Bhakti Movements

Pages: 160

On the periphery of the nations imagination,the north-eastern region of India is either seen as an exotic terrain of hills,forests and people,or as a site of political conflict and violence. The region is,at the most,known as a vista of indigenous folk/tribal cultures,and there is very little knowledge about its sophisticated classical traditions of art,music and literature,which have evolved through centuries. The Vaishnavite Bhakti tradition of Assam,which flourished in the 15th century and was a magnificent cultural expression of the sattriya sanskriti,is one such example. Not many people outside the state know about this rich tradition or its founder,Srimanta Sankardeva 1449-1568,the Vaishnavite saint,scholar,litterateur,artist and social reformer who set up many monasteries,called sattras.

The sattras nurtured a vast range of cloistered art forms such as Borgeet raga-based Bhakti music,Sattriya Nritya a classical dance form,Bhaona theatre,manuscript painting,sculpture,wood carving and associated art forms such as mask-making,costume design,besides a vibrant stream of Bhakti literature. Though there are many scholarly works on each of these aspects of Sattriya culture in Assamese,not much is available in English for a broader readership. Sattriya: Classical Dance of Assam,edited by eminent scholar,dance historian and critic Dr Sunil Kothari is,therefore,an utterly invaluable contribution. It combines Kotharis decade-long intensive research with the work of other scholars and practitioners.

The introduction maps the journey of the dance form from its inception within the sattras as a mode of worship propagating the Vaishnavite faith of Bhakti to the contemporary exposition on the proscenium as an art form/performance. Seminal texts by scholars like the late Dr Maheswar Neog,a pioneer in research on Sattriya culture,gives the reader a historiographical insight. Dr Pradip Jyoti Mahantas essay on the institution of the sattra prepares the ground for readers by situating the dance form in its backdrop.

The nine chapters,with complementary sub-chapters,draws a complete picture of the dance form,its style,theatricality,repertoire,backdrop and use of masks and props. Mati Akhora: Ground Exercise by Sunil Kothari and Jatin Goswami is an illuminating essay about the substratum of the dance form while Ghanakanta Boras piece is on the aspect of abhinaya. If Kesavananda Dev Goswamis essay on music enlightens the reader about raga-based vocal and instrumental music accompanying the dance,the essays on hand gestures by Dr Kothari and on footwork by Dr Mallika Kandali provide the technical detail researchers and practitioners will be looking for. The ninth chapter about the exponents is of great significance,and a historical documentation of value to researchers. However,there are a few omissions of exponents such as Rameswar Bora Borbayan and Suraj Goswami. Moreover,in the chapter about the repertoire,which discusses collective ventures in the dance form,experiments by dancers like Gorima Hazarika Yugalbandi,Odissi and Sattriya and Dr Mallika Kandali Tagorean rendition in sattriya would have been useful. Apart from these,the book is undoubtedly a significant contribution,with a seamless blend of knowledge,information and aesthetic evaluation. The excellent photographs by Avinash Pasricha capture the beauty of this tradition.

Moushumi Kandali is a writer and art critic