Shyama Sangeet - Revision history

82.132.246.111: reworked information also and added references

2026-02-14T09:58:31Z

reworked information also and added references

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:28, 14 February 2026
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			{{Short description\|Genre of Bengali devotional songs}}
	{{Music of West Bengal}}		{{Music of West Bengal}}
	{{hinduism}}		{{hinduism}}
	'''Shyama Sangeet''' ({{~~lang-~~bn\|শ্যামা সঙ্গীত }}) is a genre of [[Bengali language\|Bengali]] devotional songs dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyama or [[Kali]] which is a form of supreme universal mother-goddess Durga or parvati. It is also known as Shaktagiti or Durgastuti.<ref>{{cite web\|title=Shyamasangit\|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Shyamasangit\|publisher=Banglapedia\|access-date=25 February 2012\|last1=Khan\|first1=Md Sayeed}}</ref>		{{refimprove\|date=June 2025}}
			{{puffery\|date=October 2025}}
			'''Shyama Sangeet'''<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Pradhan \|first=Sahil \|title=Bengal's Shyama Sangeet Refuses to Fade Even After Centuries \|url=https://www.localsamosa.com/people-culture/shyama-sangeet-10560507 \|access-date=2026-02-14 \|website=www.localsamosa.com \|language=en}}</ref> ({{langx\|bn\|শ্যামা সঙ্গীত }}) is a genre of [[Bengali language\|Bengali]] devotional songs dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyama or [[Kali]] which is a form of supreme universal mother-goddess Durga or parvati. It is also known as Shaktagiti or Durgastuti.<ref>{{cite web\|title=Shyamasangit\|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Shyamasangit\|publisher=Banglapedia\|access-date=25 February 2012\|last1=Khan\|first1=Md Sayeed}}</ref>

	Shyama Sangeet appeals to the common man because it is a musical representation of the relationship of eternal and sublime love and care between the mother and her child. It is free of the common rituals of worship and also the esoteric practice of the [[Tantra]].		Shyama Sangeet appeals to the common man because it is a musical representation of the relationship of eternal and sublime love and care between the mother and her child. It is free of the common rituals of worship and also the esoteric practice of the [[Tantra]].
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	Mukundarāma, known as Kavikaṅkaṇ or 'gem of poets, ' wrote his chief poem, the epic Chaṇḍī, in 1589. Towards the middle of the 18th century, the poet [[Ramprasad Sen]] instilled new life into it and turned it into a distinct genre of Bengali songs.		Mukundarāma, known as Kavikaṅkaṇ or 'gem of poets, ' wrote his chief poem, the epic Chaṇḍī, in 1589. Towards the middle of the 18th century, the poet [[Ramprasad Sen]] instilled new life into it and turned it into a distinct genre of Bengali songs.

	Ramprasad was succeeded by number of composers like Kamlakanta Bhattacharya (1772–1821), Rasikchandra Ray (1820–1893), Ramchandra Datta (1861–1899), ~~and~~ Nilakantha Mukhopadhyaya. In modern times both [[Rabindranath Tagore]] and [[Kazi Nazrul Islam]] have composed poems of Shyama Sangeet genre.		Ramprasad was succeeded by number of composers like [[Kamalakanta Bhattacharya (Bengal)\|Kamlakanta Bhattacharya]] (1772–1821), Maharaja Harendra Narayan (1783-1839), Maharaja Shivendra Narayan (1839-1847), Rasikchandra Ray (1820–1893), Ramchandra Datta (1861–1899), Nilakantha Mukhopadhyaya (1842–1911) and [[Bhaba Pagla]] (1902–1984). In modern times both [[Rabindranath Tagore]] and [[Kazi Nazrul Islam]] have composed poems of Shyama Sangeet genre.

	The term 'Shyama' refers to the skin color of Kali (usually depicted in black or ~~deep~~ blue.) ~~Literally, it means dusky~~.		The term 'Shyama' refers to the skin color of Kali (usually depicted in black or dark blue).

	==Divisions==		==Divisions==
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	==Popularity==		==Popularity==
			{{unsourced section\|date=July 2025}}
	Shyama Sangeet conceptualizes Goddess Kali as a loving human mother and the singer is longing for ~~The~~ Mother's love. The songs have become popular not only for its devotional side, but also for ~~its~~ human appeal.		Shyama Sangeet conceptualizes Goddess Kali as a loving human mother and the singer is longing for the Mother's love. The songs have become popular not only for its devotional side, but also for their human appeal.<ref>{{Cite news \|title=Musician Anindya Chatterjee on Shyamasangeet and its cultural, contemporary relevance \|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/lifestyle/musician-anindya-chatterjee-on-shyamasangeet-and-its-cultural-contemporary-relevance/cid/1979496 \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250713204126/https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/lifestyle/musician-anindya-chatterjee-on-shyamasangeet-and-its-cultural-contemporary-relevance/cid/1979496 \|archive-date=2025-07-13 \|access-date=2026-02-14 \|language=en}}</ref>

