Guru Asana, a multi-tiered triangular wooden throne, adorned with animal motifs, sits at the conventional ‘Nataraja-corner’ on the stage. A copy of Bhagavata Purana is placed on the pedestal tray signified the philosophy expounded by 15th century polymath Srimanta Sankardeva, who was against idol worship. Dr. P.J. Mahanta, director of the Sattriya Kendra, Guwahati delivered the inaugural address at the aptly named Srimanta Sankardev auditorium that was filled to capacity with leading gurus, scholars, dancers, students and art connoisseurs.
The four-day Nritya Parva (18th edition) Sattriya Dance Festival, is organised by Sattriya Kendra, the local chapter of Sangeet Natak Akademi on November 15 every year to mark the day when Sattriya received the recognition as a classical dance of India in 2000.
Gayan-Bayan dancers, dressed in all-white dhoti, kurta and turban, marched on to the stage in a line and took position. Men with khol hung across their shoulders were on the front while a group of men with tal (cymbal) stood behind. Then the confluence of rhythm and movement began to build gradually, weaving fluid artistic patterns, drowning us in a meditative state, before reaching a crescendo and the artistes faded-out as seamlessly as they appeared. Gayan-Bayan remains an integral part of worship at the sattras (monasteries) of Assam. This highly ritualistic form is attributed to Sankaradeva, who is said to have created this as a prelude to Ankia Naat, a one-act play on Krishna and Radha.
Sankardeva was a saint-scholar. He was a poet, a playwright, a social and religious reformer, who has occupied an important place in the cultural history of Assam. Among others, his contributions include theatrical performance Ankia Naat, Sattriya dance and a form of music called Borgeet, which is sung during Sattriya performance. Ekasarana Dharma, a neo-vaishnavite movement he founded, resulted in an assembly of followers. They settled in sattras across the state to practice this unique blend of music, dance, theatre and poem as a form of devotion.
While sattras continue to function to this day, nurturing the ethos of Vaishnavism, Sattriya dance stepped out and has found a place on world stage. “While most classical dances of India have their roots traced to the devadasi system, Sattriya is associated with monastic life and evolved as a unique dance style,” says Dr. Anwesa Mahanta, a leading dancer-scholar. “Though women keep away, my family is affiliated to a sattra,” adds Dr. Anwesa.
Visual treat
Following Gayan-Bayan, the event packed Sattriya dances by solo, duet, trio and group artistes, in that order. Six performances are scheduled in an evening and the seamless segue keeps us riveted. The word Sattriya is derived from ‘sattra’, the place of its birth. The accompanying musical instruments include khol (drum), bansuri (flute), tal (cymbal), harmonium and violin. Once a domain of male monks at the sattras, now it is performed by both men and women. Men dancers appear in dhoti, chadar and paguri (turban) while women in ghuri, chadar and kanchi (waist cloth), in white or raw-silk shade.
“The inclusion of women happened in the mid-20th century, when a growing number of monks started to teach in towns and cities. In fact, earlier, monks were ostracised from the sattras for teaching women”, says Dr. Lima Das, who successfully juggles the world of dance and medicine.
Dancers prostrate fully before making an entry on stage, symbolising the devotion involved. Largely, a performance begins with a flute prelude, setting the tone for a fast-paced pure dance. Then switching gear, the expressive aspect takes over, following the composition in a rather unhurried tempo. The dancers handle various episodes of Krishna as described in Bhagavata Purana on which the compositions are based. The absence of ankle bells on the dancers’ feet is noteworthy. It gives the performance a placid aura. Dances are graceful without the strong and emphatic footfalls familiar with other classical forms. The sensuality common in other forms is also absent here, staying true to the path of bhakti.
Seminars are organised in the mornings, where leading dance gurus such as Jatin Goswami and Gobinda Saikia cover a wide range of topics such as hastas, talas, the ability of Sattriya in dealing with sacred and secular, as this art form is now finding ways to expand. But the sessions are mostly in Assamese.
“The festival is organised more to provide a platform to aspiring young talents at all levels. The performance quality may vary, as some groups travel from remote sattras. The idea is not to offer the best in business but to promote and encourage. The seminars provide room for deliberations, newer thoughts and ideas to carry forward this tradition,” says Dr. P.J. Mahanta. Receiving the ‘classical’ tag only a few years ago, this hallowed tradition is marching ahead with gusto to make up the lost time and making a mark on world dance map.
