‘Rooh Punjab Di — The Spirit of Punjab’

"Even the humblest material artefact, which is the product and symbol of a particular civilization, is an emissary of the culture out of which it comes." 
T.S. Eliot

‘Rooh Punjab Di’ is an attempt at showcasing the extraordinary talents that are native to the region of Punjab, the multiplicity, and diversity of the arts and crafts that are broadly categorised and bracketed within the generic title of ‘material culture’. We are provided with the opportunity to ‘decode’ the information inherent in the material culture of Punjab. With the inevitable onset of globalisation, what is imperative is not the preservation of the artefacts, for that is the role of the museum, rather the gradual transmutation and metamorphosis, retaining that, which is unique whilst simultaneously imbibing what the world has to offer. Thus the experience of a dramatic performance is bound to explore imperative issues of identity, migration, geographical mappings and cross-cultural fertilisation. The key issues which emerge from a folk performance centre around Cultural sensitivity, Factual knowledge, Culture, Interpretive knowledge, Ethnocentrism, Cultural values, Strategy of cultural congruence, Cultural borrowing, and Cultural translations.

Culture may be seen to possess varying degrees of three prime characteristics expressed in all material culture—technology, sociology and ideology. The technological aspect of an item would reflect its utilitarian function, as in the case of the journey of traditional lamplights to modern lighting systems.

Using the trajectories of visual and material culture unravelling the past and the journey into the future becomes facile. Material culture as a study is based upon the obvious fact that the existence of a man-made object is tangible substantiation of the presence of a human intelligence operating at the time of production. It is held that an object produced by, manufactured for, adapted to or otherwise influenced directly or obliquely by man reflects, whether perceptibly or imperceptibly the thoughts of the person/persons and consequently the society to which they belong.

Material culture may be seen as an extension of the cultural belief system operating in a given place and period. The identification of material culture and how it varies over time and space is basic to an understanding of cultural boundaries and technological change. Defining material culture involves the demarcation of regional artefact typologies, in addition to chronologies. What makes Punjab so unique is the rich history it has of cross-cultural influences. Its material culture is shaped by these infusions and its development cannot be seen in isolation.

Punjab, the land of milk and honey, has often been dismissed as the land of agriculture and no culture. But if we were to dig beneath the surface of Punjab’s agricultural fertility we would uncover layers of complex cultural traditions. Poetic imagery and melody are written into the Punjabi genetic code, drawn from an extremely diverse gene pool.

Having stood proud, as a sentinel to India’s border, Punjab has borne the brunt of numerous invasions dating back to the 2nd century B.C. whether it was the Hunars, Sythians, Greeks, Arabs or the Mughals. Repeated assaults have in fact added that ‘extra’ dimension to the spirit and vitality of Punjab. With repeated invasions and conquests, Punjab’s cultural traditions have been further enriched. People assimilated the prevailing influences and bounced back from innumerable cultural shocks, their diversity enhanced. Valour, heroism and stoicism are synonymous with Punjab. From the Salwar Kameez which has achieved the distinction of being a universal attire, or the chicken tikka sandwich which can be bought anywhere in the world, to the great Punjabi Diaspora scattered across the globe, Punjab has carved a special niche for itself. Punjab is also famous as the ‘Mecca’ of love legends, from the manifold interpretations of the Heer Ranjha to Sohni Mahiwal, Sasi Punnu to the more obscure Purna Bhagat. Through the folk performer, who often is a balladeer and a culture bearer in his own right, we traverse the myriad expressions of art and culture that have been articulated in the area of Punjab focusing on the multiplicity and multivocality of voices.

The folk performer is society’s storyteller and bears the great responsibility of transmitting the knowledge, values and cultural wealth of the community to subsequent generations. He articulates the hopes and achievements of the people while recording their myths, legends, genealogies and collective histories.

