PAPER: 3 1
Detail Study Of Bharatanatyam, Devadasis-Natuvnar, Nritya And Nritta, Different Bani-s, Present Status, Institutions, Artists
Module 11 Journey From Prabandha, Nirupana....
There were many dance varieties performed in group and solo by the court dancers specially to please the king. The nautch / नाच dance is one such variety which is the combination of classical and folk dances. During the period of Serfoji, the following items were danced in the court under the name of nautch.
1. Jakkini / जक्किनी 2. Gondhal / गोंधर
3. Perani / ऩयानी 4. Goph / गोप or garba / गयफा dance 5. Dhrupadnautch / ध्रुऩदनाच 6. Sangitamelam / संगीतभेरभ ladies
nautch.
7. Desi / देशी navpadh / नवऩध nautch / नाच 8. Tippri / टिप्ऩयी
9. Kanchin nautch / िंचचन नाच 10. Chitra natya / चचत्र नाट्म
Kanchin / िंचचन, Garba / गयफा and Tippri / टिप्ऩयी are at present danced in Gujarat, Maharashtra and northern parts of India. Tippri and Goph dances are equivalent to the kolattam / िोरािट्भ and pinnalkolattam /पऩन्नरिोरािट्भ of Tamilnadu.
2
Kuravanji Natakam /कुरवंजी नाटकं
Kuravanji dance dramas became extremely popular during the Maratha period. Over 100 Kuravanji dance dramas seemed to have been composed in 18th and 19th centuries. Many of them are still available in manuscript form. This composition is a lyrical poem sung to suitable music and interpreted appropriately in the language of gestures. It combines in itself the three aspects of Tamil literature – iyal / इमर, isai / इसाईं and natakam. There are different kinds of names to this musical form like Kuravanji cindu / ससन्दू, Kuravanji sandam / संदभ, Kuravanji natakam.
Other than Yakshagana / मऺगान and Bhagavatamelas / बागवतभेरा
there were innumerable dance dramas performed on various topics.
In these dance dramas both male and female dancers participated.
The dance dramas during the Maratha period were mostly enacted in the nrittamantapas / नृतभंडऩ situated in the palace. Most of these dance dramas performed during this period were in praise of the king. King was portrayed as the God and he was the hero of the play, whose valour was eulogized. Such dance dramas were composed in Telugu, Tamil and Marathi and inevitably all dance dramas had the influence of the other language in them (viz. Tamil, Telugu and Marathi).
The two main characters in these dance dramas are Kattiyakkaran /
िट्टीमािायन and the Sutra Dhari / सूत्र धायी. The Sutra Dari gives the
3
synopsis of the play and the Kattiyakkaran introduces the characters of the play. Sometimes he cracks jokes and tells hilarious small tales or anecdotes pertaining to the characters to be introduced.
Kattiyakara could be the same as the Vidusaka / पवदूषि in Sanskrit plays described by Bharata / बयत. The main role of Vidhusakas is to create misunderstanding between lovers and unite them ultimately, make the hero forget pangs of separation by diverting his attention and convey the lighter aspects of life in a tone that brings the hasya rasa / हास्म यस into the play. The kattiyakkaran is short and funny looking. The lines from Bhuloka devendra vilasa natakam / बूरोि
देवेन्र पवरास नाििं in Tamil explains the entry of kattiyakkaran as:
“Velli pirambum kayyil kondu Vellai pallaiyum kattik kondu Vellai namam sathik kondu Kullan kattiyakaran vandane”
“वेल्री पऩयाम्फुभ िक्यमर िोन्दू वेल्रई ऩल्रैमुभ
िक्तति िोंदु वेल्रइ नभभ सटिि िोंदु
िुल्रन ििमाियन वन्दने”
This song is in raga sourashtra / याग सौयाष्ट्र. The dance dramas of this period always commenced with todaymangalam / तोडमाभंगरभ starting with Jayajaya / जमजम followed by a Mangalam and a song with starting words Mahaneya /भहानेमा. Then the viruttam /पवरुट्टभ is danced, followed by Vinayaka daru / पवनामि दरू starting with the words vandesivanutham / वन्देसशवानुथभ. The Vinayaka darus are the special features of the dance dramas of this period. This is a tradition introduced by the Maratha composers, for Lord Vinayaka
4
(Ganesha) is the main deity in the land of Maharashtra.