	The theme and occasion of Āgāmanī and Vijayā songs are as follows. Parvati (Umā or Gaurī), daughter of Himālaya and Menakā, was married to Śiva, the Lord of Kailāsa. Parvati as the form of Goddess Durga (the supreme universal mother-goddess) comes to see her parents from her in laws every year. The goddess is portrayed here as an ordinary girl living far away from her mother and feels joyous to come back home after a long stay at her in laws’ place. These songs too are highly popular because of their human appeal and as they are easily identifiable with any married girl living far away from their parents.		The theme and occasion of Āgāmanī and Vijayā songs are as follows. Parvati (Umā or Gaurī), daughter of Himālaya and Menakā, was married to Śiva, the Lord of Kailāsa. Parvati as the form of Goddess Durga (the supreme universal mother-goddess) comes to see her parents from her in laws every year. The goddess is portrayed here as an ordinary girl living far away from her mother and feels joyous to come back home after a long stay at her in laws’ place. These songs too are highly popular because of their human appeal and as they are easily identifiable with any married girl living far away from their parents.
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	</blockquote>		</blockquote>

	Shayama ~~sangeet become~~ more popular at the time of Sri Ramkrishna Paramahansa, who was an ardent Kali bhakta/devotee. Ramprasad Sen, Rabindranath Thakur/Tagore, Girishchandra Ghosh, and Swami Vivekananda, among others, composed numerous Shyama Sangeet. India's national song, 'Vande Maataram'/'Hail to the Mother', whose lyrics were written by Bankimchandra Chatterjee/Chattopadhyay and whose music was composed by Thakur/~~TagOre~~, is first and foremost a hymn to Ma [[Durga]] which hails the Indian motherland, "Bharat Mata", as being a form of the supreme goddess Durga. Rabindranath Thakur/Tagore's 'Jana Gana Mana', the Indian national anthem, contains a line, "Snehamayee tumi mata", which literally means India is a loving mother ("Bharat mata")... Rabindranath Thakur/Tagore also composed a song which was later picked to be the national anthem of Bangladesh ('[[Amar Sonar Bangla]]'/'My golden Bengal') in which he refers to the entirety of Bengal (undivided Bengal; the song was written before the partition of West Bengal and Bangladesh) as being a segment of the body of the supreme mother.		Shayama Sangeet became more popular at the time of Sri Ramkrishna Paramahansa, who was an ardent Kali bhakta/devotee. Ramprasad Sen, Rabindranath Thakur/Tagore, Girishchandra Ghosh, and Swami Vivekananda, Kazi Nazrul Islam, among others, composed numerous Shyama Sangeet. India's national song, 'Vande Maataram'/'Hail to the Mother', whose lyrics were written by Bankimchandra Chatterjee/Chattopadhyay and whose music was composed by Thakur/Tagore, is first and foremost a hymn to Ma [[Durga]] which hails the Indian motherland, "Bharat Mata", as being a form of the supreme goddess Durga. Rabindranath Thakur/Tagore's 'Jana Gana Mana', the Indian national anthem, contains a line, "Snehamayee tumi mata", which literally means India is a loving mother ("Bharat mata")... Rabindranath Thakur/Tagore also composed a song which was later picked to be the national anthem of Bangladesh ('[[Amar Sonar Bangla]]'/'My golden Bengal') in which he refers to the entirety of Bengal (undivided Bengal; the song was written before the partition of West Bengal and Bangladesh) as being a segment of the body of the supreme mother.

			Generally, all music dedicated to goddess Mother [[Kali]] is called 'Shyama Sangeet' in Bengali. Two famous singers of this Bengali Shyama Sangeet are [[Pannalal Bhattacharya]] and [[Dhananjay Bhattacharya]]. Pannalal Bhattacharya's elder brother Prafulla Bhattacharya and middle brother [[Dhananjay Bhattacharya]] were the first music teachers of saint artist [[Pannalal Bhattacharya]]. [[Dhananjay Bhattacharya]] stopped singing devotional songs after finding the devotional spirit in his brother Pannalal. However, after the demise of [[Pannalal Bhattacharya]], he contributed again in Bengali music with many devotional songs by his sweet, melodious voice.

	==Notes==		==Notes==
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	{{Culture of West Bengal}}		{{Culture of West Bengal}}

	[[Category:~~Bengali culture~~]]		[[Category:Culture of Bengal]]
	[[Category:Bengali music]]		[[Category:Bengali music]]
	[[Category:Hindu music]]		[[Category:Hindu music]]

183.83.135.118 at 10:35, 11 June 2021

2021-06-11T10:35:53Z

New page

{{Music of West Bengal}}
{{hinduism}}
'''Shyama Sangeet''' ({{lang-bn|শ্যামা সঙ্গীত }}) is a genre of [[Bengali language|Bengali]] devotional songs dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyama or [[Kali]] which is a form of supreme universal mother-goddess Durga or parvati. It is also known as Shaktagiti or Durgastuti.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shyamasangit|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Shyamasangit|publisher=Banglapedia|access-date=25 February 2012|last1=Khan|first1=Md Sayeed}}</ref>

Shyama Sangeet appeals to the common man because it is a musical representation of the relationship of eternal and sublime love and care between the mother and her child. It is free of the common rituals of worship and also the esoteric practice of the [[Tantra]].

