Sutradhar and About 10-15 Players Who Enact the Play

Paper: 2 Relationship Of Dance And Theatre, Study Of Rupaka And Uparupaka, Traditional Theatres Of India Module 6 Krishna In Traditional Theatre The impact of Krishna theme in Indian art, be it painting, sculpture, literature, dance or music is far-reaching and profound across India. In Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda or Vidyapati’s verses, Chandidas’ lyrics in Bengali or Surdas’ Hindi poetry, Krishna has inspired the flowering of Shringar and Vatsalya rasas all across the country. As in poetry, in painting too, the Krishna theme was depicted by miniature artists of all schools -- Rajasthani, Pahari, Basauli, Kangra, and Mughal with intricate details of the flora and finery described in literary sources and enriched by the fertile imagination of the artists. The performing arts too have a rich repertoire of Krishna-based themes, with Krishna Lila being enacted in song, dance, music and drama. In Natyasastra, Bharata states that the gods are never so pleased on being worshipped with scents and garlands as they are with the performance of drama. Krishna himself is said to have been trained in the dramatic arts in Guru Sandipani’s ashram. No wonder that the Krishna theme is so popular in folk theatre forms across India. Even watching a play or nrityanatika (dance drama) based on a Krishna theme is considered an act of holiness that accrues merit or punya. 1 Literary Sources of Krishna Lore: The stories about Krishna are found not only in Mahabharat and Puranas like Padma, Linga, Narada, Kurma, Vayu, Agni, Brahma, and Vishnu Purana but it is the Bhagavata Purana that provides rich details of Krishna’s exploits and dalliances. Krishna is a rich resource for playwrights with his multifaceted persona as a mischievous child, a carefree cowherd, a mighty warrior, a shrewd strategist, a faithful friend, an amorous youth, a wise philosopher, and an enlightened yogi, and so he provides ample scope for describing his divine sports, the Lilas of Krishna. Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda is beautifully suited for staging and it became popular throughout the country and influenced folk dance drama in various parts. The dance of gopa, cowherds with Krishna and Balarama finds mention in the play Balacharita by Bhasa, where the dance is called Halliska. Silpapadikaram, the famous Tamil epic, too describes the dance of Krishna with gopis as Acciyar Kuruvai, the dance of the milkmaids. Many of the Raasa dance dramas are enactment of the Raasa Panchdhyayi, the five chapters in Bhagavata Purana. The Vraj region is the oldest centre of Raasa Lila and also its place of origin. There is an extensive collection of songs in brajaboli on the Krishna themes. RAASA LILA / रासऱीऱा Ram Lila and Raasa Lila are facets of devotional theatre, the Bhakti Marg that is one of the methods to spiritual salvation. Although Ram and Krishna are Vaishnava gods and avatars of Vishnu, the methods 2 of devotion, prayer, placating and pleasing the two are vastly different. Similarly, although Ram Lila and Raasa Lila refer to the dance dramas that are based on the themes of the episodes from lives of Ram and Krishna, the two folk theatre forms also vary in many ways from each other. Ram Lila is a very public, large scale, grandiose performance, with a lot of processions, fireworks, and festivities. Raasa Lila is more private and personal performance, smaller in scale though more polished and professional in performance. It was during the 15-16th centuries when Vaishnavism and Bhakti movement swept across both the southern and northern part of India that folk theatre forms like Ram Lila and Raasa Lila emerged as an entertaining yet spiritual experience. As it often happens, efforts to repress cultural and social norms resulted in a flowering of art and music, dance and theatre. The Krishna theme is also seen in various other forms of dance and drama. From the 9th century, when marked development and growth of regional languages took place, the Sanskrit theatre tradition too was getting adopted to regional languages. An excellent example is Jayadeva's "Gita Govindam", which occupies a key position in the history of both music and dance that led to the flowering of classical musical dance-dramas in local languages, in different parts of the country. Yakshaganas of Karnataka, Kuchipudi Bhagavata Mela Natakams of Andhra Pradesh, Koodiyattam of Kerala, AriyaKoothu, Bhagavata Mela and Kuravanjinatakas of Tamil Nadu. Among these, Yakshaganas, Bhagavata Mela and Kuravanji Natakams are nrityanatakas (dance dramas). The Yakshaganas and Kuravanji 3 natakas happen to be popular varieties, while the Bhagavata Mela Nataka is a refined classical dance drama. RAASA LILA OF MANIPUR / मणिऩरु की रासऱीऱा The Raasa Lila of Manipur is a devotional