JANGER

Formerly the janger dance was performed by two rows of boys facing each other, sitting on the floor with a set of fruit and flower offering in between. In its futher developments one of the rows was taken by a row of girls facing each other.

Janger enacts the story of Mahabharata, especially the episode of Arjuna Vivaha. Arjuna, the third brother of Pandawa, was in meditation and enticed out by Supraba and her friends, the heavenly nymphs Vidyadaris. Other stories are about the big war Bharata Yudha of the Mahabharata story, or sometimes just a fictitious romance.

During the play one of the boys adapt the role of a Daag, the story teller to translate the lyrics sung by the other Janger dancers. Nowdays the story in Janger is much more free for it is a very adaptable performance. Any public progress could easily influence the lyrics and the language, especially because the Janger dancers are the youth. Very often youth's popular slang is launched by one of the Janger to make humorous terms, or one of the dancers intentionally makes mistakes for jokes. Janger is accompanied by the music Arja. Flutes for melody, a small singel gong Tala-Tala for the rythm, a couple of drums, cymbals, and several other percussion instruments.