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''Sattriya'' ( as, সত্ৰীয়া), or ''Sattriya Nritya'', is a major Indian classical dance. This dance was initially created as part of
Bhaona Bhaona ( as, ভাওনা) is a traditional form of entertainment, with religious messages, prevalent is Assam, India. It is a creation of Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva, written in the early sixteenth century. He created the form to conve ...
which are performances of '' Ankiya Nat'', one-act plays, originally created by
Sankardev Srimanta Sankardev( শ্ৰীমন্ত শংকৰদেৱ )(; ; 1449–1568) was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath; a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist social-religious reformer and a figure of im ...
, the 15th-16th century polymath from Assam.Ankiya Nat
UNESCO: Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), Japan
These dances are part of the living traditions today of
Sattra Satras are institutional centers associated with the Ekasarana tradition of Vaishnavism, largely found in the Indian state of Assam and neighboring regions. Numbering in the hundreds, these centers are generally independent of each other and ...
s, which are communities of live-in devotees belonging to the
Ekasarana dharma Ekasarana Dharma (literally: ''Shelter-in-One religion'') is a neo-Vaishnavite monolithic religion propagated by Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th-16th century in the Indian state of Assam. It reduced focus on vedic ritualism and focuses on d ...
, the religion established by Sankardev. The themes played are related to Lord Krishna, sometimes other Vishnu
avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
s such as Rama and Sita and stories from the epics (Mahabharata and Ramayana) are also referred to. The philosophic religion of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva was based on Vedanta, Bhagavadgītā and the Bhāgavata Purāna, so there is no presence of Radha in Sattriya dance presentations. On November 15 in the year 2000, the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. History It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...
of India recognized ''Sattriya'' as one of the eight classical dances of India. Modern ''Sattriya'' explores many themes and plays, and its performances are staged worldwide.


History of Sattriya

Sattriya is a classical dance of India, tracing its roots to ancient drama and music texts of India, particularly Bharata Muni's Nātya Śāstra. Its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE. The most studied version of the Nātya Śāstra text consists of about 6000 verses structured into 36 chapters. The text describes the theory of Tāṇḍava dance (
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
), the theory of rasa, of bhāva, expression, gestures, acting techniques, basic steps, standing postures – all of which are part of Indian classical dances. Dance and performance arts, states this ancient text, are a form of expression of spiritual ideas, virtues, and the essence of scriptures.; Also see chapter 36 The history of dance arts in Assam goes back to antiquity, as evidenced by copper plate inscriptions and sculpture relating to
Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...
and
Shaktism Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti ( Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, al ...
traditions. Singing and musical traditions, similarly, have been traced to Assamese chorus singing tradition for the Hindu epics: the
Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
and the
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
. The modern form of Sattriya is attributed to the 15th century Sankaradeva, who systematized the dance using the ancient texts, and introduced drama and expressive dancing (''nritta'' and ''nritya'') as a form of a community religious art for emotional devotion to Krishna. Since the 15th century, the Sattriya art grew as part of the Vaishnava bhakti movement, in Hindu monasteries called ''Sattra''. The art was developed and practiced by monks in the form dance-dramas about legends and mythologies of Krishna, particularly from texts such as the Bhāgavata Purāna. One distinctive part of the Sattriya dance inside temples and monasteries is that the dance is not celebrated before any idol, but is performed before a copy of the Bhagavata Purana placed in eastern (sun rise) corner called ''Manikut'' of the dance hall (''namghar''). These dance-dramas were, in the early days, written and directed by the Assamese poet-saint
Sankaradeva Srimanta Sankardev( শ্ৰীমন্ত শংকৰদেৱ )(; ; 1449–1568) was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath; a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist social-religious reformer and a figure of im ...
, and by his principal disciple Madhavadeva. They were mostly composed during the 16th century. Once the domain of male monks, it is now performed by male as well as female dancers. In the second half of the 20th century, ''Sattriya Nritya'' moved from the sanctum of Assam's ''sattras'' / monasteries to the metropolitan stage. The
Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. History It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...
recognized ''Sattriya Nritya'' as an official classical dance of India in 2000. ''Sattriyas'' are now performed on world's stages.Kothari, Sunil (ed).
Sattriya-Classical Dance of Assam
'. Marg, The Marg Foundation, Mumbai, 2013.


