Janiye Raakhi....

Rich tradition, poor response

Dinesh Ray talks to Anjana Rajan about lesser known music traditions of the Koch Rajbongshi community

Dinesh Ray, a researcher and collector of ancient instruments of the Koch Rajbongshi people, is a treasure house of rare knowledge, while his daughter Anindita Ray plays a number of these instruments. She also sings and dances in performances of fading traditions such as Tukkha gaan, Jugi gaan and others.

The father and daughter, who live in Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, were in New Delhi recently along with their group to perform music and dance at a seminar on Koch Rajbongshi History and Cultural Tradition.

“I started recording these traditions for LPs and EPs in 1984,” says Ray. “Before this, Harish Chandra Pal was the only person who made such recordings. He died in 1982, and after him there was no one.”

It was hard at first to convince a recording label to sign him, as he was an unknown entity to them.

Naa Jais Ge Mai Mok Chariye..

Naa Jais Ge Mai Mok Chariye..

Naa Jaaish Ge Mai Tui Aapnaar Maayer Ghar,

Mok Chariye Hetaan Ekhlaaye,

Tor Bina Baachwa Nipaam Mui,

Tok Chariye Rahabaa Nipaam Ekhlaaye,

Kenekarey Dekhaam Mui Haamaar Premer Maya,

Tok Mui Ketekhaan Prem Karchu,

Tui Mok Premer Parikcha Lailey,

Tok Chariye Rahabaa Nipaam Ekhlaaye,

Saayad Taharey Taane Dhartit Janam Lisu ,

Mok Chariye Naa Jaais Ge Mai,

Saayad Bhagwaaner Lila Haye Ira,

Maanija Ge Mai Mor Kaatha Tui,

Tor Kunha Majbur Chey Te Bataa Mok,

Miliye Ney Haamaa Sangharsh Karma,

Patyaar Tui Mok Karwa Hobey,

Tok Chariye Rahabaa Nipaam Ekhlaaye.

'डाक्टर' बन्न रिक्सा चलाउँदै सुनिलकुमार राजवंशी

सुनिलकुमार राजवंशी

'दुखीको घरमा मात्र तेरो बास हुने भए हे ईश्वर दया राखी मलाई अझै बढी दुःख दे।' प्रशिद्ध नाटककार बालकृष्ण समको यो भनाई मोरङ्का सुनिलकुमार राजवंशीको घरको छानोमा चरितार्थ भएको छ।

पढेर 'डाक्टर' बन्ने उनको ईच्छालाई पैसाले कहिल्यै साथ दिएन। उनी जसरी पनि 'डाक्टर' बन्ने र गरिब दुःखीको सेवा गर्ने योजनामा छन्। तर, पैसा नहुँदाको पिडालाई उनले बिर्तामोडको टन्टलापुर घाम या भारी वर्षासँग रिक्सा कुदाएर सामना गर्देछन्।

आपगाछी – ७ का इन्द्रलाल र उजनीदेवी राजवंशीका जेठा छोरा उनी यतिबेला बिर्तामोडमा रहेको कञ्चनजंघा इन्ष्टिच्यूट अफ हेल्थ साइन्स प्रा.लिमा

Nepal gives world its first Rajbanshi Gita

It is available in languages as diverse as Hebrew and Hungarian. Now the Bhagvad Gita - a scriptural classic that provides the essence of Hindu philosophy - has been rendered in an ancient tribal language still spoken in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Pawan Rajbanshi, a 41-year-old fine arts teacher from Ghailadubba village in Jhapa, a tea garden district in eastern Nepal bordering India, has come out with the first Gita in the Rajbanshi language spoken by his community.

Also known as Kamtapuri and Tajpuri, the Rajbanshi language bears a striking resemblance to the Bengali and Nepali languages and uses a script that the Rajbanshis say is also the foundation of the Bengali language.“It took me four months. For the translation, I used the original Sanskrit, Nepali and Hindi versions,” Pawan Rajbanshi told IANS.