Documentary film on Gambhira folk festival -

Gambhira is a ritual mask dance which originated in undivided Malda, North Bengal of undivided India at least about 1500 years ago. We find the mention of Gambhira in the writings of the Chinese traveller Huen Tsang (630AD) and in the paintings & sketches of the PALA period. This dance is enacted by people of Proto-Australoid origin mainly Koch - Mondal, Rajbanshi, Paliya - a large Dravidian tribe of North Eastern & Eastern Bengal, among whom there are grounds for suspecting some admixture of Mongolian blood. Tribals & Non-Caste Hindus were mainly the organisers of this festival though these day we find Hindus of higher caste joining in but they are very few.

Though today we see the deity of Lord Shiva at the centre of this ritual it had started off with the worship of the Zero or the cipher which is actually the Sun god.Thus it is rooted in fertility cult.

 The religious rites & services are done during the day. In the night song and mask dance take place (solo & group).Subjects are mainly mythological in character but contemporary sociopolitical twists has also been incorporated. Characteristic of these dances are ritualistic, imitative, magic, and of Theomorphic Divinity and above all is a dramatic art of Religio-magical, Animistic and Shamanistic  in nature .

 Gambhira masks are basically a 'Proper Mask' & not a 'Mask Ette'or a 'Maskoid'. It has certain kinship with Tibetan Mask. They both depict animal figures specially supernatural & mythological in character. Both are connected to TANTRIK practices and absolutely religious in nature. 

These masks are made of NEEM wood (Scientific Name: Azadirachta indica A.Juss. Family: Meliaceae) which is considered to be very auspicious by the Indians and has many medicinal properties.These masks are preserved in personal temples and are handed down over the generations. All other things like the Masks Props, Dresses, Make up, and ornaments are handmade using local resources.

  Before the ritual dance is performed these masks are idolized and prayers are offered by the chaste Brahmin Pundits. An invocation ceremony takes place where Prana the vital life force or energy is ushered into these masks. After the ceremony the masks are placed back to their respective temples. All year round they are revered and venerated. It is said that spirits take possession of the dancers during the festival period .

     

Though it started of as a Tribal Hindu festival with the spreading of Buddhism 

(Lord Buddha’s birthplace is only 500KM away which in pan Indian standards is quite  near.) Tantrik features of Buddhism crept in. Many centuries later when the Muslims came to this part of India they joined in. As Islam incorporated the Vedic ideas of the SELF and the secrets of YOGA from the Hindus a Muslim sect evolved called the Sufis. Thus the Muslims joined Gambhira and started calling Lord Shiva as Nana which literally means Grandpa in Urdu. Many of the dances bear stark resemblances to Muslim Lifestyles. Even lately when the Europeans descended on this land the Gambhira artists picked up their ways and presented them in hilarious ways. Though Christianity never directly entered this folk arena, lots of Christian influences can be found as many Tribals converted to Christianity as a result of Missionary activities during the colonial rule but  carried on participating in this festival. 

 The evolution of Gambhira folk Drama from ritualistic mask dance & songs to its modern form took place about eighty to ninety years ago and this was mainly done by intellectuals of this region who gave it a definite & distinctive form . They are namely Binoy Sarkar, Haridas Pallit and Radhesh Chandra Seth. Two Muslim composers Md. Sufi Rahman and Dr.Sheik Sulaiman is credited for emancipating Gambhira from its feudal ritualistic clutches to its secular and democratic nature.

 The folk content of the folk drama part in the past were based on individual and local problems. After the world wars socio-political perspectives crept in. This was mainly the contribution of the above mentioned muslim scholars. This helped Gambhira song and drama to gain an universal character of Pan-Indian folk culture. Gambhira folk Drama speaks of social consciousness and mass education and it is here that it resembles Street Drama.

