ਕਾਟੋ

What does kato mean in Punjabi? Kato (ਕਾਟੋ) is the Punjabi word for a squirrel, and for the folk instrument shaped like one: a small wooden squirrel on a stick, worked by a cord so it claps in rhythm. Dancers play it in bhangra and Malwai giddha, and Punjab treats it as a symbol of happiness.

What does kato mean in Punjabi?

Kato is a noun with two linked senses. First it is the animal, a squirrel. Then it is the instrument named after that animal, also spelled Kaato or Katto in English. The instrument is one of the traditional musical instruments of Punjab, used in cultural activities and especially in folk dances like bhangra and Malwai giddha. Because the squirrel on the stick looks cheerful and never sits still, the kato became a symbol of happiness, and that second meaning carries into everyday speech.

How is the kato played?

The kato is a simple wooden figure of a squirrel mounted on the end of a stick. The dancer holds the stick in one hand and rhythmically pulls a rope or cord attached to the squirrel's mouth and tail, which produces a clapping sound. The Horniman Museum's record of a kato made in Mangwal, in Sangrur district, describes clappers in the form of a squirrel with an articulated jaw and tail operated by a cord, mounted on a bamboo pole: the pole is held in the left hand, the right hand pulls the cord, and the jaw makes a series of rapid staccato sounds. A Punjabi folk survey adds that bells attached to the tail jingle as it moves.

Why does the kato mean happiness?

Because of a saying every Punjabi knows. When a happy man is asked how he is, he answers, Ajj taan kaato phullan te aa, which translates as the squirrel is on the flowers, meaning he is as happy as a squirrel among blossoms. So the dancer carrying a kato is not only keeping time. The clicking squirrel announces the mood of the dance itself: quick, playful and pleased with the day, whether that is a harvest, a wedding or a fair.