Repertoire

Like the other schools of Indian Classical dance, ''Sattriya'' encompasses the principles required of a classical dance form: the treatises of dance and dramaturgy, like Nātya Śāstra,
Abhinaya Darpana Nandikeshvara ( sa, नन्दिकेश्वर​) (5th century-4th century BC) was a major theatrologist of ancient India. He was the author of the . Influence on Bharata Nandikeshvara seems to have preceded Bharata, according to Rama ...
, and Śārngadeva's Sangīta Ratnākara; The ''Sangīta Ratnākara'' of Śārngadeva complements his ''Bhakti Ratnakara'', which traces the
Upanishad The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...
s,
Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...
,
Yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
and
Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
themes, the ethical values such as non-violence (
ahimsa Ahimsa (, IAST: ''ahiṃsā'', ) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to all living beings. It is a key virtue in most Indian religions: Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.Bajpai, Shiva (2011). The History of India ...
), truthfulness (
satya ''Satya'' (Sanskrit: सत्य; IAST: ''satya)'' is a Sanskrit word loosely translated as truth, essence. A. A. Macdonell, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Asian Educational Services, , pp. 330–331 It also refers to a virtue in Indian relig ...
) and others, thus premising a theological foundation to Sattriya. To Shankaradeva, religious values, ethics, joys of life and performance arts were intimately linked, and he asked the leaders of Hindu monasteries to compose at least one play, during their tenure, before they die. Sattriya repertoire (mārg) includes ''nritta'' (pure dance, solo), ''nritya'' (expressive dance, solo), and nātya (dramatic play, group). Like all major classical Indian dance forms, those three categories of performances are: *The ''Nritta'' performance is abstract, fast and rhythmic aspect of the dance. The viewer is presented with pure movement in Nritta, wherein the emphasis is the beauty in motion, form, speed, range and pattern. This part of the repertoire has no interpretive aspect, no telling of story. *The ''Nritya'' is slower and expressive aspect of the dance that attempts to communicate feelings, story line particularly with spiritual themes. In a ''nritya'', the performance expands to include story-telling, the silent expression of words through gestures and body motion set to musical notes. This part of a repertoire is more than sensory enjoyment, it aims to engage the emotions and mind of the viewer. *The ''Nātya'' is a play, typically a team performance, but can be acted out by a solo performer where the dancer uses certain standardized body movements to indicate a new character in the underlying story. A ''Nātya'' incorporates the elements of a ''Nritya''.
Kuchipudi Kuchipudi () ( Telugu: ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sa ...
historically relied on a team of dancer-actors, while in modern times Kuchipudi productions include solo or duo performances. The hand gestures (''mudras''), footwork (''padas''), postures, rhythms, training of artistes and other aspects of the Sattriya dance drama closely follow those described in Nātya Śāstra and other classical Hindu dance texts, and are quite similar to other major classical dances such as
Odishi Odishi ( ka, ოდიში) was a historical district in western Georgia, the core fiefdom of the former Principality of Mingrelia, with which the name "Odishi" was frequently coterminous. Since the early 19th century, this toponym has been su ...
,
Kathakali Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...
, Bharatanātyam and others found in southern and northern India. Some basic elements and features of Sattriya match those found in the
Manipuri dance , image = , alt = , caption = An illustration of the ''Manipuri Raas Leela'' dance, being depicted in a stamp from Armenia; transliterations of "Jagoi Raas" and "Manipuri Raas Leela", the terms in Meitei language (offi ...
found in neighboring Manipur state. ''Sattriya Nritya'' is a genre of dance drama that tells mythical and religious stories through hand and face expressions. The basic dance unit and exercise of a Sattriya is called a ''Mati Akhara'', equal 64 just like in ''Natya Shastra'', are the foundational sets dancers learn during their training. The Akharas are subdivided into Ora, Saata, Jhalak, Sitika, Pak, Jap, Lon and Khar. A performance integrates two styles, one masculine (''Paurashik Bhangi'', energetic and with jumps), and feminine (''Stri Bhangi'', Lasya or delicate). Traditionally, ''Sattriya'' was performed only by ''bhokot''s (male monks) in monasteries as a part of their daily rituals or to mark special festivals. Today, in addition to this practice, ''Sattriya'' is also performed on stage by men and women who are not members of the ''sattras'', on themes that go beyond the mythological. The plays choreographed in a Sattriya are those found in Hindu texts such as the Bhāgavata Purāna, the Epics, and the compositions by Assamese scholars.


