'When the news of your death becomes a fake news, you actually taken birth twice or rebirth with a higher spirit: a belief

There are many in this world, who live with a belief system. They prefer to live with the beliefs as it give them hope to survive and serve people, congregation, examining self and surrounding and many others. In fact, a belief system comprises of many unauthorized stories that happen in the past and drawing morals out of those happenings. The way of our life when creates culture, our morals start creating the belief system autometically. We cannot deny the old text written as treatise as well as oral practices that remain still as practices among group of people. This way, we can see always two sides of drawing morals from the beliefs. So, there may be derived memories collected from oral (loka style) and written(natya/ style) text. 

One important old verse can be cited now. 

" লোকধৰ্মী নাট্যধৰ্মী ধৰ্মী তু দ্বিবিধ স্মৃতঃ।ভাৰতী সাত্ত্বিক চৈৱ কৈশিক্যাৰভটী তথা।। চতস্ৰো ৱৃত্তয়ো হ্যেত যাদু নাট্য প্ৰতিষ্ঠিতম্।"

(Natyasastra, 6th chapter Rasavikalpa, verse 1-3, page-114) 

The above verse is in Sanskrit language which means there are two way of understanding the moral values of drama which are termed as vritti or profession of Drama. They may be either Lokadharmi or Natyadharmi or both. Hence, the four vrittis could be traced out from ancient scriptures as Bharati, Satwati, Kaishiki and Arabhatti. The Indian dramaturgy is always based on these four type of vrittis. 

While reading and doing research about Natyadharmi and Lokadharmi ,the two styles or professions, we suddenly got an opportunity to clarify them. And we have been honoured to meet an artist of Traditional root. The artist belongs to Assam and who is also an descendants of traditional artist family. The artist, as he has shared to us, was highly inspired by his own grandfather Kinaram Nath (Kinaram Dainapali). The grandfather was also one of the great personalities of the then traditional choire singing troupe Oja-pali of Sipajhar, Darrang area. I met him once. 

(Oja-pali is known today as a semi dramatic form of Indian theatre art with a variety of subjects which ,again vary from place to place of Assam. The purpose of this art form is to create awareness mainly about social and religious issues.) 

On the other hand, our family at Barpeta, as associated with a premere art Institute based in Assam, has therefore, got a chance to share some moments with the descendent of the traditional Oja-pali performance. Both of our organisation and his traditional form have been working on public awareness from quiet a long time back. And the focus was always a human welfare. We were too happy to welcome such an artist of traditional background, of same interest, of great enthusiasm and dedications towards the present scenerio of traditional art forms. And whom has so much of love for the small kids of our Institute too. So, by a scheduled plan, he has arrived at Aesthetic one day before. Afterwards, there was fixed a title about a children workshop and so the dates. Everything gone through very much smoothly and he has also shown his interest to introduce a new dimesion about Physical theatre. From his introductory lecture cum demonstration, we came to see a new angle on theatre art. And that was really anew knowledge for us and was very impressive too.Thus, we were delighted to meet the resource person Nava kumar Nath, a guest teacher cum performing artist amidst us. As a mentor, he started his introductory lesson by doing physical exercise of theatres to increase the ice-breaking on bodies. 

The context we cannot overlook : the climate and traditional belief: A basis. 

Although everyone engaged in theatre art skills, nobody escaped from the home rites and rituals. They could not come on time. The kids were worrying because they didnot want to dissapoint the guest teacher. In Indian context, a guest is always believed as a God. He should not be ill treated . In fact, a guest is always taken care of all the possible way one can manage. It was also the day when the families started preparing for the global solstice. Because it's the time when the idea of seperation (good from evil, rejoice from silence etc.) can be realised through traditional knowledge and practice.

 The term solstice, in fact, can be used more wider sense because there is a passage happens in the seasons. The solstice, together with the equinoxes are connected with the seasons considering to start or seperate the seasons. In many cultures, we have observed this event as a celebration such as Mid summer or St. Johns day during 21st to 24th June of every year. Parallaly, December 25 , is the day that the sun begins to return to the Northern Hemisphere etc. Unlike many cultures, Hindu calender, two sidereal solstice have the names known s Makara Sankranti which marks the start of Uttarayana and Karka Sankranti which marks the start of Dakhshinayana. 

“স্ব-ধৰ্ম আচৰে যিবা পুৰুষে সদায়।বহু জন্মান্তৰে সিটো ব্ৰহ্মপদ পায়।।"(গদ্যাকাৰত শ্ৰীমদ্ভাগৱত, প্ৰথম খণ্ড, মহেন্দ্ৰ তামুলী,পৃষ্ঠা -১৮)

(-the one who behaves as per his self-religion with self respect, he will be immortal among all and hence able to take the seat of supreme understanding of art and expression.) 

