‘Guree geet’ are traditional folk songs of the ethnic groups inhabiting the Lahaul region. These songs were originally inspired by the ‘Anjini’ folk songs of the Chamba valley and brought to Lahaul region by the shepherds and pastoralists who used to travel to Chamba and Kullu for grazing. These pastoralists learned the songs from both the places and modified it by changing the dialects and telling stories of their own villages and local heroes in it. Many of these guree geets were inspired by Hindu mythologies, as majority of the population in the region are Hindus and migrated Kashmiri Pundits. Though the songs were mostly in Jambiali and Ghulvi dialects, every valley in Lahaul region has their own Guree Geet in their respective dialects. Guree geet is also known as ‘graks’ in the Khar valley and according to the culture experts of the regions these songs were like rock songs of the yester years.
Guree geets are mostly performed during the festival of Phaguli (Lahauli New Year which follows the Chinese Lunar Calendar), during the winter months and on occasions of marriage. Traditionally, two social functions, the ‘Rana’ and ‘Puyya’, played an important role in the creation and propagation of gurees in the region. Ranas were conducted in Pathan by the rich Buddhist families where song writing experts were invited who created gurees praising the families, the local people of the region were also invited by the families to attend the festival. Puyyas were similar occasions conducted in the Lower Lahaul region.
The themes of guree geets are mostly non-religious in nature except those that are sung during the marriage ceremonies, which are inspired by the Hindu mythologies and epics, like those about Lord Shiva. Apart from these the Guree Geets mostly revolve around stories of prominent families and individuals in the local villages and various events and tragedies that affected the village communities or individuals and are in form of eulogies. These folk songs were thus an important and meaningful way of conserving local and personal histories. For instance, there are gurees describing the sacrifice of a girl named from Goshal, and about two brothers from Tingrit. The general emotions depicted in the gurees are compassion, courage, sadness, anger and love. The rhythm and tempo of the Gurees vary depending on the emotions depicted and presently very few people are equipped with that knowledge.
Guree geet is a treat not just for the ears; it is a visual treat too as sometimes the songs are accompanied by graceful dancing by the participants, with rhythmic hand and leg movements. Unique characteristic of these dances is that the dancers do not express any emotions and does not wear special costumes, ornaments or use any props during the performance. The Guree Geets were not accompanied by any musical instruments and was solely dependent on the vocal prowess of the lead singer. Because of this good vocal quality was considered an important pre-requisite along with the knowledge of the dialect and correct pronunciation in order to do justice to the songs.
In the early days in the Lahaul region, it was considered necessary that the ‘shirdar’ or leader of the ‘baraat’ (wedding procession) knew all the gurees. It was not only a means to kill time as the procession had to walk 3 to 4 hours to reach the bride’s house but also an important way to promote the songs. Also, during those days at least one member from each community was well versed in the songs; during the performances the lead singer was accompanied by the audiences. One other interesting event in Lahaul promoting the gurees was held during the long winter months which ensured that Guree Geet remain alive in the community as well as the community remain entertained in that freezing weather.
There are no records as to the exact number of songs existing in different valleys; the songs were handed down orally from generation to generation. However, once an important part of Lahauli culture, especially in the Pathan valley, popularity of guree geet is on a downward spiral and the number of people with knowledge of this traditional cultural form is coming down. With the advent of modern modes of entertainment like satellite television, radio and other electronic mode, the traditional cultural form are facing severe neglect which calls for intensive efforts towards preserving and propagating this art form. Recently there have been efforts made by culture enthusiasts to document the Guree Geets; linguistic and culture experts like Angroop Lale and Thupten have made laudable efforts towards conservation and documentation. More information on the guree geet can be found in the book ‘Geet Atit’.
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