Manipur's contribution to Indian Culture : Manipuri Music
- Part 3 -

Laishram Birendrakumar Singh *

Nupa Pala - during a Nat Sankirtan performance :: Pix - Banti Phurailatpam

Traditional Vaisnava Music of Manipur:

There are three main streams of Vaisnava orders in the Eastern India under different schools. They are Goudira Vaisnava order of Bengal, Neo-Vaisnava of Assam (Kamrupa) and Goudira Vaisnava of Manipur. Vaisnava of Bengal and Manipur are under the school of Shri Chaitannya Deva and Neo-Vaisnava of Assam under the school of Shri Sankara Deva.

Sankara deva was born in 1949 A.D. and Chaitannya Deva in 1496 A.D. i.e., the latter was 36 years younger to the former. The different between the tenets of the Vaisnava reformers is that Sankaradeva followed the Bhagavata Purana for propaganda of his faith. It is Krishna-Bhakti, while Chaitannya Deva's teaching were Prema-Bhakti Sangkara Deva preached a special form of monotheism (Vasista-dvaita vada).

According to him Krishna is the Eternal Reality known as Bhramrupi Sanatana and all others are but manifestation of him. Chaitannya followed a form of Dualism (Dvaita vada), the two being Purusa and Prakriti. According to him Krishna is the only Purusa and others are Prakriti. Sankara Deva taught a state of servitude (Dasya-Bhava) while Chaitannya the name of Radha in his sacred books. His formula of prayers is Nama where and Chaitannya's is Mantra. The former's initiation is Sarana and the latter is Diksa. There are different musical aspects of the two Vaisnava orders.

Chaitannya and his followers spread Vaisnavism chiefly through the radium of Nama Kirtana and Nagar Kirtana. Many of the Vaishnava Savants accepted the Padavalli Kirtana as 'Sastric' and classical. Some are of opinion that the structures of the ragas used for Kirtana are more pure and original than those of the modern modified ones.

Vaishnava Music of Manipur:

Manipuri Vaisnava follows the same mainstream from the Chaintannya cult of Bengal. Earlier to the advent of Chaitannya cult in Manipur, various Vaisnavite orders came to Manipur in different periods. It is on record that Kirtana singing possibly from Bengal entered this land as early as 15th century A.D. during the reign of king Kyamba (1467-1508 A.D.). This 15th century Kirtana was offered at Lord Vishnu who was housed in a small temple which still exists in a village called Vishnupur.

Very little is known about this type of Kirtana singing. But, during the reign of a great Manipuri king, Garibaniwas (1709-1748 A.D.), who adopted Ramandi cult, an old school of Kirtana singing under the style of Bangladesh or Ariba Pala became popular and is still preserved and practiced at the royal palace and some other centres of Manipur . (Nilakanta Singh) Who were those Kirtana Singers for the first time in Manipur? Were they from Bengal or Assam?

Bangladesh Pala was the oldest Manipuri Pala and its costume is said to have evolved during the time of King Garibaniwas. It also performed the Astakal service of Shri Govindaji at the royal temple. Till the time of Rajarshi Bhagyachandra, Bangladesh Pala was the only Pala in Manipur. This is known as Ariba Pala, with the addition of Gourachadrika and some other songs in the later period.

In the latter half of the 18th century, King Bhagyachandra ascended the throne and embraced Vaishnavism of Norottam Thakur sect, original from Chaitannya. On the fourth day of the installation of idol of Lord Krishna and the full moon night of Kirtana, the king offered Rasa Leela as a Sankirtana Maha Yajna. The Rasa offered consisted of (1) Nata Pala Kirtana as Purbaranga and (2) Rasa Dance.

Nata Sankirtana: At the outset, the Sabhapati (Mandap mapu) will announce "Jayadwani" to mark the beginning of the Sankirtana. At first, pung, kartal and blowing of the conch shell will jointly set the beginning of the Sankirtana and this is known as the beginning of the 'Raga of Pung' after which a raga or ragini of Sangeet shastra or a raga as directed by the season or hour will be selected and according to a set will be sung as 'ta,ri,ta,na', Tha raga is divided into three 'angas' of 'ghor', 'panchama' and 'dirgha' and when sung it will be presented as 'ghor', 'panchama', 'dirgha', dirgha 'panchna', successively.

This is known as the beginning of the raga of music. This will be followed by the singing of the relevent Leela of the Sankirtana in 'tintal' 'rajmel' 'tanchap' and 'menkup' will be sung standing with 'abhinaya'. This is known as cholom. The 'cholom' of the 'rajmel' is gracefull and steady. The 'tanchap cholom' is quite impressive and 'menkup cholom' demands detailed physical movements and is a source of pleasure to the audience.

Swami Prajanananda once remarked "The Manipur dance and Kirtana are regarded as unique contribution to the domain of Indian music...The present style and system of Kirtana prevalent in Manipur is completely different from the forms and style originated from Thakur Narottama". King Bhagyachandra had very skillful designed his architecture of Manipur dance and Nata -Sankritana in such a way that although the sentiment and mood of Vaishnava padavalli of Bengal remain unchanged, the music, action and style of the performance retain purely its regional texture of folklore and Laiharaoba.

In Manipur modern musicians comment that the norms of the 'raga' and 'raginis' prevalent in Nata-Snakirtana are the same as that of the present Hindustani Sangeet, but in action they do not connote the mood of the Hindustani Sangeet. Further it was also pointed out that in 'Nata Raga Manjuri' of R.K.Surjaboro, the 84 ragas and ragini, daashas and daashis with notation all belong to the Sudha Swarna and there is no Vikrita Swara. But, we should not forget that the Nata-Sankirtana music of Manipur follows old systems of the early Hindu Sangeet. All Sangeet Granthas prevalent in those days in Kamarupa were Natya Sastra, Sangeet Ratnakara and Sangeet Damodara. Thus, the Sudha scale prevalent in Manipuri Nata Sankirtana was according to old Sangeet Sastras.

INTRODUCTION OF PENAO - an innovative folk fiddle musical instrument:

PENAO is an innovative folk fiddle musical instrument of Manipur. PENAO literally means an offspring/offshoot of the traditional folk foddle music instrument of Manipur. It is strikingly similar in every aspect (shape, size and sound) with Pena, except that PENAO could play a wide range of notes and has more versatility than Pena, to enable such a transformation from a monotone traditional fiddle instrument to a versatile modern instrument, certain innovation modifications and adjustments had to make to the traditional Pena. The end result was the birth of PENAO.

Concluded...