Kajari is a folk song and dance form of Awadh, Bhojpuri, and Purvanchal regions of Uttar Pradesh. It originated in Mirzapur district of the Awadh region. It is of the Hindustani classical music genre, performed during the rainy season usually late June to September when lush greenery reappears and agricultural labor begins again. Kajari derives from the Awadhi word kajra or kohl. It is primarily sung in Awadhi but also popular in the Bhojpuri regions of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Kajaris fall in the category of folk songs and are set in the semi-classical mold. The tradition of the Kajari from Mirzapur has been maintained and brought into the classical fold by musicians from the Benares gharana school, such as Rasoolan Bai, Sidhdheshwari Devi, and Girija Devi. Kajari was also popularized by Bhojpuri film industry. Kajari is celebrated as a festival in Mirzapur.
Kajaris dwell on such themes as the separation of women from their beloved, for it is believed that the gloom cast by the rains intensifies their feeling of loneliness. In these songs are highlighted the moods and pangs of separation of the women, and the rains are said to evoke in them a longing for their beloved. The kaga (crow) is often described as a messenger carrying a message to the Pardeshi Sainya (that is, the lover) in faraway lands. The message so carried reads as follows:
Barsan laagi boondiya,
Pyaare bina laage na
Jeeyara Mora
Chaar Maheena Barakha ke aaye
Ajhu na aaye hamar Sainyaan.
References
- "Kajari Music". www.bharatonline.com. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- "मिर्ज़ापुर की एक प्रसिद्ध कजरी के कजरी के बारे में जाने | Know All About Mirzapur U.P Famous Folk Song KAJALI". Chunar News. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Chauhan, Milan; Mishra, Swasti (2024). "Kajari Folk Songs: Mechanism for Emotional Regulation" (PDF). Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities. 16 (1). doi:10.21659/rupkatha.v16n1.06g. ISSN 0975-2935. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 2. Routledge. 1 February 2013. ISBN 978-1-136-09602-0.
- The Indo-Asian Culture. Vol. 11. Indian Council for Cultural Relations. 1962.
- Upadhaya, Krishna Dev (15 January 2025). "Avadhee Lok Geet: Collection of Avadhi Folklore" (PDF). hazari prasad dwivedi.
- Sahai-Achuthan, Nisha (1987). "Folk Songs of Uttar Pradesh". Ethnomusicology. 31 (3): 395–406. doi:10.2307/851663. ISSN 0014-1836.
- Praveen, Aanchal; Singh, Neeraj (2022). "Awadhi Folk Songs: A Comparative Study Between Traditional Media and New Media Platform" (PDF). Neuroquantology. 20 (1): 859–867. doi:10.48047/NQ.2022.20.1.NQ22368. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- "Mirzapur's Kajari Festival: A Tribute to the Melodious Kajali 2023 - Mirzapur Official | Mirzapur News In Hindi". mirzapurofficial.in. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
| Hindustani classical music | ||
|---|---|---|
| Concepts |  | |
| Instruments | ||
| Genres | ||
| Semi-classical genres | ||
| Thaats | ||