Dhua Gan is a group of songs of a peculiar character popular in some areas of the west of western sector. Like Bhatiali and Palligiti, this song is a genre of folk song written and tuned by the village bards. In fact these songs deal with religious temperament in regard to renunciation of the world a pessimistic approach. The spirit does not conform to Baul songs, which has eclipsed the importance of these songs.
Baul song is more acceptable for its ecstatic character. These types of songs find similarity with Dehatattva and such other songs in which human life, followed up to death, is declared as unreal. The songs have been appropriately grouped in four types (ascetic, Dehatattva relating to Lord Krishna and those concerned with other popular themes) by many researchers and scholars. The musical feature is not uniform, since Pancali, Jhumur song, Kirtan and other local structures are applied to these.
Themes and Composition of Dhua Gan
The themes of Dhua Gan mainly focus on different religious issues of Muslims and Hindus, and various contemporary subjects. Sometimes, the themes would also narrate special events, occasions, places or people in soothing lyrics and melodious tunes.
Dhua Gan is structured on questions and answers on a particular subject. Usually, while performing one group places questions through the song while the other group answers. Sometimes, the song is also performed by a single group. The group first sings the question and then replies to it. Many a times, people sung the song in a group while working in the field and sometimes in leisure time.
Popularity of Dhua Gan
Dhua Gan is popular and practiced in some areas of the west of western sector under which comes Purulia District, Birbhum District, Bankura District, and North West Midnapur District to name a few.
Bijoy Sarkar, who enriched the repertoire of Bangla Baul songs during the early part of the 20th century, had played a key role in enhancing Dhua Gan. Sarkar was born in Narail in 1903 died in 1985. Sarkar"s compositions belong to the Bhatiali sub-genre of folk songs, though they are particularly famous as Dhua Gan.
