dramas of Ghansala are effective in portraying finely the wrong happenings or paradoxes near by him and in the society.  Kulanand Ghansala blended the reality and wrong happenings with humour and satire  and provides directive without any twist or verbal speeches. This is the specialty of all dramas of Kulanand.
   The tale of  As Aulad drama is the story of Bhagat Singh experiencing the pain of migration and his four sons gone to foreign land for earning . Each character of the family of Bhagar Singh are struggling, floundering , feeling restlessness , because of the situation of place, time and present circumstances. Ghansala has been successful in showing the natural restlessness of each character and in natural or smooth way too. The struggle of any character does not become the obstacle in between the flow of drama.
 The most  positive point of the drama ‘As Aulad ‘ is the highly optimistic hope from  the newly established  state Uttarakhand by  each character especially the new generation .
The highly optimistic hope from the new state Uttarakhand is the directive line of the play too.
  I hope this play will be staged everywhere where Garhwali people are there and will be an asset for progressing Garhwali  dramas everywhere.
My all best wishes are with Kulanand Ghansala and his play ‘As Aulad’.
……………Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
Curtsey and Copyright: Kulanand Ghansala , Rajeshwaripuram, Navada dehradun

Garhwali, Kumaoni, Himalayan Drama
As Aulad : A Garhwali Drama Deals with Pain of Migration
(An Introductory note by Rajendra Dhashmana in 2001 AD)
                                       Translation by :  Bhishma Kukreti
                 By difficulties, the Garhwali drama is successful to get shape or recognition. It took ninety years to create definite shape. The playwrights and dramatists-performers have been awakening but not up to the extent of adequate requirement.  Marathi and Bengali stage plays have completed three hundred years because there was continuity in terms of writing and staging of these languages dramas. There was a time in Garhwali drama that  not a single play was staged for around twenty-five years. There was good time for Garhwali drama that for a quarter of century many marvelous plays were staged .
When as much as possible drama activists will enter into the field of Garhwali drama , Garhwali drama will develop at fast speed.
  Though I have been very busy I read with full concentration the play As Aulad of Kulanand Ghansala. I am glad that  the dramatist has the knowledge of dramatization and staging the play. The play or drama is different field than novel or story writing. Since, drama is medium of communication , the drama leaves a message to the audience.
  The message of As Aulad is that why there is need of migration from homeland (Garhwal to plains)  for getting employment ?  A well to do average village man Bhagat Singh’s all four sons are out of Garhwal . The story takes birth because three sons of Bhagat Singh were happy in village except one son and then starts migration by all four sons towards four different Indian cities . The dramatist is capable marvelously showing the differences between the habit and habitats of Bhagat Singh in village and shis sons living in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Dehradun and Meerut. Dramatist Ghansala created a strong reason that Bhagat Singh visits  to his sons in each cities , by studying the worsening positions of all sons, Bhagt Singh created such a strong consequence that all four sons return  to their village and this scene is the message of the drama As Aulad.
    This is  the matter of cleverly weaving of the story that all the above subject has to be presented on the stage. The dramatist became successful in showing all the facts on the stage. The drama is a social art. The drama is the results of  various constituents of society. That is why the director should have the knowledge of social engineering and dramatization as well. The drama is written in such a way that the director will find easiness in staging the play, which will get attention and appreciation from the audience. The playwright Kulanand Ghansala has tremendous potentiality for writing worthy dramas. I wish him all the best.
July, 2001
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Details of As Aulad a Garhwali play:
Published by Samay saxya
15- Faltu Line, Dehradun, 248001
Phone: 0135-2658894

Curtsy  and Copyright @ Kulanand Ghansala , Dehradun

Garhwali, Kumaoni, Himalayan Literature
Dr Narendra Gauniyal : A Famous Garhwali Poetry Movement Activist
                                                                Bhishma Kukreti
   In mid eighties and nineties, there were two movements , which were bringing many hindi language creators into Garhwali literature field. Uttarakhand movement became a strong base for poetry movement in Garhwali language. Another movement was a social movement run by Dhad organization initiated by Lokesh Navani, Devendra Joshi, Madan Duklan and many from Dehradun. Apart from social activities, these activists became the source of inspiration for many to write poetries in Garhwali. Dr Narendra gauniyal is one of such activist who is came into poetry field because of  Dhad movement and poetry movement in rural Garhwal, Uttrakhand. Now, Dr Narendra  Gauniyal is one of the pillars of Dhad movement and Garhwali poetry movement in rural Garhwal , Himalaya.
Dr Narendra Gauniyal was born on 10th December, 1961 in Jamandhar, Gujdu of Pauri Garhwal, Himalaya.
   After postgraduate in History , Nrendra Gauniyal got degree of Ayurvedic Bhaskar and now is medical practices in Jadaukhand, Pauri Garhwal, Himalaya.
   Dr Narendra Gauniyal has been creating and publishing Garhwali poetries in various regional papers . Dr Gauniyal has published so far, more than two hundred poetries in Garhwali . Akashvani has been relaying poetries of Gauniyal regularly.
  Dheet is the first collection of Garhwali poetries of Dr Gauniyal published in 2003.  There are 72 poems in Dheet. All the poems are related to different subject of rural society of Garhwal, Himalaya. His poems are full of symbols and imagery of Garhwal, Himalaya. Creating small poems (Khsaknikayan) is specialty of Dr Gauniyal . Dr Narendra Gauniyal is famous creating sharp satire with realism. His punches in poetry stir /agitate the mind of readers as:
Nauna tain
Ghusin ruti
Nauni ki gundaki
Ar
Nauni tain
Kafla ko
Chhalkanya pani
Or
Khachakhach bharin khatara bas ku
Sarya anjar -panjar hilni chhau
Ar
Daraibar ka samni
Likhyun chhau--
Bhagban tyaro saharo
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2009

