MOHINER GHORAGULI

"মহীনের ঘোড়াগুলো ঘাস খায় কার্তিকের জ্যোৎস্নার প্রান্তরে;"
"Moheen's horses graze on the horizon, in the Autumn moonlight"

Moheener Ghoraguli (Bengali: মহীনের ঘোড়াগুলি, translation: Moheen's Horses) was a Bengali independent music group from Kolkata, established in 1975. It was India's first rock band.[1] It is difficult to classify them into a musical genre, as their music was a mixture of a wide variety of influences, including the Baul and folk traditions of Bangla and rock, loosely it can be called folk rock.

Established in the 1970s during a period of stagnation in Bangla music, when commercial film songs were the dominant market force, the lyrics (and to some extent the compositions) of leader Gautam Chattopadhyay were radically new. They were of a very personal or social nature, similar to the urban folk movement led by Bob Dylan in the 60s. Though they were almost unknown in their time, in recent years they have undergone a critical re-evaluation much like the Velvet Underground. In recognition of this renewed interest, Gautam released a compilation of Mohiner Ghoraguli covers by contemporary artists, Aabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore in 1995. They have since come to be considered an unrecognized pioneers of the jibonmukhi style and ethics, decades ahead of their times.

They are sometimes also credited as the pioneers of the flourishing of Bangla bands in the new millennium. This is debatable as their songwriting was strongly rooted in Bangla folk and also American urban folk, while modern Bangla bands like Fossils and Insomnia are influenced by grunge.

Their signature song is Prithibita Naki (পৃথিবীটা নাকি), a reflection on how television creates urban alienation. It has been covered by many artists.