Satriya Kathak JugalBandi

Jugalbondi of Kathak & Sattriya Dance Recital on the Verses of Srimanta Shankardea(Borgits) as well as other Shankari Poets by Dr. Lalita Ghosh and Megumi Hiromitsu of Japan.

The Initiative
This is the time to remember Srimanta Shankarvev. Two modern dance artist of their repute Dr. Lalita Ghosh of India and Megumi Hiromitsu of Japan came together to show their respect to him through the Jugalbondi of Sattriya and Kathak Dance style garlanding the verses of Srimanta Shankardeva and his followers.
Sattriya is rapidly gaining its lost grounds from the point of no return when the Sangeet Natak Academy considered it as the latest classical forms after a long battle of royal between the Ahomiya intelligentsia and rest of cultural icons of India. After a long hibernation of Five centuries, Sattriya again going to be judged as one of the foremost classical dance forms of India amongst her other its compatriots. And at the same time the Kathak scenario is also became bright and after the demise of the Jamindari syatem, the dance took a popular shape in the hand of Birju Maharaj and his disciple. Rooted through the grassroot, both the dance become a iconic figure in their respected field, though they have a huge distance between them. Till today barring some minor initiatives hardly any one tried to cross the laxmanrekha to create a jugalbondi between these two. The time has come to a high point when these two should come together to create a new niche. As a supreme creator, the verses of Srimanta Shankardeva as well as the verses of his followers will be the base point of this initiative where both the dance forms can interact together.
It is a fact that the origin and development of Kathak is almost known to a connoisseur of Indian dance. Unfortunately the same cannot be true for the Sattriya. As the Sattriya as well as the life and the creativity of Srimamanta Shankardev is indeed a little known outside Assam, we have to put a perspective of Sattriya as well as Shankari NeoVaisnavite Movement in a nutshell so that there hould not be ny ambiguity over the dance form or its origin.

The Sattriya
Assam, the largest of the northeastern states. From it comes the dance form of Sattriya Nritya, the latest to be recognised as a classical dance form. The word Sattriya comes from 'sattra' - monasteries established by the Assamese religious reformer, Shankardev, a medieval social reformer at the time of SriChaitanya of Bengali origin. The dance grew out of the unique philosophy of a new Vaishnavism that Shankardev preached. He was also a poet and a musician, and these dances are set to his writings and lyrics. The movements of Sattriya Nritya are very slow and gentle; they communicate tales from the legends of Vishnu and particularly from the life of Lord Krishna.

Srimanta Sankardeva and his Neo-Vaisnavism
The great neo Vaisnava movement of Assam of the sixteenth century brought about a new and comprehensive outlooks on life a distinctly tone to social behaviour with an all pervasive set up and accelerated the pace of literature and the fine arts like and painting . The dignity of individual endevour of man as a distinct religious being and not as the thrall of theological despotism was declared. Assam discovered herself as an integral part of the holy land of Bharatavarsa and gloried in that discovery. The holy books in Sanskrit, the literate humaniores of India could no longer be sealed to the view of the common man by a rigid oligarchy. The use of the local language in exposition of theology was in itself a challenge to the erstwhile guardians of secret doctrines, they understood the significance of the challenge and protested very much. The new humanism also looked askance at the many blood scarifies, including the immolation of men, and the nice sacerdotal that was the order of the day.
The use of Assamese, an Indo-Aryan language, which formed but an island in a Tibeto-Bhutan sea, as the medium for the propagation of the neo -Vaisnava faith led to its emergence as the language of all the people. As one of the oldest biographers of the Vaisnava saints points out, the inculcation of this religion upon Kamrupa a mleceha-desa is of immense significance. The ancient kingdom of Kamrupa was now undergoing a huge change, and it was having a regeneration, which timed well with the cultural resurgence; and the first possibilities of a unified and modern Assam were now in evidence.

