*** Wiki Starter Topic 5- Cultural Information ***

[yraparla]

Note: Please contribute w/e you can. Even if it's just searching past threads and posting that info here, that's a huge help. Ram (Saab) or I will compile and put the information on the wiki itself. After that people can edit the wiki directly


What's the cultural significance and history behind some basic Bhangra components:


Pagh
Khunda
Kato
Saap
Chaadra
Men vs. Women doing Bhangra
etc

 

[aneeshsahni]

Below is something that I used for a paper, so I just left citations and added sources at the bottom. Not sure how formal you want this to be, but I figured that more info is better so I added sources​

Prior to the mid 20th century bhangra was not a dance common to the entire Punjab region (Ballantyne 128). Rather, it was limited to only a select few Punjabi villages, primarly in west Punjab. The partition of India in 1947 split Punjab into two, with east Punjab becoming part of Pakistan and west Punjab becoming part of India. As the region underwent drastic changes, the dance changed dramatically as well and found a new home: the stage. Partition forced millions across the Indo-Pak border, and many refugee camps sprung up in Punjab. In part, these camps became places for Punjabis to share their respective folkdances. Those from west Punjab introduced bhangra to their east Punjabi counterparts while others performed their own regional folkdances, including luddi, jhummar, dhamaal, phumnia, and many others (Ballantyne 128).


These refugees eventually formed the first formal bhangra team and performed for Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Kurukshetra camp in India in April 1948 (Ballantyne 129). This team, however, did not perform bhangra in its original form. Rather, the dancers performed a combination of the aforementioned folkdances from various parts of Punjab. The government of Punjab looked at the dance “as an emblem of a distinctive Punjabi identity within independent India,” as Tony Ballantyne describes in Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an Imperial World (Ballantyne 129). This dance would be popularly referred to as bhangra for the first time when a Punjabi-government-sponsored team performed at the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in 1954 (Dhillon 89).


Ballantyne, Tony. Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an
Imperial World. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.
Dhillon, Iqbal Singh. Folk Dances of Panjab. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: National Book Shop, 1998.[SIZE=78%] [/SIZE]

 

[Basim]

Not sure where all of this information belongs, but I'm going to reference POL (I know it's a sin - don't shoot me):

Small introduction to bhangra: http://www.punjabonline.com/servlet/entertain.entertain?Action=Intro

More detailed information about the history for bhangra: http://www.punjabonline.com/servlet/library.history?Action=Bhangra

TONS of information on the Punjab region in general: http://www.punjabonline.com/servlet/library.history?Action=History

Credit to Clint Kelly and Jasjeet Thind for their research on the topics.

~ Basim

 

[yraparla]

Not sure where all of this information belongs, but I'm going to reference POL (I know it's a sin - don't shoot me):

POL actually had great work in this regard early on in its lifetime. We should definitely leverage and cite the original authors from the links. I think some of Gibbs' posts would also be great help here as well

 

[nishan]

Below is something that I used for a paper, so I just left citations and added sources at the bottom. Not sure how formal you want this to be, but I figured that more info is better so I added sources​

Prior to the mid 20th century bhangra was not a dance common to the entire Punjab region (Ballantyne 128). Rather, it was limited to only a select few Punjabi villages, primarly in west Punjab. The partition of India in 1947 split Punjab into two, with east Punjab becoming part of Pakistan and west Punjab becoming part of India. As the region underwent drastic changes, the dance changed dramatically as well and found a new home: the stage. Partition forced millions across the Indo-Pak border, and many refugee camps sprung up in Punjab. In part, these camps became places for Punjabis to share their respective folkdances. Those from west Punjab introduced bhangra to their east Punjabi counterparts while others performed their own regional folkdances, including luddi, jhummar, dhamaal, phumnia, and many others (Ballantyne 128).


These refugees eventually formed the first formal bhangra team and performed for Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Kurukshetra camp in India in April 1948 (Ballantyne 129). This team, however, did not perform bhangra in its original form. Rather, the dancers performed a combination of the aforementioned folkdances from various parts of Punjab. The government of Punjab looked at the dance “as an emblem of a distinctive Punjabi identity within independent India,” as Tony Ballantyne describes in Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an Imperial World (Ballantyne 129). This dance would be popularly referred to as bhangra for the first time when a Punjabi-government-sponsored team performed at the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in 1954 (Dhillon 89).


