MANGANIYAR SEDUCTION — PHOTO STORY OF TRADITIONAL RAJASTANI MUSIC

Roysten Abel's Manganiyar Seduction. All photos courtesy Sudha Pillai

The first time I was introduced to the Manganiyar's music (which has been around for centuries) was through theatre director Roysten Abel's breathtaking production called the Manganiyar Seduction. (A few years later I was also stumped by the beauty of another one of his productions, the Manganiyar classroom). 

Manganiyar Seduction transported me to a different world. When the screens opened to reveal 43 musician, seated in 36 red-curtained cubicles arranged in four horizontal rows one on top of the other — like a magic box, I was forever sold on the magic of the Manganiyars. I later came to know that Roy's set was a combination of the Hawa Mahal and the Red light district of Amsterdam. When the concert begins, a single cubicle light goes on and the first singer begins his song. Soon another cubicle lights up and another and another — there's a build of musical instrumnents and the stirring soulful voices of the singers. Soon you are transported into a different world. Even if you can't understand a word of what they are singing. Like me. 

My obsession with the Manganiyars took me on a path to know more about these wonderful musicians. The Manganiyars are Sunni Muslims from the Thar Desert, Rajasthan. They sing, essentially, about Hindu gods.  They traditionally invoke the Hindu god Krishna before beginning their recital — as they have been doing it for centuries. Earlier they would peform for kings and would be called upon to entertain the troops before and after a battle. Later, they began singing for wealthy patrons. In fact the community is divided into two — where one group sings for wealthy Hindu patrons and the other, Muslim patrons. They sing ballads, Sufi poems and have a song for occassions of life like births, deaths and marriages. 

Many mistake them for folk musicians. They are not. Their music is classical. Their music has roots in the classical music of India. And they have music in their blood. It is said that  children come out of their mother's womb singing — in a way the children are exposed to music in their wombs, because the women of the community play dhol and sing. The child is forever cocooned in the lap of music. 

The Manganiayars play an instrument called the kamaicha — a bowed stringed instrument with skin membrane sounding boards and many strings. It is made of mango wood. The big, round hollow part on one end is covered with goat sking. It has 17 stings out of which three special strings are made from goat's intestine and the rest of the 14 strings are made up of steel. The bow is made out of horse's hair. They also play the dholak — a double-headed barrel drum. morchan or the jaw harp, the harmonium and the kartal or wooded clappers — these are made of Sheesham wood. 

The Manganiyars are an ancient community of hereditary musical performers from Rajasthan. Though they are Muslims their lifestyle, is said to be that of Hindus — a perfect symbol of communal harmony.

 Apparently, like the traditional Jews, the Manganiyars never intermarry or teach their music to other communities. Lets hope their soulful, full throated voices and stirring music will fill the dessert air of Rajasthan and beyond for ages to come. 

— NILA