“What people sing, in their lyrics, is what the people feel,” said Professor Tulasi Diwasa (Joshi), team leader of the Nepali Folklore and Folklife Study and president of Nepali Folklore Society. “It also reflects the lifestyle of the people.” [break]
One of the verses read: “Raato mato/Chiplo baato (red mud/slippery road)”
And the cultural professor noted these verses as the portrayal of the life and times in the early ages when they might have come to sing Bhailo and Deusi through slippery roads with red mud.
“Also, people were illiterate then and they expressed their feelings and messages in the songs. Songs are one of the mediums to gather and express public opinions,” Diwasa further stated.
And so from then to now, the Bhailo/Deusi songs have also been a medium to vent their problems and frustrations. But there is also spontaneity and improvisation as the group sings along.
In Kesar Lall Shrestha’s article on Tihar in “Gods and Mountains, The Folk Culture of a Himalayan Kingdom – Nepal,” he writes Bhailo and Deusi are always improvising to suit the occasion. And so it is, as heard—groups praising and flattering the houses they visit for Bhailo and Deusi to gain certain value in terms of food and money. As one of the verses say: “Yo gharko gharpeti kasti chann/Chandra surya jasti chann (How is she, the mistress of the house?/Like the Sun and Moon she looks).”
However, more than making others happy and getting rewards, there is a mythological and social significance attached to them.
The significance of Bhailo, usually sung by women, Diwasa said, was used as a song to wish well to brothers who were away by their sisters. And thus the word ‘Bhalo Chitaunu’ (wish well) became ‘Bhailo.’ And for Deusi, in particularly sung by men, it was a song to celebrate the victory of the gods over demons. The context of ‘Dev’ (gods) and ‘Asur’ (demons) thus became Deusi or Deusure.
In Bhailo and Deusi, there are also mentions of the Hindu mythology. Shrestha writes that during Deusi, men go from house to house in the name of Bali, the mythical king who became so powerful that Vishnu himself sought his destruction.
A particular line reads: “Hami tyasai ayenau/Bali Rajale pathaako (We didn’t come here on our own/We have been sent by King Bali).”
But Diwasa brought another perspective to King Bali’s story. He said that Jumla was ruled by King Bali, and while singing the folksongs, he was mentioned in them.
And even until today, however much there have been tampering with the lyrics, the reference of Bhailo/Deusi and verses like that of Raato maato and King Bali still prevail.
Biraj Khadka, a 12th grader and of a new generation of the Bhailo/Deusi singers, said that he has been following the tradition from childhood. But now that he has a band, Beat Laboratory, they sing the Bhailo/Deusi songs along with their musical instruments.
“Singing Bhailo/Deusi continuously may become monotonous,” the 18-year-old said, adding that the band will also play other Nepali folksongs during their trips from one house to another.
Along with the new generation, the traditional folk culture has had a splash of modernization with musical instruments backing up Bhailo and Deusi.
Diwasa said as much, that culture is a dynamic concept and thus changes over time. However, the traditional aspects attached to them are still retained and will always be there, he added.
“The songs related to festivals like Bhailo and Deusi will not foresee changes rapidly as they are deeply rooted into the cultures and traditions,” Diwasa concluded.
And so, even today, it’s the same ditty of Bhailo that is sung on the night of Laxmi Puja and Deusi on the night of Gobardhan Puja.
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