Jaunsar Bawar's Delhi Mahotsav 2012 : Loud Cheers for NCR Team Exhibitting A Wide Range of Jaunsar Bawar's Cultural life

Annual Cultural Mahotsav of Jaunsar Bawar organised by Jaunsar Bawar Tribal Welfare Society Delhi was a big success this year too. Held in January every year, three Teams(South-Central, Rohini area and NCR) gave out excellent performances in the main event of Delhi Fest, i.e. Cultural Team Competition. Though Rohini was judged winner, it was NCR team which won hearts with its presentation of wide ranging & rare aspects of the rich and age-old culture of Jaunsar Bawar.

The NCR team had up in its arms not only the commonly known facets( Harul, Thandkiya, Jhaita, Bheetar-a ki Naati, Tanda Song, Jung-baazi, but also show-cased the lessor seen faces of Jaunsar Bawar's culture. The Team's Khelute (Spot Comedy) performance had people erupt in spontaneous laughter. It was informed that actor Matber Singh Chauhan of Rawna actually tore his trousers to lend originality to the character performed. He was ably supported by Pratap singh Chauahan of Rikhaad Village and others. The Tools of Kakiyathi(Smoking-pipe) and Top were beautifully used with the actors offering the Cheelam to audience and those on dias as an humourous mark of the old tradition. A Game of Thoude was enacted to emulate once highly popular Archery Sports. Machh-Maun(Fishing Fair) was replicated using original fish alongwith the tools like Fathiyado, Kharo, etc. The audience greeted the Team to a loud cheer for each of these new acts which were performed with a lot of authenticity and with a very high entertainment quotient.

It was gathered that the Team had painstakingly assembled the original wears/clothes and tools requisitioning them right from the Jaunsar Bawar villages. Some of the instruments on show were Fatiyado, Kakiyathi-cheelam/Top, Khari, fish, etc. For first time Delhites were witness to the warm winter clothing wear called Jhagel alongwith Judos-longish man's wear. The Team widely expected to win, expressed satisfaction over the fact their efforts were widely acknowledged by the audience which appreciated team's each and every move. The team members also were happy that the audience enjoyed watching rare instruments brought out and original enactments at such a far-off place. It would be apt to know that renowned singer Mr Khajan Dutt Sharma and Mr T D Joshi coordinated the participation of NCR Team.

To the credit of Rohini team they had the largest number of ladies turning out in the traditional attire proudly donning Ghaghro-jhaga. Rohini team too gave out good performance of Jongoos, Harul, Jhainta,Bheetar-ki naati(perhaps they were the best in this), Tanda Song and Jang-baazi. As far as South-Central Team is concerned, they stood out in terms of man's traditional wears, Jangoo Songs, Bissu Song, Harul, Jhainta, Thoude Game, Chhode, Bheetar-a ki Naati and Daudaniya Song &Dance.

See below details about a few perfomances and Video Links :1. NCR Team's stand-up laughter act by Matber Singh Chauhan ( Vill -Rawna) :

Mr Pratap Singh Chauhan ( Vill -Rikhad) and Mr Diwan Singh Bisht (Vill- Kakadia) in the jungabaazi dance act :
The Jungabaazi dance by the members of NCR Team on 22 January 2012 at Jaunsar Bawar's Annual Cultural Mahotsav in Delhi organised by Jaunsar Bawar Tribal Welfare Society Delhi was a treat to watch. As name denotes Jungabaazi is a dance depicting battle-field maneuvers in an entertaing & safe manner. Performed by two sword or stick wielding dancers, the dance begins on slow beats and well coordinated movements. It reaches pinnacle with face-off in the concluding part. The dancers sign-off with a big thanks-giving hug. This dance has been highly popular in Jaunsar Bawar and adjoining regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal.(Video shot by Naveen Sharma)

2. for Stand-up laughter act by Matber Chauhan of Rawna, Youtube Link is :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWmrvT5rBIc

Brief : There are a number of entertaining Jokes prevalent in the Hills of Jaunsar Bawar, Uttarakhand. Gatherings on different occasions have been thoroughly entertained by some of the original exponents & dext experts in cracking jokes to a big laughter. Here is one of them namely Mr Matber Singh Chauhan of Rawna doing the honours at Jaunsar Bawar Mahotsav 2012 held Delhi on 22 January 2012.  He has two Jokes superbly told and acted upon : 1. Few educated Juansaris were in cocktail rejoice party called Hailla (in which guests are invited for drinks & snacks by one house-hold after the other). They would call out "Cheers" every time offered a drink without realising that village-folks with them were taking "cheers" for "Chais" which in Jaunsar means sound slap/s. On repeated clamour for Cheers or Chais, the villagers finally obliged them with sound slaps each". Shocked & dejected educated brats inquired  the reasons for slapping treatment given to them, straight came the answer, " haamre billa ethuk bolon be chais or in our area this is actually called "Chais ."

2. The second Joke relates a story of a Jaunsari woman who in her maiden visit to Vikasnagar, a town nearby, mistook bus for house. She took-off her shoes before entering it, in keeping with true Jaunsari tradition of entering house bare-foot. After a while when she was to leave, the woman was surprised to find her shoes missing. She turned to bus conductor and quizzed him, "Where has my shoes gone which I had taken off in front of the door of your house?" Realising what has happenned Conductor replied, "The house has reached Dehra Dun, but your shoes are just 45 KM behind at Vikasnagar."

Here is the Video Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmpWg49LT1o