After the prayer songs, the introduction of the Kattiyakaran, and of the other characters dancing for different darus, padams / ऩदभ, helapadams / हेराऩदभ, shobanam / शोफनभ etc. follows. Even in the Tamil drama of this period the first three songs are in Sanskrit and Telugu. Each dance drama consists of not less than thirty darus. The Tamil dance dramas are: Bhulokadevendra Vilasanatakam / बुरोिदेवेन्र पवरासनाििभ, Chandrahasaivilasam / चंरहासैपवरासभ, Vishnusaharajavilasam / पवश्नुसहयाजपवरासभ, Sahajiraja Kuravanji / शहाक्जयाजा िुयवन्जी and Kaveri Kalyanam /िावेयी िल्माणं.
Some dances of the Maratha period are of an expiatory nature. One such dance is Lavani / रावणी, the Marathi folk musical form. It became popular in the Tanjore district during 1684-1855 -- over a century. The last of the Maratha princes of Tanjore, Shivaji II, was a great lover of Lavanis. He himself figures as a hero of few Lavanis.
The famous Bharataramela Ragamalikai / बयतायभेरा यागभासरिा (72 Melaragamalika in Maratti language) is authored by Lavani Venkatarao. Shivaji Maharaja has acted as judge for several Lavani contests. The term Lavani in Marathi means an offshoot. It refers to extempore music during the course of the performance. In Tamil it is called nilavani and is performed during Vasantha panchami / वसंत ऩंचभी and Rangapanchami / यंगऩंचभी. (a particular day of the auspicious month)
Lavani singing is a collective affair and never rendered individually.
5
The chief is an extempore composer. The theme may be either philosophical, historical, devotional or erotic, but all the navarasa are effectively evoked. Some groups are dedicated to sing the glories of Lord Siva, while other groups glorify the greatness of Vishnu.
When there was a musical contest between the two, it is reported to be a thrilling experience. Lavani sung by one group and imitated by another group was called the geer. The six groups of Lavani singers, patronised by the Maratha kings, are Tukund geer / तुिुंद गीय, Mukund geer / भुिुंद गीय, Savayi / सवाई, Mouja / भौजा, Kalgi / िरगी
and Tura / तुया. The singer also performs abhinaya with hand gestures corresponding to the words in the song. Sant Samartha Ramadasa is the earliest known Lavani composer, Tukaram, Ekanath, Anandhapani, Madavamuni, Amirtarai are other great composers of Lavanis. There are many varieties of lavanis like sringara lavani, note lavani (salute tunej sampathsara lavani / सम्ऩथ्सया रावणी, barakhadi lavani / फायाखडी रावणी , panchabhasha lavani / ऩंचबाषा रावणी, vedanta lavani / वेदांता रावणी, palna lavani / ऩरना रावणी (cradle songs), Serfoji's teerthayatra lavanis / तीथथमात्रा रावणी, mangalam lavani / भंगरभ रावणी, nowks lavani / नोवि रावणी, etc., Nowka Lavani had inspired the great saint composer Tyagaraja / त्यागराज of Tiruvarur who immortalised nowkakrida (Krishna’s pranks in the boat) in his opera entitled Nowkacharitram / नौिाचरयतभ, Kavi Venkasuri later produced a nowkacharitra in Sanskrit. It has a lilting rhythm and attractive rural charm.
Serfoji's Tristhalayatra Lavani is a magnum opus which describes the pilgrimage of Serfoji to Benares touching enroute various kshetras
6
(important religious places). The last of the three sections of the lavani contains the name of the king and also refers to the group of lavani singers as savayi. 13 Lavani in Tamil were produced in large numbers and Tamil lavani singing became a very popular form of entertainment in the districts of Tanjore, Trichy and Madurai.
Lavanis in Tamil were performed by the villagers during the months of February – March.
Instruments
Many new instruments were included in the orchestral troupe.
These troupes were known as the sangitamelam / संगीतभेरभ, which became very popular during Maratha period. The dance troup which was called the cinnamelam / चिन्नमेऱम. comprised of dancer, vocalists and instrumentalists. Apart from sangitamelam troupe, there were instrumentalists who played as a accompanist for dance recitals. Mridamgam / भृदंगभ, conch / िोंच, vina / पवणा, mukhavina / भुखपवणा, talam / तारभ, flute were the common instruments for dance. Raja Serfoji was the first to introduce fiddle (violin) an European instrument in Carnatic music concert. This was used later in dance concerts too.
The tuntina / तुनतीना and deeh / देह were the accompanying instruments that provided the drone and the rhythmic background for Lavanis. Morsing / भोससिंग was a new instrument in the orchestral group. The earliest reference to morsing as an accompaniment in the dance dramas is found in the Mohini-mahesha-parinayam / भोटहनी- भहेश-ऩरयणमभ which was enacted during the period of Serfoji II.
