________________
326
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
DECEMBER, 1910.
Danu was held in great esteem by his subjects, partly on account of his religious enthusiasm and partly on account of his love for them. On his death, the women of his kingdom retired into a forest known as Kajjal Ban (Black Forest, properly near Hardwar) and mourned his loss by: singing mournful songs in his honour. These songs afterwards came to be named Kajalt. Though they were originally rhymes expressive of sorrow and grief, yet in after-times, people began to compose love songs to the tone of Kajall. They too, took the same name accordingly.
The Kajalt song is sung throughout the month of Srawan (July-August) by men and women in Mirzapur and on the last day of that month there is a festival of the same name.
In Mirzapur City, and in every village of that district, there is a tank or reservoir which is termed Kajraha wa Pokhra. On Kajali Day women and girls of every Hinda family go to this tank to bathe. After bathing they wash certain plants of barley, which they grow in this month for the purpose of tying round the top-knot on their heads. Thon four or five of them stand in a circle and perform what is called by the people of Mirzapur, Dhan Muniya. This consists in each woman moving in a circle without breaking it, and at short intervals of bending the back and then stretching out the bands and closing the fists. They walk roand this circle at least five times, singing Kajali. Then they return home and tie the plants of barley in the choti of their brothers, for which they get some reward in return.
On the night preceding the Kajali Day, women of every Hindu family keep awake the whole night and sing Kajali. In short, there is now a religious festival where there was none before.
Another Version. In the Kantit Country (Mirzapur District) there was a Gaharwar Rajpat named Dadu Rai. He was a powerful Raja, and raled over Manda and Bijaipur. Near the temple of Vindhyabasini Devi at Mirzapar (Vindhychal is three miles from Mirzapur) by the stream, the imprints of his fort are still to be seen. He surrounded his fort with four Bhairons, or guardian.gods of a sacred place, and he never allowed any Musalmans in his dominions to touch the Ganges. Once when the annual rains held off for a very long while and great distress prevailed, he performed charitable acts on a large scale, and then the rain-god Indra was propitiated, shedding showers of rain in abundance. When Dada RAI died and his wife Nagmati became sati, the women of Kantit, who held their Râjâ and the Râni in great esteem, sang their praises in a melody of their own, now called Kajalt. The name owes its origin to & forest, owned by the Rajâ, in which the women mourned his loss. The third day of the month, in which this song is sung, is named in the Purdnas or local records, Kajalt Tij, or the Black Third.
Old Kajalis.
1.
Text. Piga binu piar bhailyun te jas anar kt kali; Dilli ke darwazwân ho nathiya ailin bikây lây. Jây kuho more båre sainÂn se nakiya chhachhai bây.
Translation. I have been as pale as the young flower of a pomegranate. I have sold my nose-ring at the Dilli Gate. Go and tell my young bridegroom that my nose is empty.
