RickWoods111 at 10:27, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T10:27:51Z

New page

{{Short description|Folk theatre from Rajasthan, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}{{Use Indian English|date=July 2023}}

'''Hela Khayal Dangal''' is a distinct form of [[Folklore|folk]] [[theatre]] of [[Rajasthan]]. It consists of competing performances of musical sarcasm by different troupes. The tradition started almost three hundred years ago in Rajasthan. Many places used to organize Hela Khayal Competitions, but [[Lalsot]] became its most important center.<ref name="zeenews.india.com">{{Cite web |title=लालसोट में 272 वर्षों से चली आ रही हेला ख्याल संगीत दंगल की अनूठी परंपरा, जानें पूरी कहानी |url=https://zeenews.india.com/hindi/india/rajasthan/dausa/the-unique-tradition-of-hela-khayal-sangeet-dangal-which-has-been-going-on-for-272-years-in-lalsot/1142785 |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Zee News |language=hi}}</ref> Every year folk artists gather at Lalsot, [[Dausa]] around the festival of [[Gangaur]]. The live performances showcase creative content, folk singing, folk instruments. The performances are organized over three days continuously with only brief breaks in front of the entire population as audience. Entry for the audience is unrestricted. It originated as a form of entertainment by the peasants and gained fame for brilliant satires on issues of contemporary concerns.

== History and heritage ==
The history of Hela Khayal has not been properly documented as it was a folk art. It is certain that the tradition goes back almost three centuries in various places of Rajasthan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-27 |title=Lalsot Hela Khayal Dangal: 273 वर्षो पुराना हेला ख्याल दंगल शुरू, लालसोट में जुटे राज्यों भर के गायक |url=https://hindi.news18.com/videos/lalsot-hela-khayal-dangal-273-years-old-hela-khayal-dangal-begins-singers-from-all-over-the-states-gathered-in-lalsot-5677803.html |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=News18 हिंदी |language=hi}}</ref> Dausa, [[Karauli]], [[Sawai Madhopur]], [[Alwar]], [[Dholpur|Dhaulpur]], the [[Tonk district|Tonk]] region and [[Jaipur]] have had a history of Hela Khayal.<ref name="zeenews.india.com"/> The most famous center was Lalsot in Dausa which organised the biggest competition of Hela Khayal, where the performers considered participation to be prestigious.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-08 |title=लोकानुरंजन की पहचान बना लालसोट का हेला ख्याल संगीत दंगल |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/rajasthan/dausa/news/rajasthan-news-lalosot39s-heelah-khayyal-music-dangle-popularly-known-as-lokanuranjan-093043-4295639.html |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Dainik Bhaskar |language=hi}}</ref>

The Hela Khayal Dangals were generally planned to take place over two to three days. They were organized by villages at the community level. After harvesting, the peasants would have some money after selling the crops. All the families of villages would contribute in cash or kind for the event. The artists were sent out invitations. With collected funds, the organizing team of the village would arrange for the food and other necessities of the artists of the invited troupes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-06 |title=कलाकारों के दम पर जिंदा है हेेला ख्याल गायकी व संगीत दंगल {{!}} Artists are alive on the side of Heela Khyal singing and music disturb |url=https://www.patrika.com/dausa-news/artists-are-alive-on-the-side-of-heela-khyal-singing-and-music-disturb-4385763/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Patrika News |language=hi-IN}}</ref>

Most villages in Rajasthan have an open community area where people can sit and socialize. In the night, the artists would practice for their performances in this area. The practice sessions are called ''Raggi''. Hela Khayal is not only considered a cultural heritage but also a confluence of [[Hadoti|Hadauti]] and [[Dhundhar|Dhundhadi]] culture.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mathur |first=Madan Mohan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yjVNAQAAIAAJ |title=Kuchamaṇi Khyal: An Endangered Folk Theatre Style of Rajasthan |date=2006 |publisher=Madan Mohan Mathur |language=en}}</ref>

== Performance ==
Hela Khayal is a medium through which a singer presents any religious, mythological, social or political subject in versified form for the audience. It starts with ''Bhawani Pujan''{{Dash}}invoking the blessings of gods and goddesses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-25 |title=हेला संगीत दंगल का आगाज: वाद्य यंत्रों की धुनों व गीतों के साथ मां भवानी की आराधना |url=https://www.patrika.com/dausa-news/hela-khyal-sangeet-dangal-begins-worship-of-maa-bhavani-with-songs-8124287/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Patrika News |language=hi-IN}}</ref> Then couplets called ''doha'' are sung. The artists of every troupe range from 20 to 40. They are usually divided into two groups. One group is stands near the [[Nagara (drum)|Nagada]] which is a drum-like folk instrument that gives beat. The other group stands between the audience and sings. One khayal is one unified lyrical composition that may be performed in two parts, taking a short break in between.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=हेला ख्याल- Hela Khayal {{!}} Exotic India Art |url=https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/hela-khayal-uae776/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=www.exoticindiaart.com |language=en}}</ref>

