Raaii

Understand

Where Raaii comes from

Raaii (also Raai or Rai) is the men's folk-song-and-dance of Haryana, performed at weddings and at the social gatherings of the village men. The form is closely related to the Bhojpuri Rai of Bihar and the Braj Kirtan of the Braj region and is performed particularly in the eastern Haryana districts of Kaithal, Karnal and Panipat. The Raaii song-verse cycle celebrates the heroic past of the region — the valor of the historical Jat chieftains, the bravery of the Mound-Bard men of the village and the cultural history of the region. The form has been preserved as a male community tradition across the small and large villages of the Haryana agricultural belt.

How it's practiced

Raaii is performed by a group of men — typically the male relatives and friends of the groom — at the eve-of-wedding celebrations or at the village festival. The men sit in a circle or move around a drummer, singing the Raaii song-verse cycles with the lead-singer setting the line and the ensemble responding. The dance is gentle, with the men occasionally standing and performing a slow swaying motion. Music is the dholak and the small dhunuchi (hand-cymbal), with the brass shehnai for the larger gatherings. Costume is the everyday rural Haryana dress — the dhoti, the kurta and the small local pagri. Performances are held at the evening social gatherings and at the procession of the wedding.