The Sattriya Dance Assam: An Analytical and Critical Study

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The State of Assam is virtually a colourful mosaic of various socio-linguistic music. There have been three distinct dance styles of classical pattern, viz., Nati Oja-pali and Sattriya all of great antiquity. The Sattriya dance was evolved by the great Saint Sankaradeva as a medium for propagation of bhakti. Gradually this bhakti based art form became very popular even outside the area of its origin and practice The same is now immensely revered and has attained a very high degree of popularity. Needless to say that such a dance tradition is yet to get the exposure it deserves. A detailed study to bring out its various facets to the notice of the cognoscenti of the country is the need of the hour. The dance form is largely confined to a limited number of traditional artists groomed in a status quoist mould of practice within the precincts of the Sattras, and having no wherewithal to expose the same outside the State. Besides, the Sattras, the age-old custodian of this great heritage having passed on the treasure through oral tradition from generation to generation have been hit by penury to the extent that it has become extremely difficult for them to continue to support and sustain this old form. Modernity has changed the taste and temper of the people at large on the one hand, and on the other hand, some extraneous elements have also made their way into this traditional store house. Hence, an analytical and critical study of the Sattriya dance of Assam is considered to be a necessity. Although this work bears the title Sattriya Dance of Assam, the nomenclature of Sattriya 'has certain limitations. After the passing away of Sankaradeva, the Vaisnavas f Assam were divided into four groups called samhati. As a result, some schismatic aits evolved by different schisms had made quiet and sometimes, permanent entry into original form. Besides, certain Sattras belonging to a particular Samhati without avowed allegiance to the creator of it all, Srimanta Sankaradeva, have adopted some novel eleesents in dance and music from elsewhere. The fence of the dance as propounded by Sankaradeva and Mädhavadeva is sacrosanet; any twisting of this foem avelf in the name of innovation cannot be encouraged.. It may also be noted that all the Sanras are not equally rich in this art form and a particular dance number not found in one Satrra may be present in another, Frown the field study, it appears that the Kamalähäri group of Sattras are rich in both variety and artistry. So, the dances of this particular group of Sanras have been given the prime emphasis for analytical study and the dances of other Sutras are taken up for discussion with due importance. Besides, a considerable number of nameless elements are found in this form. These elements were either not christened at all with a specific name, or the naming of them was not a priority while orally passing the 'vidyd over the years to successive generations. In such instances of lack of a traditional name for various dance elements, this work would use the equivalent words from the known treatises of dance and dramaturgy. Järäbari, a well known Sattra in the district of Sivasägar, possesses a very rich tradition of Sattriya dance. Hailing from that Sattra, I had the opportunity of acquiring practical knowledge of this dance style from my early childhood. The richness of the heritage along with its pervasive influence on the socio-cultural milieu of Assamese life, attracted and inspired me to make an attempt at analysing and examining this enduring dance tradition. Though the Sattriya dance was evolved as a media of propagation of bhakti, and the Sattra institutions were the sole custodians of this art form, the people at different levels of the society were attracted by the resources of this dance form, and endeavour has been made by the connoisseurs of dance to establish it as a pure art form in the context of the changed circumstances of the present time. Of late, a tendency to implement ekähärya-abhinaya, which was seldom practiced in Sattriya dance, has grown very strongly among the scholars, critics and the dancers, and the possibility of creating a new repertoire for this purpose is in progress. Participation by women, which was traditionally prohibited, has now been externally relaxed to a great extent, with the rigidity continuing in the Sattras only.