 Gambhira always ends with an universally acceptable solution & the dialogues are not pre-meditatively written and depends more on improvisation and extempore. According to the direction of the Adhikary (director) the actors loosely decide on the subject matter inside the arena itself and enacts impromptu out of their unfailing wit & presence of mind. This surely brings out their individual skill and talent. Though the actors enjoy celebrity status it is mainly the lyricist who compiles the original songs. Gambhira songs are satirical in nature but there are humour in many places. Pun, jest, mockery, gesticulation  and dialogues are used in a package which is prickly and hits one like a whip.

Among the characters we find Lord Shiva who is pot bellied and has a trident, he symbolizes the Sarkar (government) and there is a person generally very thin wearing tattered clothes who is the poor common man . The drama mainly unfolds where the common man allege and accuse Lord Shiva (or Nana as he is fondly called mainly by the Muslims and the name of this film is ‘Nana Hey’ which literally means ‘hey grandpa.’) for the poor state of political economic social and other state of affairs in the area and the country. A dialogue between Shiva and this commoner is comical but cocooned in hard thorny realities of life. An element of generation gap seems to show between the two where the commoner blames Lord Shiva for not doing enough for them. But there is no element of disrespect as in India elders are traditionally held in high esteem.

 This is the objective of the drama where the authority is beseeched by the poor downtrodden masses to help them out of their troubles and problems in their lives which the Sarkar had always vowed. This folk art is an absolute delight to the senses with its colorful  dresses, exceptional masks, soulful & sometimes satirical songs and spiritually & intellectually stimulating along with its satirical & comical dialogues and enactment.

    This documentary film is made (28min single episode) in native Bengali language which was aired by Doordarshan the National Network of India and was shot in 1997-98. This art form is on the verge of becoming extinct.

Watch this film in youtube.com: 

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx_buxUnhRk

Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ4b5CETIIc

Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocPOD2izZn4

All rights reserved.

 Books for reference:-Encyclopaedea of World Art.Vol-ix pg 519-21 /Vol-xiv pg-67

 Prodyut Ghosh-Gambhira:traditional Mask Dance of Bengal.Sageet Natak,Vol.53-54

Wentz-Tibetan yoga (Oxford).Meria Bihalji Oto-Mask of the world,pg-8.Douglas Nik-

Tantra Yoga Pg-2.W.H.Dall-On Masks,Liberts Pg-93.Collier’s Encyclopaedea-Vol 20 Pg-560.Kern-Manual of Buddhism, Pg-133.                            

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Martial Art Myths and Body Massage

Every body knows China & Japan even the Koreans to be Martial Races but as the legend goes that Indians were forefathers of all the martial Arts of this whole region. They would know if they heard of KALARIPYATTU – the Martial Art of Kerala in Southwest of Indian Peninsula.

    As the legend goes BodhiDharma a prince of Kerala (South West India) traveled to China around 540 AD as a Budhist  monk and came to Shoulin-Szu monastery in Hunan province. Finding there that the monks are in bad conditions, being attacked by both men and animals, he taught them ‘Shin Palo Han Sho’ (Eighteen hands of Lo) based on attacking stances of different animals. This was the origin of ‘Chuan Fa’ popularly called Kung -Fu. BodhiDharma is also attributed with the evolution of Zen (deriving  from Dhyan in Sanskrit) by amalgamating Taoist & Confucian thought with Vedantic ideas of Self. Monks in Shoulin Szu perfected the Art by incorporating within it the principles of acupuncture. Chinese acumen made Chuan Fa/Kung Fu the most mystic of all art forms incorporating Acupuncture & thus improving on from India’s Acupressure. It later took many forms, with Southern Chinese emphasizing head & arm techniques and Northerners preferring legwork-precursor of Koreans Tae Kwon Do.

