Pratishtha Pandya

Series Curator

Atharva Vankundre

Illustration

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Am going far away, am going to a foreign land  This is journey too long, dear Kunj bird. I’m going far away.

The song sung by a newly married girl is addressed to the demoiselle cranes, known as the kunj bird. The new bride about to leave her family for her in-law’s house sees her journey as similar to that of the bird. Every year thousands of these delicate, grey-feathered birds make their way from their breeding grounds in central Asia to the arid planes of western India, especially Gujarat and Rajasthan. They travel more than 5,000 kilometres and stay here from around November to March, before migrating back.Andrew Millham in his book, Singing like Larks says, “ornithological folk songs are a threatened species – out of place in today’s fast-paced technological world.” He remarks that the birds and the folksongs have this in common – their ability to carry us on their wings to worlds beyond our doorsteps. We live in an age where folksongs are fast becoming an endangered genre, rarely passed on, very rarely sung. But the people who created, learnt, and sang these songs looked at the sky, the world around them, and their own people for entertainment, for creative inspiration, for life lessons. It is not surprising then that these birds have flown into the Kutchi songs and stories that come from the region. The rendition of the song by Juma Vagher, from Bhadresar village of Mundra taluka adds to its beauty and effect.

Type of song: Traditional folk song Cluster: Songs of weddingSong: 9Title of the song: Door ti vina, pardes ti vinaComposer: Deval MehtaSinger: Juma Vagher from Bhadresar village of Mundra talukaInstruments used: drum, harmonium, banjoRecording year: 2012, KMVS studioEnglish translation: Pratishtha Pandya

These songs, 341 recorded by a community-run radio Soorvani, have come to PARI through the Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS). For more of these
songs visit this page: <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/songs-of-the-rann-archive-of-kutchi-folk-songs/">Songs
of the Rann: archive of Kutchi folk songs</a>A special thanks to Preeti Soni, Aruna Dholakia, secretary, KMVS, Amad Sameja, project coordinator KMVS for their support and to Bhartiben Gor for her invaluable help.

On the wings of a winter bird

پرندوں کے پروں پر کس کی پرواز؟

குளிர்காலப் பறவையின் சிறகுகளில்

ਕੂੰਜ ਦੇ ਖੰਭਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਸਵਾਰ ਹੋ

ଶିଶିର ପକ୍ଷୀର ଡେଣାରେ

ശിശിരപ്പക്ഷിയുടെ ചിറകിൽ

ಶಿಶಿರದ ಹಕ್ಕಿಯ ಬೆನ್ನೇರಿ

पक्षी के पंखों पर किसकी उड़ान?

सारस के डेना संग उड़त

পৌষালী পাখির উড়ান পথ বেয়ে

যিদৰে শীতৰ পখী ঠিকনা সলনি হয়

એક કુંજ પંખીની પાંખે

Kachchh

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On the wings of a winter bird

A popular folk song from Kachchh sung at the time of weddings, compares the life of a woman with that of a migratory demoiselle crane

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