The rich cultural heritage of India is depicted in various forms of Indian dance. But the exalted position of Indian dance cannot be identified with any single monolithic dance tradition; it is an amalgam of varied forms of dance traditions of different regions or stratifications of different societies which emerged in different times and places. "There are traditions, not one tradition, of the performing arts in the vast geographical area. All are characterized by a staggering multiplicity of genres, forms, styles and techniques. So, for a better understanding of Indian dance, the underlying principles of commonality the richness, pattern, affinities, evolution in time and space of each multiple unit are to be studied carefully. An intensive study of such a unit having a hoary tradition, well preserved in Assam, but without a sustained and proper estimation, would definitely make a great contribution to the rich heritage of Indian art and culture. Assam has a long and fascinating dance tradition of its own, the antiquity of which can be traced back to the second century B.C. The loving attention of the connoisseurs of dancing may be drawn to the existence of three distinctive dance styles of classical pattern, namely, Nați, Oja-pali and Sattriya. Among these three, the Sattriya dance is highly popular and exuberantly practised, and with its paradigm of classical forms, has been indicative of the upsurge of Assamese art and culture during the last five hundred and odd years. The more one goes about making a comprehensive study of this traditional dance form, of its historical evolution, concept of form and style and co-relation with other dance traditions, the more one discovers its amazing artistic manifestations and its degree of influence on the socio-cultural milieu of the land. Dance is a spontaneous rhythmic body movement inspired by the innermost feelings and emotions. The authorities of dance conceive of "dance" as an art which uses the human body as a vehicle of expression. The strong emotions or passions such as joy, pleasure, love, anger, terror, wonder and devotional sentiment find expression through the gesticulations of the body, which is the immediate and spontaneous source of expression. It is one of the most fundamental of human activities. Among all arts, it is the earliest and the fountainhead from which other arts evolved and the physical movements prompted by emotion need to be embroidered with rhythms, songs, music and mimicry and has to be decorated with costume, mask etc. As an art, dance has evolved with the evolution of society and civilization leading to the development of heterogeneous dance traditions in different regions and different levels of society. On the concept of different forms and styles, the authorities of dance have divided dance into two broad-based divisions: desi and märgi. The desi stands for the dance belonging to a region or people en masse, while margi represents the dance belonging to a path and having definite set of rules. Subsequently the desi and märgi were identified as 'folk' and 'art or classical dance" respectively; the first being popular with a degree of naturalness, and being based on socio-economic stratification, while the second one is Sanskritised or sophisticated with a degree of stylization. The primitive indigenous dance where prime importance is not given on aesthetic vision is better known as folk and tribal, while the sophisticated dance with universal appeal therein is termed as classical. Classical dance has three components: netta, nrtya and natya." Netta is an abstract pattern of movement with optimum physical possibility without meaning, Content, flavour and mood and designed only by employing the limbs of the body in accordance with the musical note or melody created by the musician (ettam-la-And repam);" nrtyva is miming or abhinaya representing or symbolizing the emotive state" through major or ancillary limbs (angas and upangas), nätva is gesticulatory representation (abhinaya), conveying rasa (flavour) with dramatic element. Netta is pure dancing without miming and definite theme, while nrtya and mitya are concerned with creating rasa and bhava (mood) of definite themes or ideas using the media abhinaya, ie, carrying to the spectators. For the successful exposition of rasa and bhāva four varieties of abhinaya are enumerated: ängika (gesture and posture of the limbs), väcika (verbal utterance), ähärya (dress and decor), and sättvika (manifestation of inner feeling). All these four varieties may be found both in artya and närya, but with a degree of difference in their use. The former is dominated by ängika aspect while the latter is mostly by väcika abhinaya. Angika abhinaya consists of thirteen movements of head, thirty-six glances, nine movements of pupils and eyelids, seven of eyebrows, six each for nose, cheeks and lips, seven for chin, nine for neck, sixty-seven hand gestures, three movements for belly, five each for chest, sides, hips, thighs, shanks and feet, thirty-two carīs, six sthānas etc. It also includes four bharngas (flexions) which are of latter-day origin and are not mentioned by Bharata and Nandikesvara. Vācika includes poetry, song, recitation, music and rhythms. Ähārya involves costumes, make-up and jewellery. Sättvika represents the physical manifestation of mental and emotional states. The modes of presentation are of two types lokadharmi and natyadharmi. The lokadharmi is realistic or the way of the people," where the principle of imitation is followed, while the nātyadharmi is extraordinary, stylized or the way of the theatre, where the principle of "suggestions" instead of imitation is followed.

The Sattriya Dance of Assam is a well-researched and sutrably documented volante on one of India's major traditional dance forms. Tracing its origin to a variety of sources, the author points out that the authoritative source materials are to be found in the plays of Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva, known as Ankiya nat, In fact, Sattriya, a blend of britta, nritya and natya is an offshoot of these plays where dance plays a predominant role, an aspect which is discussed in detail. Explaining the meaning and significance of the term Sattriva, the author unravels its uniqueness as a dance form comprising two distinct sets of dances: one performed in the drama itself, and the other practiced independently outside the play, the latter being developed by Madhavadeva and others during the post Sankaradeva period. The investigation encompasses a wide range of subjects, including a discussion of the distinctive features of Assam Vaisnavism and the different sattriya Institutions, which are germane to the growth and development of this dance form. It also includes a comprehensive analysis of the various aspects of the dance's performance like the hastas or hand gestures, foot movements and so on, followed by a discussion of as many as seventy-two matiakharas or ground exercises which have to be assiduously practiced by an initiate of the art. Authored by a distinguished exponent and practitioner of Sattriya, the book is a definitive contribution to the study of Indian dance in general and Sattriya in particular and, it is hoped, would be of interest to students, practitioners as well as connoisseurs of the art.

Jagannath Mahanta was born in May 1940 at Jhanii, Jarabari Sattra, Sivasagar. He received training in Sattriya Dance and Music in the traditional Sattriya environment of the Jarabari Sattra. He was awarded PhD degree for his research work on Sattriya Dance by the Dibrugarh University. A leading scholar and a noted exponent of Sattriya Dance, Dr Mahanta made significant contribution towards this distinctive tradition. His first work Sattriya Nritya Hasta (1999) bagged the Haramohan Jagaddhatri Literary Award in 2001. He was also awarded the Chandra Kanta Hiraprabha Award in the year 2002. Apart from these, he made notable contribution through his writings on various aspects of the Sattriya art form. Dr Mahanta had attended various seminars and gave lecture-demonstrations in various parts of the country. He had also been awarded a senior fellowship by the erstwhile Department of Culture and Tourism, Government of India.