==Origin==

During the 12th-13th centuries when [[Shaktism]] grew in Bengal, it inspired a number of poets to compose poems on Kali.
Mukundarāma, known as Kavikaṅkaṇ or 'gem of poets, ' wrote his chief poem, the epic Chaṇḍī, in 1589. Towards the middle of the 18th century, the poet [[Ramprasad Sen]] instilled new life into it and turned it into a distinct genre of Bengali songs.

Ramprasad was succeeded by number of composers like Kamlakanta Bhattacharya (1772–1821), Rasikchandra Ray (1820–1893), Ramchandra Datta (1861–1899), and Nilakantha Mukhopadhyaya. In modern times both [[Rabindranath Tagore]] and [[Kazi Nazrul Islam]] have composed poems of Shyama Sangeet genre.

The term 'Shyama' refers to the skin color of Kali (usually depicted in black or deep blue.) Literally, it means dusky.

==Divisions==

Shyamasangeet can be divided into two streams: devotional or metaphysical and ''Durgastuti'', ''Umasangit'', ''Agamani'' or ''Vijaya'' songs. The first category of songs is inspired by devotion and spiritual thoughts. The second category which is based on themes of daily family matters or social events, is known as ''Padavali'', ''Umasangit'', ''Agamani'' or ''Vijaya'' songs.

==Popularity==

Shyama Sangeet conceptualizes Goddess Kali as a loving human mother and the singer is longing for The Mother's love. The songs have become popular not only for its devotional side, but also for its human appeal.

The theme and occasion of Āgāmanī and Vijayā songs are as follows. Parvati (Umā or Gaurī), daughter of Himālaya and Menakā, was married to Śiva, the Lord of Kailāsa. Parvati as the form of Goddess Durga (the supreme universal mother-goddess) comes to see her parents from her in laws every year. The goddess is portrayed here as an ordinary girl living far away from her mother and feels joyous to come back home after a long stay at her in laws’ place. These songs too are highly popular because of their human appeal and as they are easily identifiable with any married girl living far away from their parents.

What Edward Thompson wrote in 1923 is true even today.
<blockquote class="toccolours" style="float:none; padding: 10px 15px 10px 15px; display:table;">
But the Śākta poems are a different matter. These have gone to the heart of a people as few poets' work has done. Such songs as the exquisite 'This day will surely pass, Mother, this day will pass,' I have heard from coolies on the road or workers in the paddy fields; I have heard it by broad rivers at sunset, when the parrots were flying to roost and the village folk thronging from marketing to the ferry. Once I asked the top class in a mofussil high school to write out a song of Rabindranath Tagore's; two boys out of forty succeeded, a result which I consider showed the very real diffusion of his songs. But, when I asked for a song of Rāmprasād's, every boy except two responded. Truly, a poet who is known both by work and name to boys between fourteen and eighteen, is a national poet. Tagore's songs are heard in Calcutta streets, and have been widely spread by the student community and the Brahmo Samaj; but in the villages of Bengal they are unknown, while Rāmprasād's are heard everywhere. 'The peasants and the paṇḍits enjoy his songs equally. They draw solace from them in the hour of despair and even at the moment of death. The dying man brought to the banks of the Ganges asks his companions to sing Rāmprasādī songs.<ref>Thompson, Edward. J. and Spencer, Arthur Marshman, Bengali Religious Lyrics, Śākta, Oxford University Press, London, 1923. p 19</ref>
</blockquote>

Shayama sangeet become more popular at the time of Sri Ramkrishna Paramahansa, who was an ardent Kali bhakta/devotee. Ramprasad Sen, Rabindranath Thakur/Tagore, Girishchandra Ghosh, and Swami Vivekananda, among others, composed numerous Shyama Sangeet. India's national song, 'Vande Maataram'/'Hail to the Mother', whose lyrics were written by Bankimchandra Chatterjee/Chattopadhyay and whose music was composed by Thakur/TagOre, is first and foremost a hymn to Ma [[Durga]] which hails the Indian motherland, "Bharat Mata", as being a form of the supreme goddess Durga. Rabindranath Thakur/Tagore's 'Jana Gana Mana', the Indian national anthem, contains a line, "Snehamayee tumi mata", which literally means India is a loving mother ("Bharat mata")... Rabindranath Thakur/Tagore also composed a song which was later picked to be the national anthem of Bangladesh ('[[Amar Sonar Bangla]]'/'My golden Bengal') in which he refers to the entirety of Bengal (undivided Bengal; the song was written before the partition of West Bengal and Bangladesh) as being a segment of the body of the supreme mother.

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==

*Thompson, Edward. J. and Spencer, Arthur Marshman, Bengali Religious Lyrics, Śākta, Oxford University Press, London, 1923. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080509080346/http://www.pgeu.net/dirs/pge/pge06/100198/e100198-h.html]

{{Culture of West Bengal}}

[[Category:Bengali culture]]
[[Category:Bengali music]]
[[Category:Hindu music]]
[[Category:Shaktism]]
[[Category:Music of Bengal]]
[[Category:Indian styles of music]]