In Kutch: a lake and a love story

This song goes back 200 years. Based on a popular Kutchi folk story, it tells the tale of two young lovers, Hamir and Hamli. Their families disapprove of their love, and so the two meet secretly on the shore of Hamisar lake in Bhuj. But one day, while on his way to meet his beloved, Hamir is spotted by a family member. He tries to escape but is chased and murdered in the battle that follows. This song is one of mourning as Hamli waits by the lake for her lover who will never return.

Why do the families disapprove?

The full lyrics of the song – in a form widely known as rasuda – suggest that caste may well have been a critical factor in the boy’s murder. However, most Kutchi scholars prefer to read the song as one expressing any woman’s grief on losing her lover. But that ignores the real references to the gate, the crossroads and the chaos that followed.

This is one of 341 songs recorded by Soorvani, a community-run radio started by the Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan (KMVS) in 2008. A collection that has come to PARI through KMVS, these songs capture the immense cultural, linguistic and musical diversity of the region. The collection helps preserve the musical tradition of Kutch, which is in decline, its sounds fading across the desert sands.

The song presented here is sung by Bhavna Bhil from Bhachau Taluka in Kachchh. Rasuda is often played at weddings in the region. Rasuda is also a Kutchi folk dance, where women sing and twirl around a drummer who plays the dhol. When a girl gets married, her family incurs a huge amount of debt to buy the required jewellery. With the death of Hamirio, Hamli loses the right to wear these ornaments and the song here refers to her loss and her debts.

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 with Gujarati translation.