Ballantyne, Tony. Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an
Imperial World. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.
Dhillon, Iqbal Singh. Folk Dances of Panjab. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: National Book Shop, 1998.[SIZE=78%] [/SIZE]

You did a good job of explaining the early years of Bhangra.


I was once told instruments were introduced to bhangra by farmers (Jatts). It was really common to celebrate the end of the harvest season by having large gatherings, with lots of food, music, and bhangra. Many of the instruments have some relation to the farm life (excluding: Dhol, Tumbi, and Daang) in some way. Saaps represent the machinery and tools used during the farming season. The Kato represents the importance for the need of animals on a farm.

This is from what I was told a while back. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[voxanimus]

Below is something that I used for a paper, so I just left citations and added sources at the bottom. Not sure how formal you want this to be, but I figured that more info is better so I added sources​

Prior to the mid 20th century bhangra was not a dance common to the entire Punjab region (Ballantyne 128). Rather, it was limited to only a select few Punjabi villages, primarly in west Punjab. The partition of India in 1947 split Punjab into two, with east Punjab becoming part of Pakistan and west Punjab becoming part of India. As the region underwent drastic changes, the dance changed dramatically as well and found a new home: the stage. Partition forced millions across the Indo-Pak border, and many refugee camps sprung up in Punjab. In part, these camps became places for Punjabis to share their respective folkdances. Those from west Punjab introduced bhangra to their east Punjabi counterparts while others performed their own regional folkdances, including luddi, jhummar, dhamaal, phumnia, and many others (Ballantyne 128).


These refugees eventually formed the first formal bhangra team and performed for Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Kurukshetra camp in India in April 1948 (Ballantyne 129). This team, however, did not perform bhangra in its original form. Rather, the dancers performed a combination of the aforementioned folkdances from various parts of Punjab. The government of Punjab looked at the dance “as an emblem of a distinctive Punjabi identity within independent India,” as Tony Ballantyne describes in Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an Imperial World (Ballantyne 129). This dance would be popularly referred to as bhangra for the first time when a Punjabi-government-sponsored team performed at the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in 1954 (Dhillon 89).


Ballantyne, Tony. Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an
Imperial World. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.
Dhillon, Iqbal Singh. Folk Dances of Panjab. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: National Book Shop, 1998.

You did a good job of explaining the early years of Bhangra.


I was once told instruments were introduced to bhangra by farmers (Jatts). It was really common to celebrate the end of the harvest season by having large gatherings, with lots of food, music, and bhangra. Many of the instruments have some relation to the farm life (excluding: Dhol, Tumbi, and Daang) in some way. Saaps represent the machinery and tools used during the farming season. The Kato represents the importance for the need of animals on a farm.

This is from what I was told a while back. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

i think the daang also has origins in farming implements. isn't the hook on the daang supposed to evoke the plow?

 

[nishan]

Below is something that I used for a paper, so I just left citations and added sources at the bottom. Not sure how formal you want this to be, but I figured that more info is better so I added sources​

Prior to the mid 20th century bhangra was not a dance common to the entire Punjab region (Ballantyne 128). Rather, it was limited to only a select few Punjabi villages, primarly in west Punjab. The partition of India in 1947 split Punjab into two, with east Punjab becoming part of Pakistan and west Punjab becoming part of India. As the region underwent drastic changes, the dance changed dramatically as well and found a new home: the stage. Partition forced millions across the Indo-Pak border, and many refugee camps sprung up in Punjab. In part, these camps became places for Punjabis to share their respective folkdances. Those from west Punjab introduced bhangra to their east Punjabi counterparts while others performed their own regional folkdances, including luddi, jhummar, dhamaal, phumnia, and many others (Ballantyne 128).


These refugees eventually formed the first formal bhangra team and performed for Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Kurukshetra camp in India in April 1948 (Ballantyne 129). This team, however, did not perform bhangra in its original form. Rather, the dancers performed a combination of the aforementioned folkdances from various parts of Punjab. The government of Punjab looked at the dance “as an emblem of a distinctive Punjabi identity within independent India,” as Tony Ballantyne describes in Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an Imperial World (Ballantyne 129). This dance would be popularly referred to as bhangra for the first time when a Punjabi-government-sponsored team performed at the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in 1954 (Dhillon 89).


