Banchari

The story of Banchari

Banchari is a village in the mandal of Hodal, in Palwal district, Haryana state, India, and the most striking thing you can take in here is how strongly the place is tied to Holi and to the Dauji temple. Jatland describes Banchari as very famous for its HOLI Mela and Dauji temple, and it also links the village’s memories with भगवान श्रीकृष्ण के बडे़ भाई बलदाऊ.

This is a place whose identity is carried as much by performance as by geography. Hindustan Times describes Banchari as a song and dance form that celebrates the love of Lord Krishna and Radha, and says that for about 1500 residents the onset of spring is announced with the beats of nagada and songs. It adds that over 800 folk songs written by 150 poets, mostly in Braj Bhasha, form the core of this tradition and have been passed on from one generation to another since ages.

The village is also described as historic. Jatland says it was occupied by the Sorot Jats around 1500 A.D., and gives a local tradition of three Sorot Jat brothers arriving from Manak Jartauli village in UP, with one settling here after the elder settled at Hodal and the youngest at Sondh. That same account places Banchari north of Hodal.

There is a wider pilgrimage setting too: Hindustan Times notes that Banchari falls on the Braj 84 kos yatra, a nearly 252 kms pilgrimage originating from V. In practical terms, that means this village belongs to a religious landscape as well as a district map.

If you are looking around here, keep the temple and the Holi-linked tradition in mind together. In Banchari, the season, the songs, and the shrine are all part of the same local identity.