| Group: | Bahand |
| Population: | 33,000 |
| Popplace: | • India • Pakistan • Nepal • Bangladesh |
| Langs: | • Urdu • Hindi • Kashmiri • Punjabi • Bengali • Nepali |
| Rels: | Hindu, Islam |
| Related: | Naqqal |
Bhānds (Devanagari: भांड; Urdu: بھانڈ, Gurmukhi: ਭੰਡ, Bengali: ভাঁড়) are the traditional folk entertainers of India, Pakistan,[1] Bangladesh, and Nepal. In India and Nepal, the Bahand are now an endogamous Hindu and Muslim community, which is no longer involved in their traditional occupation of folk entertainment. They include actors, dancers, minstrels, storytellers and impressionists.
Payment for performances is usually voluntary: often, one performer goes around the audience collecting money on a "pay-what-you-can" basis while the others continue to perform.
Bahand Pather is a bahand of the Kashmir region in which stories commemorating the lives of (Sufi sages, both Hindus and Muslims) or more contemporary real or fictional figures are enacted. The storylines (or pathers) are often humorous and satirical, and farce is an essential component of the plays.
Naqal (mimicry) is a strong bahand tradition in the Punjab region. The naqalchi (mimic, sometimes called the bahrupiya) adopts the persona of a well-known person or character and improvises, using satire and farce extensively, to entertain the audience.