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News Topical, Digital Desk : Rajasthan's culture is so rich that it attracts people from all over the world. Traditional songs, food, tales of kings and queens, and many love stories that are centuries old and will be remembered for generations to come.
Kesariya Balam is a song of separation
Every tourist who visits Rajasthan is sure to hear one song: Kesariya Balam. It sounds like a welcome song, but it's actually a song about the separation and reunion of two lovers. Let's explore the fascinating story behind it.
This song depicts the separation and union of Dhola and Maru.
The soil of Rajasthan is steeped in the stories of the sacrifices of many brave warriors, but it also holds the fragrance of immortal love stories. One such love story is that of Dhola and Maru, who were forced to remain apart despite their unwillingness.
What is the love story of Dhola-Maru?
This story dates back to the 8th century. Dhola was the son of King Nal of Narwar. When Dhola was three years old, he was married to Maruvani, the daughter of King Pingal of Poongal. Maru was only a year and a half old. She lived with her parents until she reached adulthood. However, when the time came for her to move to her in-laws' home, an epidemic struck, forcing Dhola and Maru's families to settle in different places.
Years later, Maru's father learned that Dhola had remarried. He sent messages to Dhola several times, but each time they failed, as the messages never reached the king. This was due to the king's wife, who would stop the messengers and have them killed. According to folklore, she was jealous of Maruvani's beauty and did not want Dhola and Maru to be together.
Maru's father shows cleverness
When Maru's father learned of this, he sent a clever drummer to Narwar and gave him a couplet in which he had written Maru's pain. He told the drummer to sing this song when he reached the king.
After traveling for several months, Dholi reached Narwar, where he captivated the soldiers on the border with his song. Upon reaching the palace, he sang the same couplet that Maru's father had given him.
One is Dhola, the other is Maruvan, and the third is Kasumal color.
Saffron dhoti on feet, please come home.
O saffron-washed feet, please come home.
And what should I praise, I am a living being every moment
Come to my country, come to my country
Saffron lover, please come to my country
When Dhola remembered Maru
Through this song, he described how Maru spends her days weeping over Dhola's memories. He also described Maru's beauty in these couplets. Hearing this song, the king was reminded of his first marriage and tears welled up in his eyes. He immediately summoned the drummer and rewarded him. Dhola then immediately set out to retrieve his Maru. The two lovers were finally reunited, and their love story became immortal.
Years later, Allah Jilai Bai, who borrowed the folk tales from the song "Kesariya Balam," embellished it with her own melodies. Her voice was so magical that the song became famous worldwide. In 1982, the Indian government awarded Allah Jilai Bai the Padma Shri.
Like the love story of Dhola and Maru, Kesariya Balam has become a hallmark of Rajasthan. Without it, Rajasthan's culture seems incomplete.
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