When Rabindranath Tagore founded Viswabharati, he chose only Manipuri from the north-east and Kathakali from the south-west from among the classical dances of India to be taught at the university.
However, Manipuri recitals are still quite a rarity in Kerala. An audience in Thrissur was treated to an hour-long recital of Manipuri, which was presented by artistes of Nimita Devi Nritya Ashram, Imphal, at the Kerala Sahitya Akademi hall. It was in connection with a translation-award festival organised by the Central Sahitya Akademi.
Royal connections
The architect of modern Manipuri dance is considered to be the 18th century king Bhagyachandra Maharaja. Legend has it that he dreamt of Lord Krishna and Gopikas performing the Rasa Lila. His dance-manual, ‘Govinda Sangita Lila Vilas' forms the textual orbit of contemporary Manipuri dance. Subsequently, King Chandrakriti scripted a treatise titled ‘Mridanga sangraha' dealing with the playing modes of the drum, Khol, in Manipuri. The repertoire of Manipuri rests on these two texts that are complementary.
The recital in Thrissur began with the invocatory item, ‘Pung Cholom,' which is literally the Manipuri mridanga. Three dancers, clad in spotless white costumes and turbans, holding mridangams horizontally fastened above their waist, invoked the deity by playing on the instruments. It was laced with simple, yet classy gestures and steps.
They utilised the horizontal and vertical use of the stage. The tempo of the movements and the sound of the mridangam gradually moved on to a crescendo. They recited certain syllables in consonance with the rhythm and the tempos. The item appealed to the audience as an assertion of physicality blending into spirituality.
Vasanata Ras, a group item, started with a portrayal of Lord Krishna playing the flute. Krishna is soon encircled by Radha and the Gopikas. The gopikas' yearning for Krishna, and their gay abandon were bewitching to watch. As the Lord disappears from their midst, a pall of gloom descends on the gopikas. The pangs of separation soon give way to exuberance as Krishna returns.
Krishna and Radha rejoice in their reunion while the gopikas worship them with aarathi. The singing of the lyrics of Vasanta Ras evokes more of devotion than sringara. The dance and the expressions are stylised and consciously tempered.
Even within complicated rhythmic patterns, the movements of the angapratyangas do bear continuity and elegance.
Inspired by Holi
The final item was ‘Dhol Dholok Cholom,' again a drum-dance but this time inspired by Holi, the spring festival of North India. This was an awe-inspiring piece that was executed with precision and seriousness. The free style act of the performers aspired for an involvement from the spectators, whose stoicism was a bit disappointing. Had the performers received a little support and feedback from the audience, the item would have been a fitting finale to the Manipuri presentation. As a stylised and comprehensive visual representation of Mahabhagavatha, Manipuri dance deserves much more encouragement and patronage, especially in South India. The dancers and musicians led by Nimita Devi proved themselves capable of taking the art form to new heights, provided they get a fair amount of exposure and attention.