The Neo-Vaisnava faith and movement- A Background
The leader of the Vaisanava Renaissance in Assam was Sankardeva (1449-1568). The date traditionally ascribed to his birth is 1371 Saka, so that his death in 1490 Saka would roughly give us one hundred and twenty years, the full span attributed to the mahapurasa, although in another opinion he was born in 1385 saka and he passed away in 1568 A.C. His soul and his message of Love have permeated into the national consciousness and the very being of the people. His name is ever on his nation's lips, and his music in the country's heart.
Sankardeva nominated Madhavadeva as his successor to hold charge of the order. The latter set up his sattra at Sundardiya (Barpeta)., where he made his chilf work. Namghosa among compositions. From time to time he visited different place round about his sattra, and erected a temple primarily for the purpose of dramatic performance, but this soon grew into a sattra, the Barpeta sattra. The hostile people were busy all the time, bringing allegations of broadcasting a corrupt relgion against Madhavadeva in the court of Raghudevanarayan (1581-1603) , the son of Sukladhvaja, who quarreled with his uncle Naranarayan after his father's death, and declared himself independent as the king of Kamarupa (the eastern half of the Koc state built by Visvasimha, Naranarayan and Sukladhvaja). A contingent of sepoys raided the Barpeta sattra, seized the petty belongings of the cloistered Vaishnava, and carried Madhava and some of the monks there in boats to the capital at Vijaypur. But before the saint could be summoned for trial in the open court, the hostile pundits withdrew their charges; Madhava was honourable acquainted and the effects of the monks were regarded to them. Soon after however the whimsical king sent Madhavadeva a writ asking him to leave Barpeta early as possible and settle at Hajo with its Hayagriva-Madhava temple. But here the saint Mahdava attracted more people than the god Mahdava and seeing herein the possibility of fresh troubles, he hastily decided to leave Raghudeva's kingdom and accordingly crossed the border over in Koc Behar where Naranarayan's son Laksminarayan (1587-1627) was now ruling. There too he did not find a quit life as many people found it difficult to accept Sankardev's creed, and particularly because an officer a qaji , could not take kindly to him on account of the Vaisnava refusal in interline with people outside of their fraternity. Madhava was confronted with harsh controversies at the royal court, but the profundity of his learning came to good account in this impasse: and Lakshminarayana declared the new faith, with two sattras in the capital the state religion . The saint like the Master died in koc Behar in 1986 A.C.
Sankaradeva delegated to his Brahman follower, Damodaradeva , the power of administering ordination, as this was considered expedient particularly in the case of Brahman neophytes. Immediately after the death of the guru, however, there was a fifth in the lure, and Damodara seceded from the main orders, and formed a schism . It was represented to Pariksitnarayana of Kamarupa (1603-1616) that this Brahman was bringing pollution on the country by accepting a sudra's faith and by crying against the worship of all gods and goddesses. The king ordered externment of the saint, who made his way to the Koc Behar capital and built himself the Vaikunthapur-sattra there. It is remarkable that the three first great Vaisnava acharyas of Assam died in Koc Behar which by the logic of political history, is to day not with this State.
Another Brahman dissenter like Damodaradeva was Harideva who claims only a few sattra of his following confined to the present district of Kamrup Sankaradeva's family priest and friend. Ramarama remained by his side all through his life and the family springing from Ramarama remained loyal to the order and supplied Pathasi and Barpeta sattra with Superiors.
Madhavadeva sent our holy men as apostles of the bhakti faith the chief among them being Gopaladeva of Bhabanipur Padma Ata and Gopaldeva better known a Vangsigopal. The nominations of Vamsigopala, a Brahman, was approved by Damodaradeva also. These three apostles and their deputies established sattras mostly in Assam that is Ahom kingdom and some of their sattras are very rich and claim each a large and widespread laity. Madhava's sister's son. Ramacharana and Mathuradasa were left in charge of the temples built by the saint of Sundaridiya and Barpeta. The three sons of Sankaradeva died prematurely and his grandsons. Purusottama and Calurbhuja and the latter's wife, Kanakalata , appointed their deputies who organized sattra in various places and these sattra, almost a church by themselves look up for inspiration to Bardowa, the birth place of the saint Damodaradeva appointed three nominees, who stayed in sattra in Kamarupa while Vanamalideva a Brahman monk Staying at his Vaikunthapur-sattra, migrated to the east; and established a powerful sattra (Dakhinpar) under the patronage of the ruling Ahom King. Some sattra were brought into being by persons connected with Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva and some of those set up by the divines mentioned above branched off each into several petty establishments.
Thus the three Assamese states of eastern India namely Asama, Kamarupa and Koc Behar, were covered by the end of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteen with a network of these Vaisnava establishment and almost the whole Hindu population was now divided among them. Some of the adherents of the Vaisnava order have made serious departures from the original tenets of the faith, or have replaced into heterogeneous doctrines discarded by the gurus. Others again have carried the puritanical zeal of the new faith very far indeed. The followers of Gopaladeva formed into a school characterized by catholicity and a democratic outlook and freedom from the tyranny of creeds. It particularly thrived and acquired large followings in the north-eastern parts of Assam with their predominating. Tibeto - Burman population, and reclaimed large numbers of people from animistic practices. The followers of the Mowamaraa or Mayamara and mahanta within Goapadeva's order rose in revolt as man against royal oppressive (1769), and succeeded in subverting Ahom power for a time. The history of Assam Vaisnavaism is one of many conflicts and persecutions, the course of political history of this eastern part of India also has been changing considerably from time to time. But the Renaissance, which had its beginnings in the activities of Sankaradeva, has wrought itself into fulfillment in many ways, and marked out a definite place for Assam in the cultural map of India.

Sattriya dance or Sattriya Nritya is one among the eight principal classical dance traditions of India. According to historians Sattriya dance is a creation of the great Vaishnavite guru Srimanta Sankardeva considered the lead architect of Assamese literature and culture. He created this magnificent Sattriya dance to accompany the Ankiya Naat (a form of Assamese one-act play, another creation of Sankardeva) which was usually performed in Satras (Assamese monasteries). Since the dance developed and grew within the Satras, it is named after these religious institutions.
The content of Sattriya Nritya has usually been mythological stories. This dance is an attractive way to present mythological teachings in front of common people in an enjoyable form.
Sattriya dance is accompanied by classical raga based compositions called borgeets (yet another creation from Sankardeva) and music. Instruments that accompany a performance are khols (drums), taals (cymbals), flute and violin etc. The ornaments and costumes used in this dance have a very distinct Assamese flavour.
Traditionally, Sattriya dance is performed by bhokots (male monks) in monastries as part of their daily rituals or special festivals. Today, in addition to this practice, Sattriya dance is performed on stage by men and women who are not part of the Satras like Dr. Lalita Ghosh. Dances are performed either solo or in groups.
This dance require great physical exercise. Dance movements need body flexibility and intense practice.
Sattriya dance is divided into many genres: Apsara Nritya, Behar Nritya, Chali Nritya, Dasavatara Nritya, Gosai Prabesh, Jhumura, Nadu Bhangi, Manchok Nritya, Bar prabesha, Natua Nritya, Gopi Pravesha, Rasa Nritya, Rajaghariya Chali Nritya, Sutradhara etc.