-A prose version of Srimadbhagawat, First part-Mahendra Tamuli, page-18. 

I am writing all of these because we profounded to receive all the gathered persons- artists, research scholars, resource persons, parents and local enthusiasts the other day at our studio-AESTHETIC. We were overwhelmed because we have been suffering from global pendemic and crisis quiet a long time back (almost 1 and 1/2 years). On last June 17, 2021, the participants have taken part in this workshop with free of cost.Sooner, the practicing space was finally restricted to offer limited seats for the participants to join the workshop.

The research team of the workshop, on the other hand, informed us about a correlated global event which was happening co-incidently during the same time of the workshop. And hence we were curious  to know about their indication towards the event SOLSTICE. That might enrich the creative pole of the children too. Unlike a solstice, as it occurs, when the Sun appears to reach its most northernly or southernly excursion relative to the celestial equator in the celestial sphere. And then, on the very first day, we were assured about a very general problem faced by the teacher and the participants, i.e, the body imflexibility of the participants-i.e., their body and mind which have a very low concentration power. So, they were given a no.alertness games and functions. Fortunately, the workshop has been organised before the solstice event.And as per the research team that must be the priority to this event which would be certainly helpful to strengthen and reduce the gap between participants and the teacher a little. It was difficult to say but we knew that the result will be still awaited untill the end of the workshop! And so, we were waiting.

Actually, the term Solstice has a wider meaning. It is something happened in our climate naturally and there are a no. of beliefs and practices are yet believed and practices by a few. It refers to a day when a remarkable passage happens. The day, on the other hand, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. It is also a celebration among various religions. This is a mid summer day (June 24).

Today is 24^th of June, 2021 and we have just finished the workshop with all our emotional and physical involvement for acting and skills. The body and mind is again ready to start  something a new, something really meaningful and apprehensive now! And obligatory!!

But what leads the workshop successful at the end to us? We started asking to each other. Obviously, the joy and activeness among the participants. And the resource person? 

 

About the resource person:

The resource person as mentioned above is a theatre personalities of Sipapajhar, a locality of Assam. A descendant of traditional folk theatre form Ojapali of Assam, Navajyoti Nath had got his interest and talent on acting since his childhood. His grandfather Kinaram Nath was a reknown folk artist (Dinapali of Suknnani Ojapali) . A proud son of Amarjyoti Nath and Srimati Bharati Devi , Navajyoti born and brought up at Pachimchuba of Sipajhar, Darrang. He started his acting from a very early period of age of 6 years. He moved to attend workshop supported by NSD in 2013 as he was encouraged by receiving best actor award in his college. He got tremendous inspiration from his grandfather and his practice sessions of Ojapali at home regularly. That was  how he could built up his confidence to go deep into Indian art and culture. And he never stop after this. Uptill now, he has performed more than 15/16 drama and attended a no. of National and International workshop held in Assam and outside. Introducing his own production house, Nayanjyoti is more hopeful about his family traditional art Ojapali, but of course with an angle of its digitalisation. At his age of 24, he is trying to teach children about various primery and basic skills of drama and other forms of arts which is truly promising.

He was supported to conduct the recent workshop by the members of Aesthetic and a local artist cum teacher of theatre art Rupam Talukdar at Bhawanipur.

There was a wonderful discussion with him as it contained very many other sides such as technical aspects and management of light and sound, script in theatre art etc.

But what encourages us was his self confidence,dedication and attentive to each child during the teaching hours. This is very encouraging that a person who walks out from a traditional form of art long back for a reason. He,who is always ready to hug a chance of going forward never deny his source of inspiration that he inherited and acquired as well. Behind his dedication, as he informed a smile is fixed in all circumstances. And he still does. And then he humorously denied many of our curiosities, but then still answered. He said-

''Actually, long time back, there was a fake news published about my death but I was at home. Consequently, there were many phone calls came asking about me. I was tired of receiving calls and convincing people about the fake news. Now I understand, I should not react so loud. Not because they were irritating so loud; in stead, I should think, dream about and prepare myself for something very very good in future is going to happen with me, as per our beliefs in village. I mean, I should prepare for calls to receive something very rare and close to me in future, not about death! Or it might be just some worries to take in search or to fulfil my grandpa’s dream may be calling at me! You never know!!”

Photo source:Aesthetic

P. C-H. K. Talukdar