7
The dance figures were painted colorfully on the walls of the dancing hall in the palace and in a few places in the temple walls. Some paintings of dance on the temple walls depict a colorful pageantry of a dance troupe. The dance performance in painting is depicted as a troupe consisting of the dancer, the singer and the musicians.
Dance varieties
The dance pieces in Marathi composed by Raja Serfoji (A. D. 1798- 1833) give a complete picture of the items of the present Bharatanatyam recital. Jayajaya and saranu are danced as the dedicatory pieces to the chosen deity, the third item is seva or allaru (now called allarippu) consisting of sahityas / साटहतम conveying the dancer's salute to the audience. Then follows a series of jatis, svarasahitya / स्वयसटहतम or combination of svara / स्वय and tala / तार without any theme called jatiswaram / जततस्वयभ. This is also a part of the invocation. The sabdam / शब्दभ that follows constitutes the genesis of the story convened through abhinaya / असबनम and nritya / नृतम in a slow tempo. This is followed by Varnam, which is the chief attraction of the whole performance. Partaking of nritya and abhinaya padam or sahitya follows. In order to bring out the bhava and rasa, this item is rendered in a slow tempo, ending with the svarajathi / स्वयजती. The tillana / ततल्राना or Tirana / तयाना is followed. Next jakkini / जक्किनी is performed. This is followed by geetam / गीतं which indicates the delicate mode of raga. Then danced the prabandham / प्रफन्धं an old composition bearing on a theme is and then triputam / त्रत्रऩुिभ or tripitam /त्रत्रपऩतभ which is
8
classified as desi nritta followed. Then slokam is danced where in the verse is rendered with abhinaya and kavutuvam is a terminal song in praise of a deity and the mangalam forms the last piece. Some of the dance items which became very popular during this period are dealt with in detail here:
Svarajati
This dance - musical form came into practice from Maratha period.
Svarajati, as the name signifies, is a composition with alternative rhythmic syllables (i. e. Jatis and svaras) in the song. Melattur Veerabadraya (18th century) is the architect of svarajati compositions. His huseni svarajati / हुसेनी स्वयजती is the earliest example of this variety. There are three types of svarajatis.
A) Dance svarajatis - having sollukatus / सोल्रुिट्टू in its musical structure. For example e mandayanara / एभन्दमानया, e mayaladira / ए भामराटदया.
B) Those which have no Jatis but comprising svaras and sahityas / साटहतम. For example, Shyama Sastri’s svarajatis in todi, bhairavi / बैयवी and yadukulkamboji / मदुिुल्िाम्फोजी ragas.
C) Those that belong to the abyasa gana. These are simple without jatis meant for music students or beginners. For example, ravemaguva / यवेभगुव in anandabhairavi / आनंदबैयवी raga and sambasivayanave /सम्फससवमानवे in kamas raga.
The earlier counter part of this form could be the Kaivara prabandha / िैवया प्रफंध.
9
Padavarnam /ऩद्वर्णम
This form sets a milestone in the innovative discovery of new items in the classical dance repertoire. As the name denotes it is sung in chauka kala (slow tempo) in contrast to the tana varna which is sung in different speed. Varna was named for a prabandha / प्रफंध in the time of Someswara / सोमेस्वर (12th Cen.) Someswara in his treatise Manasollasa / भानसोल्रास refers the form of varna as
‘‘karnata bhashya yasthu bhikadaishraya samanvithi, geete Varnatatena sa thu Varna prakir thisthaha”16 / कनणता भाष्य यस्तु
भभकादैश्रय समंववथी , गीते वर्णतातेना सा थू वर्ण प्रकीर स्स्थत : which means varna prabandha is composed in karnataka bhasha having angas, birudas etc., and is sung in varna tala. Sarangadeva in his treatise Sangitaratnakara (13th cen.) speaks of varnasvara and varna prabandha. Varnasvara prabandha is set with svara, pata, pada and tenaka. Prabandhas are classified into three categories namely sudha / सुध, alikrama / असरक्रण and viprakirna / पवप्रिीणथ. The varna prabandha comes under alikrana prabandha. The later varnams are modelled on after bhavabhinaya prabandha such as padas, sabdams, etc. The pada varnam format which is practiced till date evolved as dance compositions only during the 18th century.
