Music of Himachal Pradesh
Encyclopedia
The music of Himachal Pradesh
a state of India
located in the northwest corner of the country, includes many kinds of folk songs
from the area, many of which are sung without accompaniment.
Jhoori is a type of song that celebrates extramarital romance. It is popular in Mahasu and Sirmaur
, and is accompanied by a female dance called jhoomar
. Laman songs from Kullu Valley are another type of love song.
Saṃskāra
songs are sung at festivals and celebrations by women from some of the higher castes. These songs are based on raga
s, which are compositions of Indian classical music
, as are the martial jhanjhotis.
Ainchaliyan are religious songs, sung at the bride's house after a wedding and by women at the home of an unmarried girl.
In Chamba-Pangi, wandering musicians play a khanjari (tambourine
) and perform, also using string puppet
s.
Himachal Pradesh folk music features a wide variety of drums, including dammama, damanght, gajju, doru, dhaunsa, nagara
, dholku, nagarth, tamaka, dafale, dhol
, dolki and hudak
. There are also wind instruments like algoja, peepni, shehnai
, bishudi, karnal
and rana singha, and percussion instruments (aside from drums) like the ghanta
and ghariyal (gong
s), chimta
(tongs
), manjira
and jhanjh (cymbal
s), ghungru (bell
s), thali
and kokatha murchang. String instruments include gramyang, sarnagi, jumang, , ektara
and kindari davatra.
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
a state of India
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
located in the northwest corner of the country, includes many kinds of folk songs
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
from the area, many of which are sung without accompaniment.
Jhoori is a type of song that celebrates extramarital romance. It is popular in Mahasu and Sirmaur
Sirmaur district
Sirmour is the most south-eastern district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is largely mountainous and rural, with 90% of its population living in villages...
, and is accompanied by a female dance called jhoomar
Jhoomar
for the Punjabi folk dance, see JhumarJhoomer is a Pakistani Urdu film directed by Syed Noor which was released across theaters in Pakistan on November 2, 2007...
. Laman songs from Kullu Valley are another type of love song.
Saṃskāra
Samskara
Samskara may refer to:* Saṃskāra, Hindu rites* Saṃskāra , in Buddhism, mental and volitional formations* Samskara , a technique in ayurvedic medicine...
songs are sung at festivals and celebrations by women from some of the higher castes. These songs are based on raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s, which are compositions of Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
, as are the martial jhanjhotis.
Ainchaliyan are religious songs, sung at the bride's house after a wedding and by women at the home of an unmarried girl.
In Chamba-Pangi, wandering musicians play a khanjari (tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
) and perform, also using string puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
s.
Himachal Pradesh folk music features a wide variety of drums, including dammama, damanght, gajju, doru, dhaunsa, nagara
Nagara
Nagara is a village in the Shimoga district of the state of Karnataka, India. It is 17 km from Hosanagara or 84 km from Shimoga. This was called "Bidanoor" earlier during the 16th century, this was the last capital city of Keladi rulers. In 1763, Hyder Ali captured this area...
, dholku, nagarth, tamaka, dafale, dhol
Dhol
Dhol can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent and nearby regions. Its range of distribution in India and Pakistan primarily includes northern areas such as the Assam Valley, Bengal, Gujarat,...
, dolki and hudak
Hudák
Hudák, Hudak is Slovak surname:* Evie Hudak, a state legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado* Harald Hudak , a German middle distance runner* Jen Hudak , an American freestyle skier...
. There are also wind instruments like algoja, peepni, shehnai
Shehnai
The shehnai, shahnai, shenai or mangal vadya, is an aerophonic instrument, a double reed conical oboe, common in North India, West India and Pakistan, made out of wood, with a metal flare bell at the end...
, bishudi, karnal
Karnal
Karnal is an important city and the headquarters of Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana.Karnal is said to have been founded by the Kauravas in the Mahabharata era for the king Karna, a mythological hero and a key figure in the epic tale...
and rana singha, and percussion instruments (aside from drums) like the ghanta
Ghanta
A ghanta is an Indian bell used in Hindu rituals. The same term is also used to describe Buddhist bells.-Description:The bell is generally made out of brass. A clapper is attached to the inside and the bell makes a high pitched sound when rung...
and ghariyal (gong
Gong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
s), chimta
Chimta
A Chimta literally means tongs. Over time it has evolved into a traditional percussion instrument of South Asia by the permanent addition of small brass jingles...
(tongs
Tongs
Tongs are used for gripping and lifting tools, of which there are many forms adapted to their specific use. Some are merely large pincers or nippers, but the greatest number fall into three classes:...
), manjira
Manjira
The manjïrà is a traditional percussion instrument of Bhàrata India. In its simplest form it is a pair of small hand cymbals. It is also known as manjeera, tala, jalra, khartàl or kartàl....
and jhanjh (cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s), ghungru (bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
s), thali
Thali
Thali is a Western, Central, and North-Western Indian meal with contents varying from one region to another. More usual and famous thalis are Maharashtrian, Gujarati and Rajasthani. A thali is a selection of different dishes, usually served in small bowls on a round tray. The round tray is...
and kokatha murchang. String instruments include gramyang, sarnagi, jumang, , ektara
Ektara
Ektara is a one-string instrument used in Bangladesh, India, Egypt, and Pakistan.thumb||EktaraIn origin the ektara was a regular string instrument of wandering bards and minstrels from India and is plucked with one finger...
and kindari davatra.