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In search of our indigenous performances (part-II)

The Fokre Paala of the Gazir Gaan (The Ascetical Drama of the Gazi Song)
THE satirical comic part of the gazir Paala goes on as Kalu tests Gazi's knowledge and asks questions related to Sufi mysticism. Gazi answers satisfactorily and at one stage Kalu points out the asha of the Gazi. [The asha is one of the most holy ritual accessories that play an important role in the performance of the miracles of the saints (Pirs). It indicates the symbolic representation of a saint's supernatural power. During the Gazir Gaan performance, the asha is implanted in the ground and is not used in the performance. Other ritual accessories are used in Gazir Gaan and the offerings made to the saints in the performance are usually taken by the lead-narrator or singer himselfonbehalfofthesaint. (Ref: In praise of Niranjan by Syed Jamil Ahmed)]
Then both Gazi and Kalu don the attire of the ascetic and narrate of the noble soul of the Gazi pir (Gazi the saint) and asking him to bow in front of the implanted asha. But Gazi's companion, Kalu faces a difficult situation when he goes to bow because he cannot decide the direction he should face to bow, towards the audience or away from them. Dialogues go along with songs and then come the mainnarration. Oh, brother, their house was in Birat Nagar where the Emperor Sikandar had three sons. Theeldest son was named hdhas-Sujan. The second one funa Bardf and as ( agreed upon by the brqthetf,.d,W ■ -youngest ontlwas named Gazi. .
Jindapir (the live saint) Gazi, once, when he was only eight recited the Holy Quran and realized there is -nothing important in this worldly life but to attain, spiritual and mystic knowledge. So, he decided to become an ascetic by the name of Allah. And then goes a dialogue based conversation between the Gazi and Allah, the creator.
Following the conversation, the lead narrator enters into a song to ) express his request to call Kalu from the heart to join him in his journey to become an ascetic. The songgoes like this
O koothdy Achho Bhai Kalachan amar go/ O bhai eshe kripa koro/ Oye Oye Ore Ore hai.../
O porermaa'ke maa boli bhai/O bhai nagare nogore/ore amra dui bhaifakir hobo nogore nogore/
[Oh where are you my brother Kalachand, Oh my dear brother/ Oh brother, come and show your kindness to me / Hey, hey oh you, oh dear.. .Oh brother, /1 call the motherofother/myown mother/
Oh brother, from town to town/Oh, we two brothers/Would become ascetics for other /From town to town)
Hearing such heartfelt summons, Kalachand replies in the same tune but then there is again the play of nonsensical and comical replies. But among these dialogues, inherent are the satirical statements of the objectives of mankind, the religious beliefs they possess to lead life on this earth, the socioeconomic situations and so on. Then upon Gazi's request, Kalachand dresses up as an ascetic and Gazi is enchanted with liis own appearance. But then as Gazi attempts to dress Kalu (Kalachand) in the ascetical attire, the tune from a popular folk devotional sor^g began to play. Once more comes in dialogues, witty and satirical and sometimes nonsensical too followed by some folk riddles set in rhyme the answers of which are expressed through songs. At one stage, Gazi decides to bid farewell to their mother before leaving for the quest of ascetical life. They travel and arrive home to see their mother. When their mother comes to see them without knowing that they are her sons, then'Gazi bows his head and touches her feet to showrespect at first. Even as Kalu bows to his mother, she cannot recognize her two sons. So she ansivers like this.
Mother : Oh, being the
pious and the saints, you are bowing to me! I would be the sinner in the eyes of Allah (God). I have two sons like you two. I haven't seen them for quite along time. HearingthisKalachandsays to his brotherGazi,
Kalu : Hey brother, somethingodd hashappened ... Before marryingfather, ourmotherhad 'anothermarriage.
Gazi :Whydoyousayso?
Kalu : She says she has anothertwosons!
Gazi : Why, isn't she talking aboutyouandme!
Kalu : That's fine then (then forwarding towards the mother he asks) Mother, what were your son's names?
Mother: Their names are Gazi and Kalu.
Dialogues go on and then at one stage, Gazi reveals their true identity and the mother earnestly requests them not to become saints and leave her. So the two brothers, to escape from the bond of mother's love call the timeless Indolent Slumber to rest on their mother's eyes and thus she falls fast asleep. But, Gazi fails to leave realizing the sadness and hurt the mother would have to endure on losing her sons. He also cannot bear to see his mother in tin's stage of timeless slumber. But Kalu reminds him that they had vowed to become ascetics and treat the mothers of other people as their own and so they must leave. At last, they decide to wake their mother up and leave at once on their pledged journey. So they go to the wise old woman known as the golden' lady and ask the timeless Indolent Slumber to leave their mother. As soon as the mother awakes from her never-endirig sleep, she finds out that her sons are gone. She breaks down in tears. The grief-stricken mother then tries to look for her sons but in vain. They have left towns and villages for the forest and Kalu follows his elder brother Gazi in search of their quest of becoming ascetics.
Thus the drama ends here with a concluding song which introduces the troupe. At the end of the performance of each episode of the Gazir Gaan, the narrator asks the crowd which episode would they like to watch. The troupe performs accordingly because it is the mood of the crowd that matters to really feel the beat of the performance. Original Story: Saymon Zakaria Translated: Zaki a Rahman, architect Photographs: Saymon Zakaria, Baharul Karim Shohag and Abu Sayeed Joardar Kollol