"Janapada", the heart touching rural folk needs rejuvenation

"Janapada", the rural art form is one that reflects rural environment, culture, traditions, customs and the lifestyle over there. janapada brings the rural lifestyles close to your hearts. It is appropriate to call janapada as the voice of rural culture and lifestyle.

Unlike classical, janapada follows no specific rule or raaga or musical pattern. The only rule that it follows is that it takes birth from the hearts of rural people, out of their lifestyle, out of the pleasing nature around them, out of their hardships that they face in their daily lives, out of the exploitation that they experience. janapadam is an art form that rural people develop and perform or sing during their work hours in green fields, while ploughing the fields, sowing seeds, harvesting the crop or during their rest time in the evenings while siting under the trees with their children, while in a gathering of the neighbours in front of their huts. janapada brings out the beauty of rural life and marvelous culture that exists there. janapada is performed by villagers to express their feelings in an artistic form about things around them and to forget their hardships while at work. But they never sing to win any prize or earn any money.

I still remember the janapada that I used to enjoy in my childhood in my village. Every morning while walking from my home to our village bus stand to catch our old village RTC bus that takes me to my school in Hanamkonda which is 15 kms away, the beautiful melodies of the janapadas enthrall me. The farmer while on his way his to his fields on the bullock cart , the lady farm labour with a sickle in her hand while going to her daily work, the old man with a turban on his head and a stick in his hand walking across the lane, the old woman while drying the food grains in hot sun with a cloth on her head, the small boy grazing the cattle with a stick in his hand and a towel on his shoulders, the children enjoying in the rain sing beautiful melodies expressing their feelings about things in their life and their observations in the surroundings. Such janapads rejuvenates them and fill new enthusiasim among them and make them forget all their hardships. Janapada plays a vital role in preserving the Indian values in villages. janapada not only entertains people but also educates people about the values that are needed to be followed for a better society.

During "jatara" time and during melas, I used to hear people singing variety of janapadas. Telangana has a unique tradition of celebrating "bhathukamma", a flower festival worshipping Goddess Gauramma during the Dusshera festival. During the bhathukamma celebrations, the villagers make a well framed bhathukamma (Flower bundle on a wooden plate with all kinds of special flowers that are available in fields around them. Gunugu and Tangedi are the very special ones. There is no bhathukamma without these two varieties of flowers). Women from each house take the bhathukamma to a nearby place beside a pond or a lake and all the women divide into batches of around 30-40 and put the flower bundles in the center of the circle they form and start singing all the famous janapadas by moving round the circle and by performing a very special slow folk dance. It is no surprising fact to tell that almost each and every woman in the village knows some or the other janapadam. They take turns and sing and while one sings, others form the chorus. They do this for nine continuous days till the Dusshera day. Watching the bhathukamma is an amazing experience that one can never forget in his or her life time. Watch this bathukamma video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q7K_q-fW60&feature=PlayList&p=B8CBD9F202A1E982&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=3

There is another tradition that we can observe in the villages of AP. A special art form called Kolatam which similar to Maharashtra dandiya is played along with janapadas. Janapadas are heard in Coastal parts of AP during the Sankranthi celebrations.

Such a janapada, like any other form of rural art is today facing a danger of extinction in rural areas. These art forms which got passed on from time immemorial from generation to generation are slowly dying. Yaksha gana, Burra kathalu, Tolu Bommalu, Yelamma, mallanna kathalu, sindhi vari natakalu are also slowly facing an extinction in rural Andhra. Today we rarely see such art forms in villages. Along with these art forms, the ancient and the traditional musical instruments that the villagers used to make and use are also seeing a danger of extinction. Such instruments are very indigenous and very special. I don’t remember the exact instrument but last time when I went to my home town, I attended janapada jatara organized by Rudrama Girijana Peetam, Potti Sri Ramulu Telugu University. There I heard from a villager that they possess an instrument that is being passed on from generation to generation which is gifted by Lord Shiva to their family. I was really surprised to hear that. Isn’t it really amazing? Passed on from centuries and probably from yugas! Who knows? The artists in rural areas are trying their best to preserve their artistic forms but due to the competition from the modern TV and movies and due to several other modern entertainment avenues, these rural folk art forms are not being appreciated and they are not finding platforms to exhibit their talent.

"Rela re Rela" the initiative by Maa TV is a very great initiative from the perspective of providing platform for rural folk artists. It is giving a new hope to rural folk and folk artists. Watch a song of rela re rela at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA23rDourlQ&feature=related . To an extent, even the people movements from time to time have given life to dying janapada. The movements demand effective ways to reach rural people with their message and the movements find janapada as the best way to do so. That is the reason why today we see number of folk artists engaged in Telangana and united Andhra movements. It is also important to note that Potti Sri Ramulu Telugu Univeristy is doing a significant service in this direction to preserve and promote these rural art forms.

Janapada artists like Goreti Venkanna, Vangapandu, Madhu priya, Viumalakka have been working very hard as brand amabassodors to give a new life to janapadas. But I think initiatives from Government and also from civil society and the modern social entrepreneurial circle are needed. Universities should play an important role in this direction. The cultural and youth fests should provide platforms for folk and folk artists. The entrepreneurial divisions should work along with the folk artists for promotion of their art. Social entrepreneurs should think of new ways of building revenue model around the promotion of these art forms, NGOs should think of ways to identify such arts and artists to develop them. Government should find ways to encourage and incentivize the rural arts and artists. Media should focus on ways to promote these arts.

With efforts from all sides, we can preserve our rural art forms which are very indigenous and very special. By this we not only preserve arts, but we preserve our rural culture, traditions, customs and the unique rural lifestyle, our values. By preserving these folks, we preserve our glorious ancient Indian culture.

Jai Hind