The Majestic Jawahar Niwas: The Architecture of Music

7.9.2017, End of Day 2, Jaisalmer, 10:26 pm

The hot sultry, Jaisalmer sun glared at us as we climbed the steps of the great 150 year old Jawahar Niwas, a sprawling mansion located close to Jaisalmer fort, offering a spending view of the fort in all its glory. The mansion, is a classic example of traditional Rajasthani Architecture, and has been converted to a hotel. For a second, the professor inside me, almost forgot that we are actually here for music documentation and not architectural documentation. I couldn't help but admire the old arches, the vintage furniture, and the truly "royal" feel of the place. Teaching History of Architecture for several semesters now has changed my perspective of looking at buildings. 

The golden sun, and the backdrop of the majestic Jaisalmer fort only beckoned me more and more to look at each intricate detail of the palace. The setting sun added to the beauty and the grandeur of the place. I had a hard time convincing myself that i have to actually work. :) 

However, as we prepared our setup for the song recordings, we interviewed Champe Khan, another folk artist from the Manganiyar community of Rajasthan. The Manganiar or Manghanhar and related Langha are Muslim communities in Sindh, Pakistan and in the desert of Rajasthan, India in the districts of Barmer and Jaisalmer, along the border of Sindh province of Pakistan. Majority of Manghanhar are found in the districts of Tharparkar, Sanghar, Mirpur Khas, Tando Allahyar, Hyderabad, Badin, Sujawal, Thatta, Jamshoro in Sindh Pakistan. They are famous for their classical folk music. They are the groups of hereditary professional musicians, whose music has been supported by wealthy landlords and aristocrats for generations.

Champe Khan is 38 and lives in the famous ‘Kalakaar colony” of Jaisalmer, and music has been providing his family livelihood since generations. When asked if the music is enough to sustain, Champe Khan said:

“Khuda uthaata khaali pet hai, par sulaata nahi”

(God wakes you up hungry, but he makes sure that you never sleep hungry)

The second day was full of experiences that I will never forget during my lifetime. To be this close to music is like a dream come true! And to actually carry-on a conversation with someone who is music and melody personified, and an epitome of classical folk music, took me to another world.

Here I am, perched like an albatross,

Stuck to the melody and the rhythm of this medieval city.

Champe Khan and his group lost themselves in a trance, and so did we, with their enchanting music in a mesmerizing locale, on the terrace of Jawahar Niwas. Their songs are mostly sung for various auspicious occasions like marriage and childbirth. Although there is one particular song which touched my soul, the lyrics are quite simple, yet, it appeals to you. Isn’t each one of us love-struck ? Waiting for their beloved to come back to them ? Each one of us has loved and lost.

“Love is not love, which alters when it alteration finds”

But such alteration is inevitable when it comes to love and relationships. Champe Khan’s songs combine love with the skill of music, and the result is a masterpiece.

“Gori johe baat, Saajan likhliyo kore kaagaz ve,

Baachun ghadi ghadi”

I wait for my beloved, I write his name on a blank paper, and I stare at that paper endlessly .

Simple, yet profound. 

According to Champe Khan, folk music appeals to everyone and has a power, yet some people don’t understand the power of folk music. Champe Khan, has travelled to various countries like Spain, Holland, Belgium, London and is all set to go to Australia for his next venture. Champe Khan, at times is faced with situations when people request popular folk songs, which have become a part of mainstream music, all thanks to bollywood. Even though, he feels a little dejected at times, music never dies, and it shouldn't, and the whole purpose of music, as he says, is to make people happy.

As I understand the livelihoods and culture of these people, I am immersing myself in a land of love, skill, ruins, and power. The power of music. I can’t wait to wake up the next morning, get onto work, and write pages and pages about my experience.

But, here I end this post because of an early 6am schedule for tomorrow. Before I crash for the day, I will like to share what Champe Khan has to say about music.

“Sangeet ek ibaadat hai, yeh dil se nikalta hai”

                                    Music is a form of worship, which transcends from heart.

Good night.

Wanderings in the Golden desert.

7.9.2017, End of Day 1, Jaisalmer, 1:36 am

As we checked into our hotel rooms, after about 15 hours of tiring train journey in blistering heat, my mind and body revolted against the tiredness, and my heart pumped with excitement with the anticipation of our upcoming journey and day, and the things which we were about to explore.

