The Bhawaiya Song : What is the meaning of the word Bhawaiya

             According to Abbasuddin, the most popular singer of Bhawaiya – “Bhawaiya song is the wealth of North Bengal. Its movement is like that of wind blowing at random and so it is called Bhawaiya.”

            Cooch Behar and some other districts of North Bengal such as Jalpaiguri, part of Darjeeling, northern part of West Dinajpur and Dhubri and Goalpara districts of Assam and Rangpur district of Bangladesh are famous for Bhawaiya song. The language of this wide area is Rajbanshi or Kamrupi. The lyrics of Bhawaiya are in Rajbanshi language. The feelings of love and separation are one of the most popular themes of these songs. This genre of singing is very popular among labourers.

            There are various viewpoints on the meaning of Bhawaiya. Some argued that the term Bhawaiya has come from ‘Bhawa’. ‘Bhawa’ is low lying places left behind by the change of course of the rivers which remain inundated during most part of the year and which are full of water grown shrubs and bushes that are known as Kush or Kasiya. These are good grazing lands for buffaloes. The buffalo-keepers who are known as Maisal used to sing these Bhawaiya songs while grazing buffaloes on these Bhawas and songs waved through the nearby villages. They speak of huge number of songs connected with buffalo and its keepers in Bhawaiya in support of their argument.

            Others say it has come from ‘Bao’ and still others refer to ‘Bhao’. There is another viewpoint according to which it has been derived from the term ‘Baudiya’ or ‘Baura’. Others opine that Bhawaiya is the changed from of ‘Bawaiya’. The ‘Bao’ means breeze or wind. The tunes of the songs sung by the buffalo-keepers on the Bhawa, by the farmers on the working fields waved through the villages carried by wind and the song was therefore called Bawaiya from which came the changed form of Bhawaiya. But this is a minority view.

             Suren Ray Basunia , one of the sinceremost devotees of Bhawaiya in the early part of 20^th century has given the view about the derivative meaning of Bhawaiya that is widely accepted. According to him, the song full of emotional feelings that urges the people to think deeply is called Bhawaiya. The derivative is Bhav > Bhao + Iya = Bhaoiya. The derivative meaning of this song is one who is emotionally charged. In this region one who eats is called Khaoia, one who sings is Gaoia and similarly one who thinks is Bhaoia. The song is so simple in its tune and theme that the feeling and meaning it conveys can be understood easily.

           It is noting that almost all the Bhawaiya singers have said that Bhawaiya has come from Bhav > Bhao + Iya = Bhaoiya. The question therefore arise what is the actual word – Bhawaiya or Bhaoia? If we notice carefully the viewpoint of Suren Ray Basunia and the way it is pronounced by the older generation people of Bhawaiya region the term appears to be Bhaoia. For example, they will say "চলো রে ভাযিয়া গান শুনির যাই "(Let us go to hear the Bhaoia song). There is a popular saying in the villages – "দোতরার ডাং আর ভাযিয়া গান, পাগল কইরেছে কইন্যার মন ".

           In Rajbanshi language the other meaning of Bhav is love and attachment. ‘Bhaver bandhu, Bhaver deora’ – these phrases are quite common these songs. Bhawaiya is firmly seized with love; love between man and woman, love for nature, animals, birds etc. With this meaning of Bhav, the viewpoint about the Bhawaiya from the word Bhav sounds reasonable.

               It is therefore, quite clear from the above discussion that the viewpoint of Bhawaiya being derived from the word Bhav > Bhao is much more reasonable and acceptable.

 Reference:

1. Bhawaiya __ Dr . Sukhbilas Barma 
2. en.wikipedia.org