Rhythm divine
In the auditorium of Srimanta Sankardeva Bhawan in Delhi, Dr Bhabananda Barbayan is listening intently to his team of musicians playing during the rehearsal for the upcoming performance of Kesava Karata Keli, a Sattriya dance drama that revolves around Raas Leela.
Raas is a portrayal of transcendental yearning, of ecstasy in the presence of the divine. But above all else, it is song and dance performed to flute-song. The story of Lord Krishna dancing with the gopis of Braj, as described in the Bhagavata Purana and the Gita Govinda, has inspired numerous art forms. Traditional dance forms of Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri Raas Leela, Kuchipudi, and Kathak constantly draw on the Raas Leela as a theme. A lesser-known but centuries-old dance drama tradition of Raas Leela from the northeastern state of Assam is being brought to the spotlight by the dancer and instructor Barbayan himself.
The production draws heavily on the poetic and dramatic works of the 15th-century saint of Assam, Sankardeva, of whom Barbayan is a follower. “Sankardeva composed six dramas and numerous prayer songs, all with Lord Krishna at the centre”, says Barbayan.
All the works were written in Brajauli, a language Sankardeva created, which is a mix of Maithili and the Brij Bhasha of Vrindavan. Kele Gopal, one of the six of his dramatic compositions, deals with the Raas Leela. Barbayan says that though the story of Krishna is similar to that of other traditions, some aspects differ. “In the original Bhagavata Purana, there was no concept of Krishna and Radha as a couple. It came much later. Originally Radha was only one among the gopis of Vrindavan. Sankardeva’s play also sticks to this older version”, he says. It is also the version Barbayan has adopted.
Growing up in a Sattra, a monastery devoted to Lord Krishna, in Assam from the age of three, Barbayan learnt the nuances of Sattriya culture, a culture steeped in art, music, dance and drama. Sattras were established by Sankardeva, and were conceived as community spaces where devotees could come together and discuss topics from art to problems faced by society. “Sattra means a place where holy things happen”, he elaborates.
It is with this devotion that he approaches his art. “We practise our art as a form of prayer. Singing, dancing and acting is worship for us”, he says. “For this Raas Leela production, I took elements from Kele Gopal, including the original Brajauli language. We also incorporated the dance techniques used for the play as well as costumes. I have added songs with lyrics I wrote myself, keeping the raga of the original composition intact. I have also written new dialogues”, he says, adding that his play is essentially based on Sakardeva’s text but with modifications.
There are other differences in Barbayan’s production as well. Instead of just focusing on the episode of Krishna dancing with the gopis as in traditional renderings, his production incorporates Krishna’s birth and his childhood or “Bal Leela”.
The performance features around 60 artistes, including students of the Sattriya Sanskriti Kendra in Gurugram and also artistes from Assam. The artistes are all tutored by Barbayan. He has had a prolific career as a Sattriya artist and a teacher as well, having performed in over 36 countries, and taught in prestigious institutions across the world including King’s College in London.
“Our movements flow, like waves”, he says of the Sattriya dance, “It is not technique. It is emotion”. He remembers times when, while performing abroad, the audience had gone completely silent and meditative for minutes following the performance. “It is surprising for them. It touches the heart.”‘Kesava Karata Keli’ will be performed at Rangbhoomi Open Air Theatre, Sector 29, Gurugram, at 6pm on November 5.