The entire varna has sahitya. The mattu of a padavarna is composed of words, svaras and Jatis (sollukattus). The songs open with the rendering of the first line of the pallavi which is followed by nritta sequence. The lines of pallavi and anupallavi are followed by Jathi Korvai, mostly in panchanatai / ऩंचनडै. The anupallavi is set to not less than four avartas and is succeeded by chitasvara with sahitya
10
and sollukattu. Muktayi svara and its sahitya occurring at the end of anupallavi is the salient feature of this form. This feature has made it a fine piece of dance music providing elaborate scope for footwork and exquisite abhinaya.
Muktayi / भुकतई signifies the conclusion and this ends purvanga / ऩूवािंग section of the varna. The charana / चयण is known as ettukadai / एततुिडै. The ettukadai svaras in two, four and eight avartas follow in sequence, each concluding in the etukada pallavi. Some Vamas do not have sahitya for muktayi svaras and ettukada svaras for example,
Govindaswamayya of Karvetnagar / गोववन्दस्वामैय्या and Melattur Veerabadrayya were the earliest composers of padavarnas.
Ramaswamy Dikshidar / रामस्वामी दीक्षितार, Sonti Venkataramayya / सोंती वेंकटरामय्या, Gangaimuthu / गंगेमुथू Nattuvanar, Subburaya / सुब्बूराया nattuvanar, and Tanjore quartette have contributed many padavarnams. Modern Padavarnam composers include
Song Raga Tala Composer
Rammanare Hindolam Ata Ramaswamy Dikshidar Rupamujuchi Todi Adi Muthuswamy
Dikshidar
Dayaj udavetayani Huseni Adi MelatturveeraBadra yya
11
Balamuralikrishna, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Madurai Krishnan, Papanasam Sivan and many more.
The theme of the sahitya may either be devotional, sringara or in praise of a patron. The slow music resembles that of the padas giving scope for detailed abhinaya. Since the tempo is slow, the descriptive exposition of raga is brought out. Pada varna gives ample scope for elaborate nritta and abhinaya aspect of the dance.
Padavarnas were further decorated adding more ragas thus evolving ragamalika, talamalikas and ragatalamalikas.
This form is well appreciated and included even in present day Bharathanatyam repertoire. Initially this item was performed in detail for more than an hour. At present, because of time restraint it is shortened to thirty minutes. Still it is the piece de resistance of a dance recital. Many well-known composers have tried varieties of pada varnas.
Tillana /ततल्ऱाना
This is an attractive and lively dance musical form sung in the art musical concerts and Harikatha kalakshepam / हरयिथा िराऺेऩभ. Nritta is the speciality in this dance form. It is a profusion of rhythmic sounds, svaras / स्वय and sahitya. It is said to be the improvisation from konnugol / िोंनुगर (recitation of jatis) orally with laya and tala. It must have derived from karna prabandhas / िणथ प्रफंध. Patas are integral part of nritta prabandhas. The improvisation on this item must have resulted in tarana and tillana.
12
A parallel story is also told that Gopala Naik from Tanjore court went to North India as a captive to Muslims. There he popularised the South Indian musical tradition. lt is believed that he taught Amir Khusru (North Indian musician) to play chitra veena and also taught karna prabandhas, which came to be known as tarana and later tillana. The earliest tillana available is in panturavali raga and aditala composed by Veerabadrayya. The inclusion of tillana in a sadir concert was during the reign of Pratapsimha and gained popularity during Tulaja's period. In the jakkini variety the word ellilam / एरीरभ ellam le / इल्रभ रे is used frequently. Similarly, dirtillana / टदततथल्राना is used profusely in tillana. The syllable tillale / ततल्रारे is used in folk music. Tiliana darus are used in musical operas. Different varieties of tillanas with ragamalika / यागभासरिा, ragatalamalika / यागातारभासरिा and in rare talas like simhanandana / ससम्हानन्दन are composed and performed. The sahitya of tillana is mostly in praise of a deity and sometimes on the kings and are composed in many languages. Raja Pratapasimha and Tulaja made the tillana an item in the natya performance. Melattur Veerabadrayya set it to Carnatic music. Maharaja Swathi Tirunal has composed many tillanas on Lord Padmanabha. His tillana in danasri raga / धनश्री याग has Hindi sahitya and is very popular in present day Bhartanatyam recitals. This item is performed after the padam or as the final item in present day Bharatanatyam recitals. This is the most applauded item. The beautiful sollukatus and svaras interwoven in rhythmic foot pattern give a colorful picture to this piece.