Ballantyne, Tony. Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an
Imperial World. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.
Dhillon, Iqbal Singh. Folk Dances of Panjab. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: National Book Shop, 1998.

You did a good job of explaining the early years of Bhangra.


I was once told instruments were introduced to bhangra by farmers (Jatts). It was really common to celebrate the end of the harvest season by having large gatherings, with lots of food, music, and bhangra. Many of the instruments have some relation to the farm life (excluding: Dhol, Tumbi, and Daang) in some way. Saaps represent the machinery and tools used during the farming season. The Kato represents the importance for the need of animals on a farm.

This is from what I was told a while back. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

i think the daang also has origins in farming implements. isn't the hook on the daang supposed to evoke the plow?

No idea, but you could be right! I thought people carried Daangs for self defense. I wish there was a more scholarly source talking about this topic.

 

[yraparla]

dance sansaar from UK has some interesting videos. I'm skeptical of the accuracy of all the information (e.g. khunda as a weapon) but it's still good resources


Dance Sansaar Resource - Khunda


Keep posting stuff, the more the we find/have the better.

 

[jaz89]

Below is something that I used for a paper, so I just left citations and added sources at the bottom. Not sure how formal you want this to be, but I figured that more info is better so I added sources​

Prior to the mid 20th century bhangra was not a dance common to the entire Punjab region (Ballantyne 128). Rather, it was limited to only a select few Punjabi villages, primarly in west Punjab. The partition of India in 1947 split Punjab into two, with east Punjab becoming part of Pakistan and west Punjab becoming part of India. As the region underwent drastic changes, the dance changed dramatically as well and found a new home: the stage. Partition forced millions across the Indo-Pak border, and many refugee camps sprung up in Punjab. In part, these camps became places for Punjabis to share their respective folkdances. Those from west Punjab introduced bhangra to their east Punjabi counterparts while others performed their own regional folkdances, including luddi, jhummar, dhamaal, phumnia, and many others (Ballantyne 128).


These refugees eventually formed the first formal bhangra team and performed for Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Kurukshetra camp in India in April 1948 (Ballantyne 129). This team, however, did not perform bhangra in its original form. Rather, the dancers performed a combination of the aforementioned folkdances from various parts of Punjab. The government of Punjab looked at the dance “as an emblem of a distinctive Punjabi identity within independent India,” as Tony Ballantyne describes in Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an Imperial World (Ballantyne 129). This dance would be popularly referred to as bhangra for the first time when a Punjabi-government-sponsored team performed at the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in 1954 (Dhillon 89).


Ballantyne, Tony. Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an
Imperial World. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.
Dhillon, Iqbal Singh. Folk Dances of Panjab. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: National Book Shop, 1998.

Good summary except west punjab became part of pak and not india.
I posted a thread with good sources for the history of bhangra so will look for that

 

[aneeshsahni]

Good summary except west punjab became part of pak and not india.

Thanks/good catch!


I switched em up in whatever I wrote above.

 

[hardeep_singh]

I'm skeptical of the accuracy of all the information (e.g. khunda as a weapon)

khunda with a blade at one end - gandasa
small khunda with blade - gandasi

 

[Gabbah Shareef Bhalwan]

Prior to the mid 20th century bhangra was not a dance common to the entire Punjab region (Ballantyne 128). Rather, it was limited to only a select few Punjabi villages, primarly in west Punjab.....

Ballantyne, Tony. Between Colonialism and Diaspora: Sikh Cultural Formations in an
Imperial World. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006.
Dhillon, Iqbal Singh. Folk Dances of Panjab. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: National Book Shop, 1998.

A good start, but the facts are jumbled a bit. A minor note would be that Ballantyne, an excellent writer, is nonetheless forming a synthesis of other sources; he has not unconcered this history, just trying to put together what he read in Dhillon's book, in my (outdated) master's thesis, and perhaps some others. One has to go to Ballantyne's sources -- notes at the end of the book! -- to see what the sources are, and what they say. Anyways...