Change and development, growth, evolution, metamorphosis, transmutation and transfiguration are explored in order to shed light on such themes as status, ethnicity and identity rather than simply determining the forms and function of the material culture specific to Punjab. By using this method we are able to gain insights into things that are not fully articulated or into cultures that have not left written records. By looking at the material objects left behind, some of their story can be extrapolated.

Contrary to popular belief, Punjab is a veritable treasure trove of handcrafted objets d’art. From embellished swords to encrusted jewels, the material culture has components of both ‘high’ and ‘popular’ culture. The latter deals with the living traditions of the environment in which it is produced. It emerges from the realm of the everyday. It sheds light on the emergence of ideas in the daily lives of the people in contrast to the general process of the intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic, which comprise ‘high’ culture.

Folk objects come to hold a particular significance and importance under the broader sorting of ‘material culture’ because they operate on a multitude of levels. To begin with, folk objects are palpable. Folk objects change form very gradually. Traditions are passed from generation to generation, with the son carrying on as his father did before him. People are thus provided with the opportunity to view folk objects today much as they were in the past. Folk objects endure beyond mortal life. Fortunately, the existence of folk objects carries the historical significance from the past to the present; thus, people can learn and hypothesise the origin of the culture. Moreover, the endurance of folk objects will keep alive the historical significance from the present to the future.
Folk objects communicate beliefs. Symbolism is deeply rooted and encoded in material culture.

Central to the arts and crafts of Punjab is phulkari. Phulkari is to Punjab what Chikan- Kari is to Lucknow. Closely interwoven with the lives of the women of Punjab, the joys, sorrows, hopes, dreams of the young girls and women who embroider phulkaris are often transferred onto cloth. The warmth and richness of colours, the bold patterns and the patient hard work, go into the creation of these textiles, which form part of a girl’s dowry.

The woodwork of Punjab has a long and illustrious history. Artistic beds with comfortable, skilfully made back rests fitted with mirrors and carved colourful legs called pawas, low seats called peeras, peerian were made by carpenters in almost every village. Punjab is also famous for its sturdy spiral baskets. A swampy wild grass called Sarkanda are worked in intricate patterns is stitched together with the use of date palm leaf. The backbone of this craft has been the peasantry who have been using fibrous materials for makings ropes, mats, chicks, nets, baskets and the like. The materials, principally used are: Munj, straw, dib, palm leaves, slips of bamboo, the articles made out of these are tokras & tokris (large and small sized baskets), chhikus (oval shaped containers with lids), Pakhis (hand fans) paper trays, lamp shades, flower vessels, fruit bowls, flat dishes, ladies bags etc.

Durries in myriad motifs and designs are woven in stripes, check boards, squares, motifs of birds , animals and even plants as a part of dowry . Punjabi Juttis, renowned world over, were initially embroidered with gold and silver wires. Though silver and gold are not used any longer, their popularity continues to grow.

Punjab is a multi-layered cultural region and its musical tradition spans thousands of years to the Vedic period. Lying between the Gangetic Plain with its agricultural riches and the steppes of Central Asia, this region has been exposed to many cultures, each with their own musical modes. It is this unrelenting exposure to the new that has given Punjab’s folk music a remarkable sophistication. In this way music becomes emblematic of the hybridity, plurality and the ability of the region to absorb and imbibe the influx of continuous invasion and yet retain a vibrancy of spirit.

Ab means ‘water’ and by extension, ‘river’, punj means ‘five’. Punjab is the land of five rivers, namely the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Sutluj, all westward flowing tributaries of the mighty Indus. For more than a thousand years the area known as Punjab stretched from the Indus basin in the west to the edge of the Yamuna basin in the east with the Himalayas, including the Jammu region, forming the northern boundary and the deserts of Sind and Rajasthan on the south. The ancient sites of Harappa, Taxila, Multan and Kurukshetra fell within its boundaries.

