The crisis of ‘Dhuliya’ culture

Harsha Sarma 

(harshasarma183@gmail.com)

Since the beginning of human settlement, people’s customs and behaviours have gradual-ly refined. In order to form an organized society, human beings adopted certain norms and rules within their social systems. When the artistic qualities and instincts embedded within people began to express themselves gracefully, they eventually evolved into culture over time. The spoken language, food habits, clothing, traditions, festivals, sports, fine arts, painting, sculpture, songs, dance, and music practised by a society or community are the ways in which culture manifests itself. The culture of a community reflects its unique identity. Every race or community in human history has its own distinct culture. Although cultures vary across groups, occasionally similarities can be observed between two different communities.

In Assam too, we see the co-existence of diverse cultures among various communities. Within this vast richness, the Dhuliya culture is notable. Dhuliya culture is found in many parts of Assam, but it flourishes particularly in ancient Kamrup, with the highest prevalence of Dhuliya Bhaona in today’s Darrang and Nalbari districts. Scholars of culture opine that the origin of the dhol (drum) is in Tai regions. The performance of the dhol is most widespread in Southeast Asia and in Tai-Shyam-dominated areas of the West. In countries such as Burma, China, Sumatra, the Java Islands, South America, the Pacific Islands, Japan, and others, the dhol is played during various auspicious occasions and agricultural ceremonies for fertility and prosperity. Some communities have a folk belief that the sound of the dhol enhances the romantic spirit of nature—clouds grow restless and rain descends as if nature responds with love. When nature becomes youthful, fruits and flowers bloom, harvests abound, and human life thrives.

Like in those regions, the dhol holds a special place in Assam as well. Here it is mainly played during auspicious events. In Assamese society, especially in villages, the dhol is indispensable in weddings, religious rituals, festivals like Doul Yatra, processions, and community gatherings. In weddings, the kali is played alongside the dhol, but in other ceremonies, only the dhol and taal accompany the performance. Songs are sung to its rhythm, followed by uninterrupted comic skits, dialogues, khorbagar, kusti, and chong acts. These performances are so humorous that audiences burst into uncontrollable laughter. Dhuliya performance is a collective art form. Before beginning, the group gathers with the bor-dhol (large dhol) to awaken the audience with its beats. Upon hearing it, villagers assemble at the venue. Then, the smaller pati-dhol and cymbals (taal) are played. Gradually, the larger dhols and more cymbals join in. At the same time, two ag-dhol players dance while playing. After this, comic plays, khorbagar, kusti, and chong acts are performed until the conclusion. A typical Dhuliya troupe consists of 15–30 performers. Two bor-dhuliya play the large dhols, two pati-dhuliya play the smaller dhols, while two to four taaluwa play cymbals. Alongside them, a narrator (bayan), a lead actor (mool-bhawariya), and a few supporting actors add to the humour with their comic roles. The remaining performers take part in dance, mimicry, and satirical skits. Their costumes are intentionally comical—sackcloth coats, torn old jackets, loose pants, bright mismatched clothes, leaf-made crowns, wooden masks, goat-skin whips, toy guns made from taro stems, and bullet-like seeds of poma plants. Makeup too is rustic: flour or lime smeared on the face, dots of white on the forehead, and false beards and wigs made from hemp fibres or even broom grass. These bizarre and grotesque costumes amplify the satire while addressing social issues, all the while entertaining audiences. For a short time, people forget their sorrows and troubles.

Viewed from a modern perspective, Dhuliya’s comic performances are highly beneficial to health—they relieve stress and promote mental well-being. However, with changing times, Dhuliya culture has come under threat. Its popularity began declining with the rise of mobile theatre. In Dhuliya Bhaona, women’s roles were played by men, but in mobile theatre, women began portraying female characters. Furthermore, the grandeur of costumes, make-up and stage effects in mobile theatre drew people away from Dhuliya. Even today, Dhuliya troupes are invited to some festivals, but since mobile theatres generate greater revenue for organisers, preference is given to them. Modernising Dhuliya too much would lead to distortion, so people refrain from experimenting. Although some troupes have introduced female performers, the appeal remains weaker than before. Now, in the age of digital technology, people can watch countless comedy shows on television, mobile phones, and OTT platforms. The new generation has an increasing craze for such programmes, easily accessible at their fingertips. Consequently, the attraction toward live Dhuliya performances has drastically declined. Many festivals and ceremonies no longer invite Dhuliya groups, and even when invited, they are often underpaid. Compared to the hefty payments given to modern celebrity performers in cultural evenings, Dhuliya artistes receive not even a fraction. As a result, most of them live in poverty—working as daily labourers, living in poor houses, and unable to afford good education for their children or proper treatment when sick.

It is the responsibility of the government to uplift their economic condition so that this priceless heritage survives. An uncomfortable truth remains: if the younger generation does not see financial security in preserving traditional folk culture, they will have no incentive to pursue it. If the government ensures economic support for these practitioners, the younger generation would willingly embrace Dhuliya culture as a profession. At the same time, some innovation is necessary to popularise Dhuliya Bhaona among today’s youth—without distorting its essence. Commercialisation must not mean handing it over to corporate interests. Rather, through individual creativity, the tradition should be made appealing to all while safeguarding its originality. Preserving and promoting folk traditions like Dhuliya is more the responsibility of the government than of the common people, for within folk culture lies the history and identity of a nation.

 Fear of man will prove to be a snare,

but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

— The Holy Bible