Jarigaan: The song of sorrow

Jari is a Persian word, which means crying or griefing with moaning. And, gaan means song. So, Jari gaan means the song of sorrow, or more specifically which is sung with a tone of sorrow. This is a popular indigenous music art form of Bangladesh and West Bengal. But here in this country, this culture still gets attention and can be an excellent cultural gem to be discovered by the world.

The origin of Jarigaan is rooted back in the tragic event of Karbala. To recall that event, Muslims observe the Arabic month Muharram with festivities with a passion of griefing. Jarigaan ascended with a part of that moaning. The culture can be traced back to 1645 AD when poet Muhammad Khan completed a collection of songs recalling the Karbala event.

In Bangladesh, Jari is now a part of folk culture. Especially in the Mymensingh, Netrokona, and Kishoreganj district, a Jarigaan festival observed from 5^th to 22^nd Muharram. Apart from Muharram, this song is also performed on various occasions like village festivals and cultural events. But to savor the full festivity of Jarigaan, one has to visit the above-mentioned districts to get the full festivity.

How it is performed?

There is one lead vocal who is called Gayaki. In the beginning, he stands facing the audience and starts the first stanza (it is called Dhua). There are other singers who are called Dohar. After the Dhua, the Dohars form a circle and Gayaki begins to walk around the circle and started singing the song with lots of hand gestures. Dohars also deliver chorus in it. They often maintain the rhythm through some anklet-type percussion instruments. They also wore a red or yellow scarf in their hands.

Where to enjoy

You have to plan in advance according to the Arabic calendar, as the festival arranged consistent with Muharram month (5 to 22^nd day). Kishoreganj and Mymensingh are around 100 km from Dhaka, and Netroka is just 50 km east of Mymensingh. There are plenty of good hotels in those cities.