The ethos, cultural specificity, spirit and psyche of the people of Punjab is inimitable as manifested through its culture, festivals, folk songs, traditional sports, art, craft, literature, philosophy, religion, dynamism, adventurous spirit, hospitality and enterprise. Having evolved into a truly global culture, Punjab stands as an intricate tapestry woven of various strands. Punjabiat is a cosmopolitan outlook. It has developed over the ages by rubbing shoulders with variegated cultures and communities. It believes in the equality of mankind and the dignity of labour. A lust for life, gay abandonment, fierce pride and determination characterise the Punjabi.

‘Rooh Punjab Di’ showcases not only the rich material culture of Punjab but also explores its vibrant visual and cultural tradition.

The overview of the content of folk music presents a picture of a society that is changeless and happy in its bucolic ambience. In truth, the Punjab countryside is neither content nor static. Rural Punjab is changing drastically with the break up of the close social ties that bound people a generation ago. The village has been transformed. The socio-cultural fabric is falling apart and culture bound traditions are being swept aside by media propagated diktats of style, comfort, fun and success. Bollywood inspired chitrahaar, which is a replica of filmi songs and dance sequences, now replaces the suhaag and ghoriyaan, which formed part of the traditional sangeet at weddings. The result is that Punjabi’s are being cut away from their roots, which has its own consequences on folk music and its contemporary performances and performers.

Music and dance are inextricably entwined within the framework of Punjabi culture. The ‘bhangra’ enfolds hybrid forms, cross cultural referencing, a strong connection with the past, in the process of its transformation from the mustard fields of the Punjab where it originated to the music clubs of the West. Distinguished by complete synthesis of performance, poetry and song, bhangra is possessed of energetic and spirited movement, riotous colours and beguiling melodies. Musically the traditional rhythms were adapted to modern musical instruments with the traditional dhol, dholakee, dhad, toombi, tabla and sarangi providing the unique bangra sounds. Today the Punjabi rhythm is dominating world music and in a short period this great dance music will slowly get absorbed in mainstream world music. This ‘re-mix’ genre has a distinctly transglobal atmosphere to it. Not only has bhangra become pan-Indian it has become pan-global.

We never know who wrote the lyrics or tune of a folk song. The most succinct comment on the authorship of folk songs comes from an aging baul (a wandering minstrel of West Bengal). He simply pointed to the swollen river and the many boats sailing its meandering course and then showed the driest canal where boats stood docked in slush and mud. He asked, “Do boats in full sail leave any trace of their passage? On the other hand the track of the boat being pushed along the muddy docks is plainly marked.” The simple and natural move nimbly along in the current. The laboured creation gets mired. “Leaving footprints is artificial and unimportant.” he said. The anonymity of the folk song is its greatest asset.

Cultural continuity, in the sense of the perpetuation of cultural traits from generation to generation for centuries, holds within it a contradiction. It transforms the main essence through the ages until the contemporary components are a spectacularly convoluted form of what the original might have been. In contrast, the paradox is that nothing really changes, the stories remain the same, the myths are similar and the legends undying. This continuity has been maintained through the rich oral traditions of a remarkable people.

Much has been done for the preservation and revival of traditional crafts. At Central and State Government levels we find departments and boards devoted to channelling assistance to the craftsperson and helping them market their products, be it pottery, textiles, articles made from wood, grass or metal. A movement is essential to sustain folk musicians and the makers of instruments through direct aid and through a body that would bring together people, administrators, musicians and craftsmen. In the absence of knowledgeable and sensitive administrators to guide, plan and propagate the policies, the benefits will not reach those who need them most.

What emerges and what remains vital is that the ‘difference’ be celebrated in traditional societies. The mainstream culture of fast cars, factory production and Macdonalisation is fast creeping into and in some ways drying up indigenous systems of knowledge and survival. Global homogeneity is what is sometimes dubbed as progress. Ours is the goal to carry further the path of progress, and serve as a vehicle of transformative changes. Punjab symbolises and personifies years of resilience as is evident from its reading of its visual and material culture, one that cannot, should not, be allowed to fade away.