Puppetry and Folk Dramas of Assam

The cultural identity of a country is reveal by the performing arts of that country. Folk drama is one of the important genere of Folk performing art. This spontanious non-commercial art form encourages folk people to proceed bravely in their life struggle, as folk dramas deeply rooted to folk life. The folk dramas prevalent in Assam are closely related to each other.They have similarities in terms of aim, manner of presentation, theme and musical instruments used.

Putalanach or Puppetry is claimed as the mother of all dramas. It is said that many of the traditional dramas are influenced by Puppetry. Relation of Puppetry with other folk dramas or traditional dramas are discussed below-

Bharigan and Puppetry

Bharigan and Puppetry are very popular folk drama of Assam. However, Bhrigan is prevalent only among Pati Rabhas of Goalpara and nearby places of it. However, Puppetry is not confined only in one specific area and tribe. Bharigan starts with salutation to God. Puppetry also starts with invocatory songs. Main singer of Bharigan is known as Gidal. He introduces all characters to the audience. In Puppetry Sutradhar is the key person of the show.

His functions have similarity with Gidal.

“Characters of Bharigan is inactivate like puppets of Putala Bhaona.Sutradhara activates them with thread by hand movements. Similarly, living characters of Bharigan activates with the songs and verses of Mul or Gaunia”^[1]

Actors does not use any dialogue.

Both Bharigan and Puppetry adopts their stories from popular episodes of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Formerly Bharigan depended on oral literature for its story as there was not any fixed wriiten text of Bharigan. Puppeteer Narayan Deka said in an interview that,being a folk drama,performance of puppetry was based on oral literature.

“However,with the course of time puppet troups began to use written script for puppetry”.^[2]

Bharigan and Puppetry both use “Khol” as one of the very important folk musical instrument.Cymbal is another unavoidable musical instrument for both of the traditional drama.Like puppetry, in Bharigan also music gets preference.

Comic characters irrelavent to themes are used in Bhariagan, which is common in Puppetry. Using of traditional lighting system is another feature found in both the form of folk theatre.

Puppetry and Ojapali

Puppetry and Ojapali are very closely related. As, puppetry is defined as the most ancient art form, Ojapali is belived to be created by the influence of puppetry. The common features of Ojapali and Puppetry are briefly discussed below—

Ojapali starts with Alapa and guru vandana.Puppetry starts with guru vandana or salutation to god. Stories for Puppetry are mainly drawn from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.Similarly epic based Ojapali adopts its stories from popular episodes of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Like Puppetry, in Ojapali also music gets preference.

“Earlier, traditional puppet troupes were applied tune of Ojapali song in their performance. Puppetry is mother of Ojapali. Due to urge of creating new form of art, some of the practitioner began to perform without puppets and thus Ojapali born”.^[3]

The costueme of Oja of Ojapali has similarity with costume of Oja of Puppetry.Cymbal, Khol (drum) and Bongsi is common folk musical instruments used both in Ojapali and in Puppetry.

Puppetry and Kamrupia Dhulia

Both of Puppetry and Kamrupia Dhulia are popular folk dramas of Assam. Both are composition of music, dance and drama. Kamrupia Dhulia and Puppetry has distinctive similarities.Like Puppetry,in Kamrupia Dhulia also,Bain or Bayan holds an important place. Both Kamrupia Dhulia and Puppetry starts with invocatory songs and playing Khol and Cymbal in a special manner is the common feature. Using traditional lighting system is another common feature of Kamrupia Dhulia and Puppetry. Besides,entertain to audience, both of these folk dramas spreads knowledge on different subjects. Creating awareness about different burning issues and social evils among common mass are common function performed by both Kamrupia Dhulia and Puppetry.

Puppetry and Khulia Bhaona

Puppetry and Khulia bhaona shares some common features. Salutation to God in the beginning of performance can see in both Puppetry and Kushangan performance. Like most of the folk dramas including Puppetry, Khulia bhaona pays great importance to Oja. He is considered as the director, producer and controller of the performance. Like puppetry, Khulia Bhaona adopts its stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.Khulia Bhaona applies songs according to different sequence of drama as like as Puppetry. For example, song based on the subject of the play, song of character’s wailing cry, songs for fighting scene, closing song. Use of clown is another common feature of Puppetry and Kamrupia Dhulia.Khol (drum) and Cymbal are common musical instrument.

Puppetry and Kushangan

Puppetry and Kushangan both posses the features of folk drama. Puppetry and Kushangan is not confined only in Assam. Puppetry has worldwide popularity. Kushangan is also popular in Meghalaya,Bihar, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Kushan gan is nationaly and internationally acclaimed art form. Kushan gan and Puppetry both starts with playing of Khol, cymbal and other musical instruments. Ram vandana (salutation to Rama), Saraswati vandana are perform in the initial stage of both the perfoemance. Like Oja in Puppetry, Gital plays an important role in every aspects of Kushangan. Khol and cymbal playing is unavoidable in Kushangan as like as Puppetry. Although music gets preference in puppetry, importance of dialogue can not ignore. In Kushangan, dialogue dominates the performance.Story of Kushanpala or Kushangan is mainly based on the Ramayana. Puppetry adopts most of its stories from the Ramayana.

The audience and performers of folk dramas are mainly from folk society. Due to close proximity of folk dramas with folk society, the audience can participate without hesitation.Folk dramas are mainly perform after harvesting.From November to May is considerd as idle time for various folk drama.Thus the similarities of folk dramas with each other’s indicate that although there are diversity in various aspects, still unity is inherent within them. “Features of folk dramas proved that their source of birth was same and with the stream of time, people gave them different shape according to their taste and and preference.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sharma Nabin Chandra: “Bharatar Uttar Purbancholor Parivesya Kala Ojapali’, Bani Prakash Pvt.Ltd.,1996, p:298

[2]:

Informant:Narayan Deka,puppeteer,Makhibaha,Nalbari. 7/12/17

[3]:

Informant:Narayan Deka,puppeteer,Makhibaha,Nalbari. 7/12/17