page_title: Saang
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Saang / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Duet by Dr Sandhya Sharma and Dr Satish Kashyap
context_page_description: Saang, also known as Swang or Svang, is a popular folk dance–theatre form in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. Swang incorporates suitable theatrics and mimicry accompanied by song and dialogue. It is dialogue-oriented rather than movement-oriented. Religious stories and folk tales are enacted by a group of ten or twelve persons in an open area or an open-air theatre surrounded by the audience.Swang as an art of imitation means Rang-Bharna, Naqal-Karna.
  Swang can be considered as the most ancient folk theatre form of India. Nautanki, Saang, Tamasha originated from the Swang traditions. Old Swang traditions are:
  "EK MARDANA EK JANANA MANCH PAR ADE THE RAI"
  means one male and one female performers start the story.
  "EK SAARANGI EK DHOLAKIA SAATH MEIN ADE THE RAI"
  means one sarangi player and one dholak player joins the performance. This Swang/Saang performance was active at the time of Sant Kabir and Guru Nanak.
  Tradition credits Kishan Lal Bhaat for laying the foundation of the present style of Swang about two hundred years ago. During Mughal period and specifically at the time of Aurangzeb women were strictly banned from public performances.
context_section_description: In Haryana the most celebrated name is that of Deep Chand Bahman of village Khanda Sonipat. He was popularly known as Shakespeare or Kalidas of Haryana. He polished the style of Ali Bux and gave a new color to this folk art. The Saang of that time had two categories: (i) Kirtan Style and (ii) Nautanki Style. Deep Chand's style of performance incorporated elements from music, dance, pantomime, versification, and ballad recitation.
  During the First World War, when Deep Chand's capacity for improvisation and adaptation was at its peak, the British Government made him a Rai Sahib and granted him other favours. His catchy song-compositions with martial tunes attracted large recruits to the army. 
  Deep Chand Bahman:
  ।।भर्ती होले रे, थारे बाहर खड़े रंगरूट, आड़ै मिलै पाट्या पुराणा, उड़ै मिलै फुल बूट।।
  दो सौ वर्ष के बाद म्य, सांगी दीपचंद आग्या, तख़्त बिछा साजिन्दे बिठा, आसमाने तणवाग्या, देश चमोले तीन बोल के, इसे काफिये गाग्या, सरकार करै थी पूछ, दीपचंद सांगी स्याणे की, बहुत पुराणी कहाणी, सुणियो हरियाणे की, घग्गर यमना बीच की, धरती हरी समाणे की।
  - प. रामकिशन व्यास
  एक सौ सत्तर साल बाद, फेर दीपचंद होग्या, साजिन्दे तो बणा दिये, घोड़े का नाच बंद होग्या, निच्चै काला दामण ऊपर, लाल कन्द होग्या, चमोले को भूल गये, न्यू न्यारा छन्द होग्या, तीन काफिए गाये, या बणी रंगत हाल की, हरियाणे की कहाणी सुणल्यो, दो सौ साल की, कई किस्म की हवा चालगी, ये नई चाल की।
  - प. मांगेराम
  
  The origin of swang is traced to be Kishan Lal Bhaat, who some two hundred years ago is said to have laid the foundation of the present style of folk theatre. Another view gives credit for this to Kavi Shankar Dass, a poet artiste, who belonged to Meerut. Another notable early pioneer was Ali Bux of Rewari, who successfully staged plays titled Fasanai, Azad and Padmawat. For music and song, these early Swaang drew on khayals and chambolas. The stage was most elementary, the actors performed from a central place among the audience. The light was provided by mashals (Roman torches).
  There are six major Lok Kavi who puts the Haryanvi Culture at the Peak.
  Pt Deep Chand Bahman
  Pt Lakhmi Chand
  Jat Mehar Singh
  Baje Bhagat
  Pt Mange Ram
  Pt Ramkishan Vyas
  Pt. Ramkishan Vyas of Narnaund (Hissar), formerly known as 'Vyas ji', is a celebrity in the field of Haryanvi Saangs and Raagnis. He invented various concepts in presenting the raagnis to the public e.g. Soni and others. In addition, he has been deputed as Counseller and Consultants by Rohtak Aakashvani & Kurukshetra Aakashvani. Haryana Government has also declared that the dominant universities of Haryana (Kurukshetra University, Maharishi Dayanand University, etc.) would include his autobiography and raagnis in their curriculum.In 1998, The Government of India has honored this renowned poet by the award from Rohtak Aakashwani for his incredible support to the rise of Haryanvi Lok Sahitya.His younger son, Satyanarayan Shastri is also continuing their task to rise the Haryanvi Lok Sahitya by his writing. Satyanarayan Shastri is a renowned singer of 'Ragnis' at aakashvani since 1983.
  Pt Surya Bhanu Shastri his disciple Dr Satish Kashyap and Dr Sandhya Sharma though belongs to Pt Lakhmi Chand gharana and staged major Swangs/saangs like Padmavat, Kichak Draupadi, Phool Singh Nautani and famous Jaani Chor but had performed in every major Gharanas breaking the orthodox Parnali/Gharana divided on the base of Brahmin/ Non- Brahmin, Caste and region based.
  Hardeva polished his Chambola style and made some changes to Haryanvi ragni (folk song). Bjae Nai, a disciple of Hardeva, mixed both the styles of folk music. Pt. Nathu Ram, another well known Swaangi coached a number of talented pupils, which included Maan Singh, Bulli, Dina Lohar and Ram Singh. Anoop Lather a well known theatre person introduced Swang in Kurukshetra University and organised Swang Youth festivals and first time produced Swang Jaani Chor in proscenium with Satish Kashyap in 1999. Manish Joshi Bismil who is a noted theatre director of India belongs to Hisar is also known for developing Swang in Haryana. In year 2012 his recent production Lakhmiprem was a milestone work on Pandit L
caption: Swang Duet GOPI_UDDHAV by Dr. Sandhya Sharma and Dr. Satish Kashyap
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