Vasant Festival of Krishna Holi, C1770-1780. Painting from Kangra, Punjab Hills in Victoria and Albert Museum. Artist unknown. , Photo Credit: CM Dixon/Heritage Image/Getty Images
Holi is a festival of celebration without any restraint, breaking barriers. Perhaps why, in all Indian festivals, Holi is unwavering with songs and dances.
Horis or Holi, a different style, increased in popularity about 250 to 300 years before the earlier Dhrupad tradition, called Dhamaar, sung in the 14-beat cycle. In fact, the Dhamaar Tal is more known than the vocal style.
These dhams were traditionally sung around the time of Holi. With the growing popularity of Khayal in the last 300 years, Dhamaars converted into songs sung in a light style in the same season. Taking a difference due to the songs, some songs were called ‘Chaitis’, as they were sung in the month of Chaitra, and some were called ‘Horis’ because the songs belonged to Holi only.
Recently, a Bethak, Shubendra Rao and Sanskia de Has dedicated to Holi songs organized by a famous musicians, showed Horis in the folk tradition of Rajasthan and from Banaras. Horis is associated with maximum songs emerging from the region with Uttar Pradesh. The tradition of celebrating Holi through dance and martial arts is also present in Punjab, which is in a tradition called Hola Mahalla celebrated in Anandpur Sahib over a period of three days.
In Himachal Pradesh, the Kangra region is filled with beautiful songs related to color, playing and separation from loved ones. Anita Pandey, a music lover from Kangra, shared a popular song from Kangra, which is preserved in the collection of scholar-musician Janamjay Guleria ‘Fagun Mine, Holi Ji Ai, Mein Kis Gaaya Khelungi Holi’.
“Holi songs of Kangra region are slow in Tempo, which has simple note structures and a congenital grace.
Banaras, of course, is the main store of Hori and the source of inspiration for many Holi film songs. Who can forget the film version of “Shoba Gurtu’s immortal ‘color saree pink’?
Originally of Kangra, but today the face of the Banaras Gharana, which is known for its Thmaris, sang a rare care ‘Karo Na Mose Maan Money’ in the Raga Puriya Kalyan. The songs spoke of the spirit of abandonment associated with the festival. Another iconic composition, Raga Sohni had ‘Rang Na Daro Shamji’, popularized by PT. Kumar Gandharva. Such compositions are rare because MMOST artists like to sing Holi songs in Thumri style, with mild decorations, where instead of focusing focus on emotional materials instead of focusing on emotional content instead of focusing on emotional materials.
As Sunanda shared, Horis are of different types; Flirt and thoughtful, where the play is just from the eyes, not the real game of Holi. Some are giving vibrations and arguments, some are complaining … Sunanda sang a beautiful song in Rag Des ‘Rasiya Tor Kareran Brij Meen Bhai Badnam’.
There are erosion of despair when separated from the loved one; The latter is sung in the raga that triggers the pathos. Sunanda’s ‘Virha’ Hori Raga was in Sohini, ‘Holi Meen Khelungi Anaso, Kaho Ko Sham Sundar.’
Although Krishna is a common theme of Horis, some are also sung for Shiva – a popular rendering by PT. Chanulal Mishra talks about Holi played by Shiva and his followers in the ceremony of cremation, which are included in the ash; ‘Khelen Masanne Mein Holi Digambar’.
Manganiers of Rajasthan sing two beautiful songs of Holi, showing that the same subject of sharing love through colors can be painted in different ways in folk traditions. Banaras Horis is sung by women in Rajasthani by men and children.
Bathk reiterated how art deepens the color of Holi.
Published – March 13, 2025 07:58 pm IST