offering to Krishna and is as steeped in spiritual fervour and energy as the Raasa Lila of Braj. However, the dance forms are very different in pace, costume, style, and stance. The Manipuri Raasa Lila is performed mainly by girls and the movements are lasya, feminine in being slow, graceful, sinuous and lyrically fluid in motion. The Raasa Lila, the epitome of Manipuri classical dance is based on the celestial Alaukik, and eternal love of Radha and Krishna and reveals the sublime and transcendental love of Krishna and Radha and the Gopis' devotion to the Lord. It is generally performed in an enclosure in front of the temple all through the night from dusk to dawn and the audience are also devotees engrossed in the performance. Raasa performances are seasonal and varied and performed at the temple of Shree Govindajee in Imphal on the nights of Basanta Purnima / बसंत ऩणू िमि ा, Sharad Purnima / शरद ऩणू िमि ा and Kartik Purnima / कार्तकि ऩणू िमि ा and at local temples later. The Manipuri Raasa Lila performance is a combination of solo, duet and group dances. This highly stylised form of dance has sublimity, subtlety and grace. The richness of the costumes gives lustre to its beauty. All the technical elements mentioned in the Sangeet Shastra are found in Raasa Lilas such as Nritta (pure dance), Nritya 4 (interpretative dance) and Natya (theme expressed through 4 kinds of abhinaya), two distinct divisions of tandava and lasya, the prabandhas (musical compositions). The songs are sung in Brajaboli, old Bengali, Maithili Sanskrit, Braj and now in Manipuri language written by devotional poets like Chandidas / चंडीदास, Vidyapati / वि饍याऩर्त, Gyandas / ज्ञानदास, Jaydev / जयदेि and others. They have a variety of talas ranging from 4 beats to 68 beats and their various rhythm patterns as well as dances on Nritta and Nritya prabandhas.It is said that the swaying movements of the neck and torso are inspired from the bamboo trees lilting in the breeze which makes Manipuri dance so graceful. ANKIYA NAT / आन्ककयानाट Ankiya Nat is a beautiful blend of the desi and margi traditions with one act plays that are a mix of Brajboli and Assamese. Pragjyotishpur / प्रगीयोर्तश्ऩरु , the ancient name of Assam, finds mention in many stories related to Krishna. The Ankiya Nat of Assam are also based on anecdotes and tales of Krishna. This one-act drama format was created by Sankaradeva who wrote many plays for it. His earliest play was Chinha Yatra / चचकह यात्रा and others like Patni Prasad Nata / ऩ配नी प्रसाद नाट, Kali Daman Nata / काऱी दमन नाट, Keli Gopla Nata / केलऱ गोप्ऱा नाट. The make-up room in Ankia Nat is called Cho Ghar and the characters wear make-up that matches their innate nature with red denoting beauty and white for spiritual. Krishna is of course blue-skinned with yellow garb. Ankia plays are rich in music, song and dance rather than theatre. Krishna solo 5 dances are called Krishna Bhangi / क्रिष्ि भंगी. It is the satra tradition that has kept the folk theatre like Ankia Nat alive in Assam. Traditionally in the Nam Ghar, there is a narrow and long acting corridor and audience sit on either side of it. At one end, the Bhagavata Purana is placed reverentially on a throne in the Manikuta. There is a sutradhar and about 10-15 players who enact the play. Though like in most folk performances, earlier only men acted, now women are included in the cast. Performances begin with an elaborate ritual of drumming, songs and dances commencing at the archway of lights (agni-gaḍa) constructed on the acting area, opposite the sacred room. Special songs are sung in praise of Krishna. At last, the sutradhar makes a spectacular entrance from behind a curtain at the archway accompanied by fireworks (sometimes) and dancing. The sutradhar performs a stately dance during which he offers his humble respects to Krishna before the Manikuta. Then he recites a verse from the play to be staged and concludes with a song. A red curtain is held up and Krishna makes his entrance by dancing majestically towards the Manikut. There are giant effigies made of bamboo and covered with papier-mache painted to represent demons and animals. In some productions, the figures are at least 15 feet high and must be manipulated by several actors at once. Masks of birds, snakes, monkeys and bears are worn whenever a particular play demands the presence of such fanciful characters. Scenes of conflict between the forces of good and evil highlight an evening of Ankiya Nata. Brief songs and dances close the performance in the wee hours of the morning. 6 The description given above pertains to the performance of the dramas within the confines of the Nama-ghara / नाम-घर. The Ankiya Natas of modern times are, however, enacted on stage in the theatre halls and other public places as well.

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