Octave 2023 : The North Eastern cultural event in Chennai

S Balakrishnan *

It was sheer luck that I noticed a news item in a Tamil daily that briefed about the inauguration of Octave 2023, the North Eastern Cultural Festival in Chennai. I was thrilled to the core. It is not often that a Chennaite gets a chance to experience & enjoy the colourful culture ofthe North Eastern part of India.

After having left Sikkim in 1988, only once did I get to see a live NE cultural programme; that was more than a decade ago. December & January are the months when Chennai witnesses a series ofcultural events, mostly classical South Indian vocal & instrumental music programmes with a few events from the rest of India also. December & January are the months when Chennai experiences the most pleasant cool weather.

It was during such a music season many years ago that I enjoyed NE song & dance items. A visit to Manipur during Yaoshang (Holi) in 2018 gave us a glimpse ofthe rich cultural heritage of that State. So I was hoping against hope to have a full course meal of all the eight NE States' cultural programmes at one go.

The Octave 2023 organised by the South Zone Cultural Centre of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, gave that unique opportunity for me. It was a four day event but I came to know of it only after the first day, after its inauguration.

Thereafter I was present at the venue, an open air auditorium, on the rest three days, enjoying the fare that was almost a repeat show. Well, I had my eyes, ear and heart filled with the dance, music and song ofthe eight sisters of NE.

I was excited to watch the Pung Cholom 'Drum Dance' of Manipur. It is actually a 'nama sankeerthan' (religious performance) that is performed by members of Sattaras (Vaishnavite Mutt), I was told by a member of the group. I was mesmerised by this Pung Cholom performance way back in 1985 in Sikkim as part of a NE cultural programme

Sikkim was then not a member of the Seven Sister Group of NE States. After such a long gap I enjoyed this drum dance continuously for three days. It was fabulous to watch the musicians literally fly in the air with their drums.

Then there was the hoary Thougal Jagoi dance, the traditional dance of Meitei people. There were martial art performances, both armed and unarmed, as well as acrobatic stunts by young men. So thrilling it was that the audience gave a standing ovation.

Well, there was the famous bamboo dance of Mizoram, Wangla dance of Meghalaya, Bhiu dance of Assam, colourful dances from Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura. I do not remember the tongue twisting names though the performances are etched in my memory. Many performances were based on harvesting/agricultural activities. The bright costume and colourful ornament were eye-catching.

As regards Sikkim, the State where I lived for 5 1/2 years between 1983 and 1988, well, I was personally disappointed because I expected a chham (Buddhist religious dance), snow lion dance or Sikkimese (Bhutia or Lepha) dance item.

What I got instead was a Newar (Nepali) religious worship dance `Vajra Yogini' where a demon also participates with a mask. Though the audience liked the dance with a lone masked dancer, I felt highly disappointed.

A few stalls selling handicrafts/wares from the NE states had also been put up but they were not by the respective State Government handicraft department. So they were not elaborate and fully representative of the respective States. There was a lone food sta11 from Manipur that was over crowded where I got to taste a hot fruit juice that tingled my taste buds.

I would have loved to interact with the artistes, especially those from Sikkim and Manipur, but the continuous programme and the music sound prevented my wish. Octo is a Greek/Latin word meaning eight which in English language is a highly used prefix (octopus, octagon, etc.).

So it was appropriate that the cultural fete was named Octave 2023. Like a cow chewing the cud, I will happily ruminate on this event till I get to witness another NE cultural event.

All together it was a very good fare ... enchanting music and song, vigorous & graceful movements, and most colourful costume!

Happy & colourful memories!