The Bhopa people are the priest-singers of the folk deities in the state of Rajasthan, India. They perform in front of a scroll, known as ( par in the Rajasthani language) that depicts the episodes of the narrative of the folk deity and functions as a portable temple. The Bhopas carry this phad traditionally, and are invited by villagers to perform in their localities during times of sickness and misfortune. Traditionally, the are kept rolled in transit. After reaching a village or town, the Bhopas erect the s between two poles in a suitable public place shortly after nightfall. The performance goes on throughout the night and terminates only in early morning[Smith, John D. (2005). The Epic of Pabuji, New Delhi: Katha, , pp.15-6]
The phad vacnos (performances) by the Bhopas
Bhopas belong to a variety of castes.
The epic narratives of the folk deities are told by the Bhopas during the (night-wakes). The purpose of these are to evoke the (presence) of the folk deities. The sequence which a
phad vacno (performance) follows can be summarized as follows:
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Purificatory rites are carried out before setting up the phad, which include sweeping the ground beneath the phad clean and burning incense sticks.
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The phad is set by fastening the rope that runs through the red band sewn on at the top to wooden poles set at each end.
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The Bhopa wears the special costume, known as baga.
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Grains and money are offered for consecrating the phad.
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The deities, whose images are depicted at the top of the phad are invoked.
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The Bhopa begins Prosimetrum narration of the epical narrative which consists of verse sections, known as gavs and followed by prose sections known as arthavs (explanations). The gavs consist of a number of karis (couplets). The Bhopa points out each scene on the phad with a stick and narrates the episode.
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Donations are collected during frequent pauses for food, tea, tobacco or rest. The Bhopa blows a conch-shell, one blast after receiving each donation. The name of the donor is announced by the Bhopa.
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An arati for the deities and the characters on the phad is carried out at the end of the performance.
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Offerings are again made at the end of the performance, when the phad is rolled back again before sunrise.
Bhopas of Pabuji
The Bhopa sings various episodes from the narrative of
Pabuji and his wife known as Bhopi holds an oil lamp near the visual being described. The Bhopi also sings some parts of the episodes. Mohan Bhopa (who - till his demise in 2011 - performed along with his wife Batasi Bhopi) is a celebrated present-day singer-priest of Pabuji, covered by author and historian William Dalrymple in his famed book . After her husband's death, Batasi now performs with her eldest son Mahavir.
Bhopas of Devnarayan
There are three different types of Bhopas of deity
Devnarayan namely the temple Bhopas, the Jamat Bhopas and the Par Bhopas. The Jamat Bhopas of Deity Devnarayan can only be from
Gurjar community as the jamat is related to Devji sect, however par Bhopas and temple Bhopas belong to different castes including Gurjars, Kumbhars and balais.
[Painted folklore and folklore painters of India: a study with reference to Rajasthan, Om Prakash Joshi, Concept Pub. Co., 1976, pp.30 & 31][Smith, John D. (2005). The Epic of Pabuji, New Delhi: Katha, , p.16] During the performance, a
jantar (a type of fretted
veena with two resonators of gourd or wood) is played to accompany the songs. Usually there are two Bhopas who recite the epic, one is the main Bhopa, the
Patavi, and the other is his assistant, the
Diyala. When the
Patavi Bhopa sings a particular episode of the epic, his junior partner, the
Diyala Bhopa lights an oil lamp and illuminates the particular part of the
phad, where the particular episode which is being sung is depicted. He also sings some parts of the episodes.
See also
Notes