Community Stories-3
Why Do Kukretis of Jaspur-Gweel   Not Celebrate Bagwal (Chhoti Diwali) ?
                                             Bhishma Kukreti
           In Garhwal, Bagwal (Chhoti Diwali/Deepawali) or Chaturdashi is more important than Badi diwali or Amavasya .  Kukretis of two villages Jaspur and Gweel of Malla Dhangu, Salan Pauri Garhwal do not celebrate Bagwal as other Garhwalis celebrate bagwal.
In Garhwal, each Garhwali family celebrates bagwal with enthusiasm and full devotion as Badi Diwali. On Bagwal morning  , each family will prepare Puri, Lagdee, Swala, Bhuda, Pakwada and will distribute in the village  to those whose Diwali is not there because of Barjat (Mourning year due to death in family) . The Garhwali families also cook pendo - Chwal, Jhangora and Badi in morning .The children will go to nearest jungle to pluck flowers. Before noon the family members will make small balls of rice, jhangora and badi . On top of each ball of  Pendo  flowers are inserted . Then  flowered Pendo  is put on big vessel like Parat . The family members go to their Gushala , put oil on the horns of domestic animals  and offer ball by ball of pendo  to each caw/calves /bulls buffalos etc. After, this ceremony, animals are taken to grasslands. If there is mourning in any mundeet , other families of village  will offer pendo to their animals.
In night, as usual, all burn diye earthen lamps .
Next day, on badi diwali the  people of Garhwal offer pendo to their animals in Gaushala only.
 However, Kukretis of Jaspur and Gweel do not celebrate Bagwal  except burning earthen lamps in night. Jaspur is the original village of Kukretis and was established around in thirteenth or fourteenth century.  Gweel village is established around 1820 that is after British took over Garhwal from Gorkhas. Kukretis of Jaspur establish Gweel . It is said that around two hundred years back, one of our elder person died on the Bagwal and Kukretis of Jaspur -Gweel stopped celebrating Bagwal. Bahugunas of Jaspur used to provide all Kukreti’s animals pendo on Bagwal and still they do so .
On one Godhan, (padiva after amavasya) one child was born in one Kukreti family and Kukreti started celebrating Godhan instead of Bagwal. We Kukretis of Jaspur-Gweel celebrate in the same fashion, enthusiasm, colorful ways as other Garhwalis celebrate Bagwal except that we Kukretis of both villages offer Pendo  to our animals in forest or grass land and not in Gaushala on Godhan day . Kukretis of Jaspur  offer pendo to animals of those Bahuguna who offered pendo to our animals on Bagwal. Kukretis of Jaspur  also distribute Swala -Pakwada /bhuda to each Bahuguna family  on Godhan .
Kukretis of both villages celebrate Amavasya’s diwali in same fashion  as other Garhwalis celebrate
This is the community story of Kukretis of Jaspur-Gweel about celebrating Goadhan and not Bagwal
Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2009

Garhwali, Kumaoni, Himalayan literature
Keshvanand Kainthola: Creator of  Chaunfula Ramayana
                                           Bhishma Kukreti
   Keshvanand Kainthola is famous for writing Garhwali poems in his youth, portraying the day to day life of rural Garhwali women , man-eater tiger’s  terror in Garhwal, the chivalry  of Garhwalis in first world war and in later stage of his life ,  writing Ramayana in Garhwali with touch of Garhwal for   popularizing the ideal life of Rama.
   Keshvanand Kainthola was born in 1887 in a Himalayan village Palkot, Mawalsyun Patti of  British Garhwal ( Pauri Garhwal ).
    Keshvanand Kainthola published his first poetry collection in 1928 naming ‘ Rang-Tarang’. The poems are written in his youth, hence, the poems are full of enthusiasm and portraying the life of Garhwali society especially Garhwali females, the daily life of a common farmer and his wife, the natural beauty of Garhwali village. Keshvanand Kainthola . Kainthola also wrote poetries on the chivalry of Garhwali soldiers in world war first who fought on behalf of British army.  Keshvanand Kainthola used common Garhwali symbols in portraying Garhwali women  and readers of modern time, still can enjoy the scenery of Garhwal in Kainthola’s poems because of his sensible uses of imagery in poems.
Jandi chhan ab pungudyun ma satyun godna
Kauni jhangora ku lageen chhan dhees teer chhodna
Kanthola’s poems were so lyrical that late Vishamber datt Kainthola used to sing this poem in Dehradun wherever possible and people used to enjoy the same :
Hans mor ghughti shuba gwathni  kan basna chhan fazal
(As told by Mrs Shakti Naithani -daugher of Vishwamber Datt Kaithola
 Keshvanand Kainthola used the form, style and mannerism of folk songs as baramasa style in his poems of his young age. Even, Kainthola  did not leave the style and form of Garhwali folk song in creating Ramayana in Garhwali.
  Keshvanand Kainthola published Chaufula Ramayan in 1935 from Dehra Dun Times , Dehradun .
  Though, Keshvanand Kainthola created Ramayana on the basis of Ramcharitmanas of Tulsi Das but here also,  he portrayed Garhwali life in various places in the story of Rama.
  Keshvanand Kainthola
Keshvanand Kainthola expired in 1940 in Dehradun.
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2009