Digitechroshni at 02:46, 8 September 2025

2025-09-08T02:46:07Z

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{{Short description|Folk music of East India}}
{{about|folk music of Sadanic ethnolinguistic group|its eponymous dance|Jhumair}}
'''Jhumar''', also known as '''Jhumur''' or '''Jhumair''', is a form of [[folk music]] prevalent in the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]], primarily in [[Jharkhand]], the southwestern region of [[West Bengal]] and the northern part of [[Odisha]]. It is also found in the [[Tea-garden community of Assam|Tea states]] of [[Assam]] due to emigration.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Mondal |first=Anindya |date=August 2018 |title=Jhumur Song: A Geo – Environmental Analysis |url=http://ignited.in/a/57671 |journal=Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education |volume=XV |issue=6 |pages=35–37 |doi=10.29070/15/57671 |doi-broken-date=1 July 2025 |s2cid=135187216 |issn=2230-7540 |access-date=2022-04-05 |archive-date=2022-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007055802/http://ignited.in/a/57671 |url-status=dead |url-access=subscription |doi-access=free }}</ref> Jhumar songs are sung during various social events, primarily during festivals such as [[Karam (festival)|Karam]], [[Tusu Festival|Tusu]], and [[Bandna]] by [[agricultural]] and indigenous communities like [[Kudmi Mahato|Kuṛmi]], [[Kurukh people|Oraon]], [[Chik Baraik]], [[Bagal (caste)|Bagal]], [[Bhumij people|Bhumij]], [[Rajuar|Rajwar]], and [[Munda people|Munda]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kumar Suresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dw8wAQAAIAAJ |title=People of India: Bihar, including Jharkhand (2 pts) |date=2008 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-81-7046-302-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sinha |first=Manik Lal |title=Jhumar of the West Bengal highlands |url=http://www.indianculture.gov.in/jhumar-west-bengal-highlands |access-date=2022-04-05 |website=Indianculture.gov.in |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=Vakoch |first1=Douglas A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q-h9EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA40 |title=Indian Feminist Ecocriticism |last2=Anae |first2=Nicole |date=2022-08-08 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-6669-0872-5 |pages=40 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Sattar|1975|page=149}}</ref>

==Overview==
The word "Jhumar" is derived from ''[[Jhum]]'' (Shifting cultivation), a regional term for the primitive method of farming practiced by indigenous-agricultural communities in [[East India|eastern India]] and [[Bangladesh]]. In earlier times, it originated as a form of shouting (locally known as ''Hawka'' or ''Hanka'') by working women, expressed through short lines describing their emotions while working in the fields. Under the influence of Hinduism, these songs became infused with religious themes, often featuring deities such as [[Radha Krishna|Radha–Krishna]] and [[Rama]]–[[Lakshmana]].<ref name=":0" />

Jhumar songs vary depending on the singer's region, as the Jhumar culture spans a vast area of eastern India. Due to this diversity, dominant regional languages intermingle with the songs, resulting in different dialectical variations. However, Jhumar songs are primarily composed in [[Nagpuri language|Nagpuri]], [[Kurmali language|Kurmali]], and [[Bengali language]]. Since non-Aryan tribal groups also observe Jhumar-associated festivals, they often sing in a synthesized form that blends their native languages with Nagpuri, Kurmali, or Bengali.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chaudhary |first=P.C. Roy |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.calcutta.06808 |title=The Jhumur of Bengal |journal=Mainstream |volume=6 |issue=19–41 |date=17 February 1968 |pages=27–28}}</ref> In general, Jhumar songs are classified into two broad groups: Traditional Jhumar and Modified Jhumar. Some examples of Traditional Jhumar include Adivasi Jhumur, Kathi Jhumur, and Nachni Jhumur, while Darbari, Pala, and Dand are examples of Modified Jhumar.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dey |first=Falguni |title=Folk Culture of West Bengal |journal=Journal of Institute of Landscape Ecology and Ekistics |volume=35 |issue=1 |issn=0971-4170}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sinha |first=Manik Lal |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.15085 |title=Jhumar of the West Bengal highlands |date=1974 |publisher=Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi}}</ref>

Adibasi, Bagalia, Baha, Bhaduria, Burihi, Chaitali, Dand, Darbari, Darsalia, Galoari, Jharkhandia, Jheta, Jhika, Jhikadang, Karam, Khatinach, Kurmali, Lagrey, Magha, Matoari, NachniNach, Pala, Pata, Raila, Riuja, Sadhu, Saharja, Tand, Thant and many more are the various disciplined forms of Jhumar songs. These songs are themed around ''Laukik Prem'' (worldly love), ''Pouranik'' (mythological tales), ''Prahelika'' (riddles), Radha–Krishna and Samajik (social themes).<ref name=":0" /><ref>Narayan Chattopadhyay (1999). "Jhumur" Lokosanskriti and Adivasi Sanskriti Kendra, Kolkata.</ref>

== Notable singer ==


* [[Dulal Manki]], Jhumair singer from Assam
*[[Mahavir Nayak]], Theth Nagpuri singer



==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book |last=Sattar |first=Abdus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9IQKAQAAIAAJ |title=Tribal Culture in Bangladesh |year=1975 |pages=128–132, 149–152 |publisher=Muktadhara |location=Dacca, Bangladesh |language=en |oclc=2423269 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119074425/https://books.google.com/books?id=9IQKAQAAIAAJ |archive-date=19 November 2022 |access-date=19 November 2022 }}

[[Category:Indian folk music]]
[[Category:Indigenous music| ]]
[[Category:Traditional music]]

Jhumar song - Revision history

Digitechroshni at 02:46, 8 September 2025