The Green Imagination: Reading Earth and Ecology in select Awadhi Folk Lyrics

In the present era of globalization and cultural homogenization, there is an increasing interest in regional and local traditions in academia. A good amount of research done in the field of literature at present focuses on the marginal and the local traditions, tropes, songs and the literature lost under the colonial whitewashing and centralization of the English language. Awadhi folk imagination envisions the earth as a living and nurturing divine presence. The paper aims at exploring the ecological consciousness embedded in Awadhi folk songs. They are rooted in an intrinsic harmony between human existence and ecology, where land, trees and rivers emerge as living participants in everyday life. The paper foregrounds how folk lyrics, particularly Samskara lyrics, seasonal lyrics, vrata lyrics and labour lyrics, convey human emotions of joy, separation, care, and continuity through natural imagery. The paper traces how animistic and naturalistic beliefs shape folk imagination, positioning nature as the creator, preserver, and an omnipresent guardian. A close reading of Awadhi folk lyrics through the lens of ecology, testifies that these songs retain a motivating force and remain closely aligned with the folk spirit, despite their differing themes and occasions.