13
Javali /जावऱी
This dance music form became popular only a 100 years ago. The attractive compositions are generally composed on erotic themes with esoteric meaning and tilting and catchy music. The rakti / यक्कत ragas used are effective in expressing sringararasa e. g. Kamas /
िभास, jinjoti / क्जन्जोती etc. The rhythm is very lively unlike the slow tempo of the padam. The emotional content of the raga and the erotic theme of the sahitya find an adequate expression in the abhinaya. Javali consists of pallavi, anupallavi and several charanas / चयण. As regards the name, javali, it is borrowed from a Kannada term javadi meaning a kind of lewd poetry.17 In Marathi javali refers to the gesture of the eyes in the language of love. Many North Indian musical forms like thumri / िुभयी, khayal / खमार and tarana / तयाना were performed in the Maratha court. This led to the popularity of Hindustani musical forms. On the model of the love songs in Marathi, which became an important item in the court dance, arose a class of erotic songs in other languages in honor of the king, zamindars and chieftains. Javali is perhaps one of the surviving examples of court music forms of Tanjore. The javalis are composed in languages like Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and nayaka or the hero of this poetry is always portrayed as a deceitful person.
Javalis are included in the present day Bharatanatyam recitals in the second half of the programme. This is performed only to reveal the dancer’s ability in abhinaya and does not convey any value or message other than erotic.
14
Palana /ऩऱना
Palana are cradle songs or lullabies sung in homes during the name- keeping ceremony of the child. This ceremony is called barsa in Marathi. It comes from the Marathi word for ‘cradle’ which is
‘Palana’. Women participate in great number and sing in chorus or solo. Similarly, during the festivals of Ramanavami / याभनवभी and Gokulashtami / गोिुराष्ट्िभी the baby idol of Rama or Krishna is laid in the cradle at the temple. The singers sing palanas in praise of the deity and the dancers perform for the same. The word jo jo is repeated after every line of the song. In Tamil Nadu these songs are popular as thalattupattu / थराट्टूऩाट्टू. Sometimes these songs are included in the Bharatanatyam recitals in the second half of the programme.
Salam Daru /सऱाम दरू
The dance item named Salam Daru is an integral part of a dance drama. Salam is a typical Urdu name for Namaste / नभस्ते or anjali / अंजसर. The salam was mostly done to solicit kings and chieftains.
This became a fashion among the court dancers to bow or do salam before the audience. The compositions bear the term salam several times in the beginning and at the end of the composition. This piece was included in the dance drama format of Maratha period. This piece does not exist in present day Bharatanatyam recitals.
15
King Sahaji Adi tala 155 Salam Daru Compositions
Kalyani raga Sahitya
Madinapura desure - Manju Meenakshina du re Maduravani mi
dehire-Mampahi sundareswarare Svara /स्वर
Dnsr - srgm - pdnd - pdpm - gmpdnsrs – ns Dpdpm धतनसारे- सारेगम – ऩधतनध – ऩधऩम - गमऩधतनसरेसा
– तनसा धऩधऩम
- gmnd Dpm - ggpmggrrs - salamu salamure - गमतनध धऩम – गगऩमगगरेरेसा - सऱामू सऱामुरे
Solu
Jemu jenutha - tanatanata - tirukututaka tadimi – जेमू जेनुत – तनतनत – ततरुकुटूतक तचधमी
dimitataka - tatankuta - takita tadimitaka – चधभमततक – ततंकुत – तककत – तधीभमतक
tirukudutanutaka - tadimi dimitataka tatanku takaditta–
ततरुकुदुतनुतक – तचधमी चधभमततक ततंकू तकददत्ता
sallamu sallamure सल्ऱामु सल्ऱामुरे
16
Svarajati / स्वरजती
1. Rsssygr - ymppm - gmp - myrs
2. gmpdpmg-ppmyyrs
3. SsSsgr - ymMm - pm - DpPdd - pm- gmpmP - ssgrgmpm pdnd - nsrs - nsdd pdpm-gmpmGrs
Sollu
tatdidimitataka - tatjemtarita - tatotonguta tatanguta - tanathajenuthata - dimiehimi - Jenuta tanata tatana Jemu takkitata dimitadimi Jemi jemi - tanataka - tadimidimita taka tatangutaka ditta.
(Reference: T. MS. S. M. Library. Tanjore)
17
Mangalam / भंगरभ
This is the valedictory item of the dance programme. In the form of prayer, a blessing from God is invoked for the successful termination of the performance and for the participants in it. Ragas like surati / सुरुिी, madhyamavati / भध्मभावती are sung for mangalams / भंगरभ. The dancer stands in samasthanaka / सभस्थानि with anjali hasta / अंजसर हस्त, beating the feet to the tala. Mangalam is an essential item at the end of the dance performance.