“Let me lose myself in this golden city,

Amongst the golden sand dunes,

And the melody of the folk tunes,

To be intoxicated with the spirit of music”

This is my first day of volunteering with Anahad foundation, a non-profit organization targeted towards upliftment and conserving the intangible heritage of the folk singers of Jaisalmer. As someone said, real talent is found in these dingy by-lanes, and in this case, it’s hidden in this medieval city, and its golden sand dunes.

So we began our day, seven of us packed in a Tavera, with all our equipment, on our way to Sam, a small settlement about 40kms from Jaisalmer, where we met the artist, Bagga Khan, fondly known as Bagge, of the Manganiyar community of Rajasthan. Manganiyars are Muslim communities in Sindh and Rajasthan areas and are famous for their classical folk music. Over the next couple of hours, Bagga Khan and his group members explained the nuances of their music, their singing style, and the various ragas. As Bagge Khan explained, members of his community were basically singers in the royal court, and their music genre mainly comprises of  Bhajans and Sufi songs. These bhajans are based on verses composed by famous mystics like Meerabai and Kabeer.

We recorded two songs sung by Bagga Khan and his group : “Maan khero laavo leeje” by Joshi Tulsa, and “paapi milijo pachaas” based on Kabeer’s couplets. Both these songs, left us spell bounded and mesmerized. Played on simple instruments like “Tandura” and Harmonium, both songs speak about humanity and love. Most of these songs are composed in “Chautaal” or a 4 beat cycle. As Bagge Khan quotes the famous poet Bulle Shah “Love is of two types, one is the unending love for Allah and one is the love which we share with each other”. And this love can be best expressed through music, as Shakespeare said “If music be the food for love, Play on”.

While explaining why music is the most powerful thing in the world, Bagge Khan says that even the highest King, will bow down and shake his head with the rhythmic melody of a song. The whole conversation with Bagge Khan reflected his passion towards folk music, which has been a tradition in his family since centuries, and his group members wish that their future generations also carry forward this tradition. So far, Bagge Khan has performed in many places in India and abroad but cites Kolkata as his favorite city to perform in India, and Paris if we talk about the western counterparts. The whole experience of interviewing and recording these artists overwhelmed us, and I wondered on the fact that why such talent is still unnoticed and hidden from the eyes of the mainstream audience.

In the evening, we met the Prince Chaitanya Raj of Jaisalmer and discussed about the various tangible and intangible heritage aspects of Jaisalmer fort. As per Chaitanya, the Government wants the occupants of the fort to vacate it. Jaisalmer fort is the only “living fort” in the world, as people have been living inside this fort since centuries and it is still inhabited by the descendants of these people. Even though UNESCO enlists Jaisalmer Fort as one of the world heritage sites, there have been no substantial conservation work in the past years. Conservation, in broader sense, not only means conservation of the bricks, building and material, but it also means conservation of the social fabric, which was the whole agenda of our meeting with Chaitanya. As Jawaharlal Nehru says in Discovery of India, that India is like a palimpsest, over which layers and layers of thoughts and reverie has been inscribed, so is the case of Jaisalmer fort, in which generations have been living since centuries, and the mere thought of uprooting the inhabitants from their livelihoods is enraging for them. Therefore, the question is, how can we actually document the activities inside the fort by carrying out an extensive household survey which will be actually helpful for the Government.

As we carried out these serious discussions, we couldn’t help but admire the pizzas served to us in this rooftop restaurant which is being run by an Italian lady.

This is the land of ruins, life, food, music and love.

Today’s whole experience has enriched me and has added to my knowledge base greatly, as a student of Carnatic music myself, I can’t help admire and relate to anything connected with classical music. And this is the real music which we intend to preserve in Anahad, and to provide a platform for these artists who have been engaged in this since centuries. The coming days will hopefully enfold many more dimensions and possibilities of these folk artists, as we attempt to document and understand their livelihoods better.

In the end, I would like to quote a couplet from Bagge Khan’s song:

                                     “Maan khero laavo leeje, mili nahi baaram-baar” 

               Life as a human is precious and one should use it to the fullest, as “life as a human” is granted only once.

              In other words, you only live once, so go out, explore, live and lead a fulfilling life.