Ratnawali — Epitome of ancient, modern culture

Satyawan Malik

The Department of Youth and Cultural Affairs, Kurukshetra University, organised its 35th edition of state-level youth festival ‘Ratnawali’ (bunch of gems). 

‘Ratnawali’, an epitome of ancient and modern Haryanvi culture, is celebrated with fecundity, hues and exuberance at the university level. The four-day (November 2-5) event saw over 2,000 students from universities and colleges across the state performing and competing in 31 items from an idyllic spectrum of fine arts, music, literature, dance and theatre. The RKSD College, Kaithal often stays the frontrunner.

Haryana, after separating from Punjab, came into existence on November 1, 1966. Besides sharing culture with Punjab, Haryana has its own vernaculars, tone, social customs and conventions, and cadence and musicality of instruments. ‘Ratnawali’ encyclopedically showcases these specificities of a culture that Haryana is or was all about.

Celebrated since 1966

Since 1966, ‘Ratnawali’ was celebrated as Badne Sukhan Cultural Evening in the university’s open-air theatre, which included Haryanvi folk song, ragni and skit. Mostly, teaching and non-teaching staff-members took part in it. This form of cultural evening, with group song added to it in 1971, continued up to 1984, the year in which late Bansi Lal, the CM then, got a marvellous auditorium built. And then there was one name, Anoop Lather, who became the first director of the Department of Youth and Cultural Affairs, invigorating the journey of the cultural evening. The think tank also includes Prof Asthana, PN Kapoor, Bhim Singh Malik, Himmat Sinha, KC Yadav, JC Yadav and the current DYC Tejender Sharma among others.

With the addition of Haryanvi orchestra, the Haryana Day began to be celebrated from 1985, replacing the cultural evening. Solo instrument and solo dance (male and female) were added in 1986. Haryanvi natak, tit-bits and speech became its part in 1988, and bhajan, quiz, short films, poems and mono acting in 90, sapera dance in 2006. It was in 2006, the year when Anoop Lather changed its name from Haryana Day to what it is now: ‘Ratnawali’.

The museum, Dharohar, came into being in 2006. In 2012, Dr Maha Singh Poonia toiled for antiquing at Dharohar even centuries-old items, making Dharohar go global. ‘Tying of Haryanvi pagdi’ was included in 2012; Haryanvi food, antique items, costumes, chaupal, rasiya, ritual and painting in 2014; selfie with Haryanvi, artefacts, and star night in 2017. Haryanvi choreography is the latest edition in 2019.

Though the performances take place at six different venues with stage-mike-lighting paraphernalia, the auditorium hall is the centre stage, where both in male and female (solo and group) categories different shades of dance, music and singing come together. Artistes from Hisar, Kaithal, Jind, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Bhiwani and Karnal give some absorbing performances. While female dancers, rasiya and skits receive greater applause and roar, the male dancers, instrument players, quiz, poetry and declamation items look for audience. That’s a problem in Haryana, where art is taken amiss, merely a matter of tantalising songs and fetish dance, forgetting its iconographic parameters beyond sensual appeasement. Green crowds neglect the value and diversity of art forms and impinge on them.

The tit-bits are usually emphatic and pithy. Skits zero in on current social, environmental and political events with a tinge of satire. Haryanvi pop is a hybrid, an admixture of modern music and old songs. The editions like rasiya, chaupal and rituals aroused interest and inquisitiveness about their form and substance. Rasiya is a group dance and song tradition popularly based on romantic childhood pranks of Sri Krishna in the Braj area, including Faridabad, Hodal and Palwal. Love and its nuances remain integral to rasiya. ‘Sasu paniya kaise jaun rasile dou naina’ is a popular repeat at ‘Ratnawali’. 

Abridged version of saang

A highly informal conversation among gatherers at a public place constitutes chaupal. The conversation admits no plot, story, music or song. It’s a surrealist kind of discourse without title. Saang is a dramatic tale staged in the open. While a saang lasted for months in real life, its abridged form allows 75-90 minutes performance. It still remains a captivating stuff for elderly people. Meanwhile, the younger generation’s penchant and patience looks scant. Besides domineering saangs by Arya College, Panipat, SD College, Panipat, RKSD Kaithal and UTD KUK, the GC Jind’s ‘Jaimal Fatta’ swayed the audience. But Haryana will have to address the itching saang-and-ragni impoverishment post our classics — Pt Lakhmichand, Fauji Mehar Singh and Pt Mange Ram.

Katak-Snan gone extinct

Ritual is a situational song about ceremonies like Bhaat, Saanjhi, Baan, Gona, Dusar, Chhathi, Phere, Bidai, and other religious, mythical or devotional functions. The Katak-Snan song ‘Ram aur lachhman dashrath ke bete dono bankhand jaaye, hay ji koi ram mile bhagwan’ refreshingly reminisce the audience about rural women’s singing and then dipping in ponds early in the morning. The Katak-Snan has verily gone extinct.

Practice of playing instruments dwindling 

Folk instrument solo includes instruments such as Saarangi, Been, Gharva, Bainjo, Nagara, Tasha, Baansali, Chimta, Tuntuna, Deru, etc. In orchestra, these instruments are mesmerisingly played separately and together. The practice of playing Deru, Saarangi and Nagara is dwindling in Haryana.

The showcasing artefacts and paintings catered to varied viewers. The veteran Mahavir Guddu-sung tale of patriotism and valour of Raja Nagar Singh was spell-binding. Many women guests wore Haryanvi pagri, which, otherwise, is a symbol of men’s pride, power and privilege. It marked dilution of patriarchy. More initiatives are needed to percolate the replacing of ghoonghat with pagri to rural women.

True, the organisers play a vital role in the revival, saving and promoting the cultural heritage. But, the occasional bouts of rowdiness and bantering by the crowd make one think of the separating credo from its theory. The cultural aesthetics are worryingly on the backburner before the dominance of profanity over values. The NCRB tags Haryana among toppers vis-a-vis caste discrimination and crime against women. The university wants quality research and artiste of international repute. Can the rank and file assimilate the Ratnawali’s quintessence in real life? Else, it will be an exhibitionistic fair for stakeholders — gurus, artistes, dispensations and institutions, who therein invest efforts aplenty.

(Writer is Associate Professor of English, Government College, Jind)