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Elephants
Kali...
That song was born out of a legend, a folk story, a legend.
A young, beautiful and recently married Brahmin couple lived near a river,
Joynath, the young man, he went to a village for the rites, Brahmanical rites,
when somebody dies they have, they have something to perform. So this man's
only daughter, very ugly. But the widow of the Brahmin, she says "Joynath,
you please help me, you’ll get all this property, become very rich, if
you’ll marry my daughter".
First he resisted and said "No, I have a wife a very beautiful wife".
But then he couldn't resist the temptation of getting all that wealth.
So he married her and brought her into the village and a big house a palace
they built.
And
now this girl, Joymala, her duty was every morning, to take a copper pitcher
on her head and a golden Jhari in her hand, and she went to the river and
filled that pitcher with water and supply to the big house where her husband
and new wife were living. And at the end of the day her sister in law would
send some rice to Joymala which she would distribute to the birds in the forest,
and they would bring out flowers, honey and fruits in exchange for this.
So one day the elephant herd was having their bath in the river, suddenly
the Dantal, the main tusker, he asks his assistant his minister "Can you
tell me, upstream the water is so sweet but downstream why is it salty?"
Then he replied "You know there is this poor girl, she always comes to
the river to fetch water and cries, it is from her tears that the water here
become salty".
So the big elephant tusker went to Joymala and says "Joymala, men are
very cruel, dont live with them. You come to us, you become our queen and
lead our herd". And before Joymala could say anything a flood started,
and the big elephant took her in his trunk and they walked for 9 days and
nights till they came to the rich elephant land, where seven streams of seven
colours mix in one place. First the tusker drew water with his trunk and poured
it on Joymala's head, then all the elephants started pouring and Joymala
became a beautiful elephant and the copper pitcher becomes her head and the
golden nhari that becomes her trunk and then Joymala led her herd deep in
the forest in the elephant land.
Kali and Bimal sing Hi Allah Rasul
Kali...
When they rub the elephant with dry leaves or hay I asked them why do
you do that why do rub them. Well otherwise their bodies tickle, they wont
take any person on their back. They wont take any goods on their back. And
it works wonderfully, they are dealing with such a massive animal. So they
must be very cautious, because if a trunk just gives a little bang it's
finished. So they have very sharp spears which they dont hesitate to use.
But in that song they use all these words as if as a child. "I shall
take you to the zoo, I shall buy a sari for you, I shall give you this bangle"
I think at the beginning of this song maybe the elephant doesn't like
it but it becomes part of the training along with the swinging torch to mesmerise
the elephant.
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