Tag: Music

their long black hair and stroller mien, and although they are practically
a peculiar people so far as marriage goes, they sometimes recruit their
companies by enlisting a villager. They combine the profession of singing
and acting with that of begging, and are great wanderers, travelling down
to the Panjab where they perform to Kashmiri audiences. With the
curious exception of the Akangam company, which is formed of Pandits,
the Bhaggats are all Musalmans. They are much in request at marriage
feasts, and at harvest time they move about the country, and in a year of
good harvest will make a fair living on the presents of the villagers. Their
orchestra usually consists of four fiddles with a drum in the centre, or of
clarionets and drums, but the company often contains twenty members or
more. Their wardrobe is frequently of great value, and several companies
which I have met are said to have dresses and properties worth more than
Rs. 2,000. Their acting is excellent and their songs are often very pretty.
They are clever at improvisation and are fearless as to its results. They
have songs in Kashmiri, Persian and Panjabi, but the Kashmiri songs are the only ones which I have heard. The story of the Akangam Bhaggats is peculiar. Brahmans considered acting to be degrading, and even now the Brahmans of Kashmir regard the Akangam players with contempt. But

the Brahman players say that they took to the stage by the express order

of the goddess Devi. The legend relates that many years ago Devi

appeared to the ancestor of the Akangam Pandits, and, placing a fiddle in

his hands, said, ‘ Play upon this fiddle.’ He protested his inability, but on

the goddess persisting, he took up the bow and played unearthly music.

He was bidden by Devi to sit under the deodars of Akangam [Akingam, Anantnag (the story now)] and play in

her honour. For some years he and his sons obeyed the goddess’ behest,

but unable to withstand the prejudices of his caste, he finally declined to

play any more. On this he was stricken with blindness and wandered

away to the Liddar valley. In a dream Devi appeared to the Magistrate of

the Liddar, and told him to take the old Pandit back to Akangam. On

reaching Akangam the Pandit recovered his sight, and since that day he

and his descendants fiddle away without further protest. These Pandits

never send their children to school, as they believe that Devi would resent

it and would kill the children. The Bhaggats are very pleasant people and

their mirth and good humour form a cheerful contrast to the gloom of the

Kashmiri peasant. They acknowledge two leaders or Sardars who arrange

that the circuits shall not clash. They have a peculiar argot (phirkat) which they employ in stage directions.”

~ Walter Rooper Lawrence’s ‘Valley of Kashmir’ (1895).