   These arts came gradually through Ryukyu Chain of island – Okinawa particularly- to Japan in the Asoka period (552-645AD) when Buddhism too was introduced from China. But the real development took place of the Art & of Zen took place in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) after Minamoto Yoritomo became the first Shogun in 1192 AD  and ‘Bushido’ evolved. Shogun Yoritomo imposed a rigid hierarchical structure that started with the Emperor with his divine origin, followed by the Shogun, the Daimyo or feudal lords, the Bushi or Samurais as they are collectively called, and then  the peasants, artisans & merchants. Samurais were bound by an iron clad Bushido (Bushi-Warrior & Do-way) emphasizing bravery honor, duty, sacrifice, self control. Since these virtues matched the tenets of Zen perfectly it became their way of life and it is difficult to talk about martial art without understanding Zen. To quote ‘Go Rin No Sho,’ “In Zen there are no elaborations it aims directly at the true nature of things. All martial art is based on the principles that knowledge is a full circle ---beginners & masters behave in the same way.

Kamakazee were in the make. With the birth of Ninjatsu as a result of social synthesis Ninjas (literally stealers-in) evolved from the Hinin class the lowliest in social tier. They were believed to be detached from Bushido and their capabilities began where even the most formidable Bushi gave in, eg. Kabudera (black arts & powerful hypnotism), Shichi-Ho-De (disguise), Yogen (Chemists), Yoko Aruki (shadow & sideways walking) and there infamous Suriken (poisen tipped darts that pierce metals) the deadliest weapons of Japan. They were children of the dark and not being bound by the Bushido, ruthless & cold blooded mercenaries whom anyone could employ.

   The epicenter of this Tsunami was BodhiDhamma the prince of Kerala (India) who was a Kalari master & for him waves lashed the islands of Japan.

   Kalaripyattu can be traced 3000 years back & the father of this Art is said to be Rishi Parasurama (ref:Mahabharata & Ramayana the worlds greatest Epics), who is said to have vanquished the ‘ksyatriyas’ the samurai class of India 21 times.

  This Art is practiced in a small enclosure called Kalari (21ft/42ft) in size. The entrance faces the East. In southeast corner is a 7 tiered platform called ‘Poothara’ which houses the guardian deity of the Kalari. These 7 steps symbolizes force, patience, command powers, animal postures, sounds of animals, training & grace of the spirit god.

  Other deities mainly of the ‘Shakti’ cult e.g. Lord Shiva & the Mother Power are installed in the corners. The western wall have images of past Kalari Gurus.

  The word may also have been derived fom Sanskrit (Kala-weeds & Ari-enemy).Thus Kalari literally means weeding out the enemy.

It was crafted in ancient South India inspired by raw power & majestic strengths of animal forms like lion, tiger, wild boar, snake, elephant ect. These laid down the combat codes for warring clans of Cholas, Cheras & Pandyas (100yrs war) in the middle ages. It uses different types of weapons - short sticks (muchan), kettukari (long staff), urumi (long flexible swords), otta (curved sticks), kattaram (dagger) & bare hands.

 Today with the advent of tanks & planes it may have lost its significance as a mortal combat but is emerging as a new messiah inspiring dances, theatre, films & most importantly in Health & fitness.

 Kalari is now a panacea for many deseases. It is considered as an alternative form of treatment. This was possible as the Kalari training not only incorporates the tenets of vanquishing the enemy but reviving & resusceting the vanquished, using Ayurveda, Acupressure, medicated oils, pastes mainly to treat muscle, bones & vital organs.

  The world famous medicated massage (UZHICHIL) is now used to make body supple, stimulates the nervous system, increases blood circulation  & relaxes the muscles. Only professionals can provide this as our has 108 nerve centres (marmas) of which 64 called Kulamarmas are deadly. I have taken this massage & its beyond this world. Do try out if you happen to be around this part of the world.

 There are many Indian Martial Art forms e.g. ‘Thangta’ of Manipur – just wait for my next blog.

Courtesy:  www.kalaripayattu.org & Chetan Desai (Deep Focus Film Quarterly)