Pratishtha Pandya

Series Curator

Labani Jangi

Illustration

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Stereotypical images of women, young and old, dressed in traditional clothes, a pot held against her waist, and one or two balanced on the head, have long essentialised the life of rural women in India. The wells in Indian villages, sometimes picturesque, sometimes nondescript, have not just been a place for fetching water. Everything from great friendships and the latest village scandals to unjust caste relations that determine water usage unfolds around the well.Ironically, the same life-sustaining well also provides an escape to many women suffering in their in-laws&#39; homes. In the song below even the well, the only companion of the woman — now unhappily married into a family not of her choice — has turned against her. She has no one left to complain to about the men in her family who married her off into what seems like an enemy household.Gloomy songs like this one here, rendered by Shankar Barot of Anjar, where the woman complains about the hostile men in her family, have their own place among the diverse songs sung during different ceremonies at a wedding.

Type of song: Traditional folk songCluster: Songs of weddingSong: 5Title of the song: Jeelan tara paani mune khara zer laage  Composer: Deval MehtaSinger: Shankar Barot from AnjarInstruments used: Harmonium, drum, banjo Recording 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) 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

Of intimate enemies

گھر کے دشمن

நெருக்கமான எதிரிகளைப் பற்றி

ਆਪਣੇ ਹੀ ਵੈਰੀ ਹੋਣ ਜਦੋਂ

ଘରର ଶତ୍ରୁ

घरचे वैरी

അടുപ്പമുള്ള ശത്രുക്കൾ

ಹಿತ ಶತ್ರುಗಳು

घर के बैरी

मयारू बैरी

घरे के लोगवा दुस्मन बनल

‘তুঁহার কুয়োর নোনতা পানি আমার কাছে বিষ’

তোমাৰ কুঁৱাৰ বিহ দিয়া পানী

સાવ પોતીકાં દુશ્મન

Kachchh

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ہمارے بارے میں جانیں

پاری میں آپ کا خیرمقدم ہے

گے۔ اگر آپ کو ہمارا کام پسند ہے، تو آپ ہمارے رضاکار بن کر ہمارا تعاون کر سکتے ہیں یا ہماری مالی مدد کر سکتے ہیں، تاکہ ہم اپنا کام جاری رکھ سکیں۔

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Of intimate enemies

A gloomy song about a young girl from Kachchh who is estranged from her family after marriage, or perhaps because of it

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