Folk instruments used for Hela Khayal are [[Dholak]], Nagada, [[Taal (instrument)|Manjira]], [[Pump organ|Harmonium]], Jhanjh, Khanjari, [[Chimta]] etc. Before beginning the singing performance, sometimes the artists play the instruments and perform a folk dance. This is called ''Baja Milana''.<ref name=":0" /> Only male artists perform in Hela Khayal. At the end of a performance by a troupe, a challenging question is posed to the next troupe. It is expected to reply in the style of Hela Khayal.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miśra |first=Dayānidhi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Cy6DQAAQBAJ |title=Lok Aur Shastra: Anwaya Aur Samanwaya |date=2015 |publisher=Vani Prakashan |isbn=978-93-5072-996-0 |language=hi}}</ref>

== Content and style ==
The singing of Hela Khayal is divided based on style such as Doha, Barahmasi, Filmy etc.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ramanarayan |first=Meena |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j7CwvQEACAAJ |title=Khyāla Theatre of Rajasthan |publisher=Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Print Us |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-7237-7283-2 |language=en}}</ref> It has both regional variations as well as variations according to the style of singers.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4pUQYlepONwC |title=उपेक्षित समुदायों का आत्म इतिहास |date=2006 |publisher=Vāṇī Prakāśana |isbn=978-81-8143-593-4 |language=hi}}</ref> Typically, every composition also has the name of its composer at the end. Lyricists like late Gopilal Joshi, Pyarelal Joshi, Srinarayan, Gaindalal Karigar, Mathuresh Joshi, Kalyan Prasad Mishra, Roshan Teli, Matadin Joshi, Kalicharan, Pt. Devkinandan, Hukamchand, Radharaman, Rampratap, Devisingh Chowdhary, Rambilas have earned fame in the field.<ref name="zeenews.india.com"/> A book has been compiled with the compositions of Lalaram.<ref name=":0" />

Hela compositions have critiqued social evils like [[Dowry system in India|dowry]], [[Child marriage in India|child marriages]], [[Caste system in India|caste discrimination]], illiteracy, and comment on political events.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-25 |title=लालसोट का ऐतिहासिक गणगौर हेला ख्याल संगीत दंंगल, कई दशकों से पहचान बनाए रखने में सफल |url=https://www.patrika.com/dausa-news/lalsot-s-historical-gangaur-hela-khayal-sangeet-dangal-story-8124315/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Patrika News |language=hi-IN}}</ref> The political satires were called ''Turra'' and ''Kalangi''.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EYQJAAAAIAAJ |title=Braja loka vaibhava |date=1997 |publisher=Rājasthāna Brajabhāshā Akādamī |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Karan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ek7ADwAAQBAJ |title=Folk Theatres of North India: Contestation, Amalgamation and Transference |date=2019-11-26 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-76972-2 |language=en}}</ref> Earlier in Dangal, discussions of mythology and religion dominated the content although songs of ''Turra'' and ''Kalangi'' were also popular.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jain |first1=Dr Hukam Chand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xPibEAAAQBAJ |title=Rajasthan Ka Aitihasik Evam Sanskritik Digdarshan |last2=Mali |first2=Dr Narayan Lal |date=2022-11-15 |publisher=Prabhat Prakashan |isbn=978-93-5488-456-6 |language=hi}}</ref> In more recent times, commentaries on political and social subjects dominate the Dangal performances. Singers present musical compositions about patriotism, decline in the political field of the country, degradation of moral values including corruption, terrorism, and other social and political issues.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-06 |title=hela khayal dangal lalsot हेला ख्याल: रुस-यूक्रेन युद्ध, कोरोना व घटनाओं पर चले व्यंग्यबाण |url=https://www.patrika.com/dausa-news/hela-khayal-satire-on-russia-ukraine-war-corona-and-incidents-7448013/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Patrika News |language=hi-IN}}</ref> There is no special stage and the audience sit on all three sides of the performers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Meena |first=Dr R. N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jwQrzwEACAAJ |title=Folk Theater of Rajasthan: A Special Emphasis on Folk Theatre of Eastern Rajasthan |date=2018-10-12 |publisher=Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp |isbn=978-1-7287-1790-6 |language=en}}</ref> The folk theatre form of Hela Khayal Dangal is an opportunity for the artists to express the sentiments of the public in an entertaining manner regarding various pertinent issues while also appealing to the people to be progressive and stand against social evils.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Theatre of India]]
[[Category:Rajasthani music]]
[[Category:Rajasthani folklore]]

Hela Khayal Dangal - Revision history

RickWoods111 at 10:27, 7 April 2026