The Music of Hindostan c7.125

c7.125

At Jhelum the station was entertained one evening by the 20th Punjabis with a Cuttack dance. About one hundred men grouped themselves in a double circle round a bonfire, which shot up into bright flame at intervals in response to libations of kerosene. They advanced towards and retreated from the fire with swoopings, punctuated by sudden crouchings, twirlings, and pirouettings; waving their arms, with handkerchiefs in their hands; sometimes pausing suddenly by bringing one leg sharply down on the ground. Later on some picked dancers substituted swords for handkerchiefs. Then two swords, one in each hand; and one man dangling a third sword held in his teeth by the sword knot. The *surnai* (or *shahnai*), a sort of oboe, or bagpipe chanter, and the *dhol* were employed. The dance tunes were: