Sumangali

Sumangali in Bihar is sung particularly on the occasion of the successful conclusion of a marriage. The songs are traditional and have its variant in almost every major dialect of Bihar including Magadhi, Maithili and Bhojpuri. They are performed by groups of women to celebrate the steps of the extremely elaborate rituals of a marriage ceremony in Bihar. Like most folk forms of Bihar, Sumangali are passed on from generation to generation.

The term Sumangali literally means the celebration of an auspicious time or simply a song to grace that occasion. In Bihar, few folk forms have an identity without being associated to some aspect of human activity. It is therefore no surprise that an event with as large a social significance as the successful completion of a marriage will go unsung. Sumangali at Bihar serves this purpose.

Bihar's Sumangali employs tunes that have come down through the ages. Instrumentation, when used at all, are of an extremely simple and traditional kind. The auspicious nature of this ritualistic songs is never lost. The newly wed are blessed on their way to a new life. Being sung specifically by women, like marriage songs in most place around the world, they take up great significance as they are often used to voice anxieties and dissents of women within a largely patriarchal society.

Sumangali of Bihar are usually emotionally complex. They commemorate the fact that the rituals have been successfully concluded. At the same time they rule the fact that the bride has to leave her near and dear ones. However, the deep emotive content of the songs are masterfully rendered by the women who are well versed in the tradition. Sometime professional musical groups can be employed to sing the Sumangali. What results is a stunning folk performance.