3 - Possession and Performance: Sounding Out the Epic Worlds of Heroes and Gods

Summary

Praise to Narsingh!

Praise to the five named deities!

Praise to Nirankar!

The first king of the Kanturis was Raja Ajaybitha, then Gajebitha, then king Sujana Deb, then Amar Deb, then King Pithaura, then King Prithipal. King Pithima Deb was the father of Dhama Deb whose mother was Muladeyi.

With these words, Bhag Chand, a huṙkiyā (drummer) from the village of Naugaon in Pauri district of Uttarakhand, began to sing the pawāṙā (heroic epic) of ‘Bijula Naik’. I had organized a performance of this specific story in April of 2004 at my own house and a small group of about five people had joined us for the occasion. This chapter explores the dynamics of that performance by focusing on the story of Bijula Naik as well as the performative elements of Bhag Chand's singing and drumming. The sonic realm of a pawāṙā draws one into the world of the characters and transports one regularly between the natural world of the event and the supernatural world of the story.

Bijula Naik is the illicit son of Dhama Deb and Chhamuna Patra, he being the king of the Kanturis, and she being a low caste dancer. Though the story does not provide the details of the illicit affair, the disparity between their castes as well as Chhamuna Patra’s status as a dancer in the king’s court provides an underlying tension that continues throughout the story. To begin the story’s performance, it was essential for Bhag Chand to acknowledge the presence of the world of gods through naming them in advance of his story. His skills as a ritual specialist would be essential in controlling any devtās (deities) who might join us for the performance.