Costumes

The costume of Sattriya dance is primarily of two types: the male costume comprising the ''dhoti,'' ''chadar'' and the ''paguri'' (turban) and the female costume comprising the ''ghuri'', ''chadar'' and ''kanchi'' (waist cloth). Traditionally the costumes were of white or raw silk color with use of red, blue and yellow for specific dance numbers. In earlier times velvet and satin materials were mostly used for the costumes. With change of time, as this dance form evolved from the sattras onto stage, the design and materials of the dance costumes changed. Pat (also spelled paat) – a silk produced in Assam which is derived from the mulberry plant and
muga silk Muga silk is a variety of wild silk geographically tagged to the state of Assam in India. The silk is known for its extreme durability and has a natural yellowish-golden tint with a shimmering, glossy texture. It was previously reserved for the u ...
(''golden silk of Assam'') is also used in preparing the dance costume. Other bright colours are also used in the female costumes. These hand-woven materials normally have intricate local motifs like ''Kingkhap, Miri Motif, Kolka'' etc. Uses of play-specific costumes are also seen in Sattriya dance. The dress of ''Krishna Nritya'' and ''Nadubhangi Nritya'' is of yellow and blue keeping in line with the attire of Lord Krishna. The ''Sutradhar Nritya'' also has its specific white costume with a special turban. Traditional Assamese jewellery is used in Sattriya dance. The jewellery is made by a unique technique in ''Kesa Sun'' (raw gold). Artistes wear Kopali on the forehead, ''Muthi Kharu'' and ''Gam Kharu'' (bracelets), different type of neck pieces like ''Mata Moni'' (for male dancers), ''Golpata'', ''Dhulbiri'' (shaped like the musical instrument dhol), ''Bena'' (pendant shaped like a crescent), ''Jethipata'' (lizard shaped), ''Dugdugi'' (leaf shaped), Senpata (eagle shaped), ''Dhansira'' (strand of rice grain) and ''Lokaparo'' (pigeon design). Earrings are made in similar designs and also ''Thuka Suna'' and ''Keru'' are worn by dancers. Female dancers wear white flowers in the hair. The costumes of ''Ankiya Naats'' (dramas) are colourful and character specific. Use of ''Mukha'' (Masks) to depict demons and special characters are also unique of this dance form. The art of mask-making is an integral part of Sattriya culture and originated in the Sattras of Assam. Beautifully decorated turbans and crowns made by the local artisans are used in the ''Ankiya Naats''. The facial makeup of Sattriya dance resembles other classical dance forms of India. However, in earlier times traditional materials and herbs were used for make up.


Music and instruments

''Sattriya Nritya'' is accompanied by musical compositions called ''
bargeet Borgeets ( as, বৰগীত, lit=songs celestial, translit=Borgeet) are a collection of lyrical songs that are set to specific ragas but not necessarily to any tala. These songs, composed by Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva in the 15th ...
s'' (composed by Sankardeva and Shree Shree Madhavdev, among others) which are based on classical
raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...
s. A key musical instrument that accompanies a Sattriya performance is the ''
khol The khol is a terracotta two-sided drum used in northern and eastern India for accompaniment with devotional music (''bhakti''). It is also known as a mridanga (<
bansuri). Other instruments like the
violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
and the harmonium have been recent additions.


Styles

A Sattriya performance comes in many styles such as the ''Sutradhara'' (or Sutra-bhangi), character specific ''Bhangi'', ''Prabesh'', ''Nritya'' and ''Jhumura''. The ''Sutradhara'' is a style that tells a story and presents the spiritual values of Vaisnavism in a complete classical format: nritta, nritya and natya. One feature of the Sutradhara (or Sutradhari) style is the included commentary for the audience in local language. '' Ankiya Nat'' is a subgenre consisting of one-act plays of ''Sattriya''. These are dedicated compositions but feature a ballad, dance and drama. The character specific different styles of Sattriya have their own costume variations, and focus on the various life stages and activities of Radha, Krishna and the gopis.


Notes


References


Bibliography

* Sunil Kothari, ed., ''Sattriya, Classical Dance of Assam'', with photographs by Avinash Pasricha. The Marg Foundation, Mumbai, 2013. * Neog, Maheswar.
Aesthetic Continuum: Essays on Assamese Music, Drama, Dance and Paintings
'. New Delhi: Omsons Publications, 2008. * Neog, Maheswar and Keshav Changkakati.

'. Guwahati: Assam Prakashan Parishan, 1973. * * * * * * * * *
Table of Contents
* * * * * {{Dance in India Classical dance genres of India Dances of Assam