Jarigan(Bengali:জারি গান), (PersianJari/zari for lamentation andBengaligan for song)[1]or (song of sorrow) is one of the few indigenous music art performances ofBangladesh,West Bengal,Barak ValleyandBrahmaputra Valley.Though varied and divergent in form, most are based on legends relating to Muslim heroesHasan ibn AliandHusayn ibn Ali,grandsons ofMuhammadand other members of his family atKarbala.The most renowned is jari gan from eastern Mymensingh, which commemorates the death of Hosain at Karbala. The performers, who are male Sunni Muslims, work chiefly as farmers.
The origins of Jarigan may be traced back to the early 17th century, when poetry started being written on the tragic stories of Karbala. One of the earliest recorded is Muhammad Khan's poem on Karbala titled Maktul Hussain (The Martyrdom of Hussain) in 1645, when Shi'ism had reachedBengalviaPersia.[2]
During the ten days Bengali celebration ofMuharramandAshura,morsia and Jari songs are sung in memory of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his family members. Over time,Muharramturned out to be one of the biggest festivals ofBengali cultureand theBengali communitywithinBengal.[3]
