MYTHOLOGICAL LINK OF ASSAMESE FOLK CULTURE- BEHULA AND DEODHANI DANCE.

Presented by: Siddiqur RehmanDate: February 5, 2013.

BACKGROUND OF THE TOPIC

BEHULA THE PROTAGONIST OF THE FOLKLORE

The protagonist Behula of the mythological fame Behula found her way to heaven through perseverance to revive her dead husband.

She is often seen as the archetypal Hindu woman, full of love and courage.

Behula, whose destiny spoke that she will never be a widow.

Behula had committed no sin for which she should be given such a harsh punishment. (Widowhood)

She pleased all the Gods with her beautiful and enchanting dance and got the Gods boon to give back her husband's life on the condition that Chand Sadagar would give anjali to Manasa.

Behula is regarded as the epitome of loving and loyal wife in the Hindu culture.

The protagonist Behula of the mythological fame Behula found her way to heaven through perseverance to revive her dead husband.

She is often seen as the archetypal Hindu woman, full of love and courage.

Behula, whose destiny spoke that she will never be a widow.

Behula had committed no sin for which she should be given such a harsh punishment. (Widowhood)

She pleased all the Gods with her beautiful and enchanting dance and got the Gods boon to give back her husband's life on the condition that Chand Sadagar would give anjali to Manasa.

Behula is regarded as the epitome of loving and loyal wife in the Hindu culture.

MANASA –THE SERPENT GODDESS

Manasa is depicted as a woman covered with snakes, sitting on a lotus or standing upon a snake.

Manasa is ceremonially worshipped on Nag Panchami - a festival of snake worship in the Hindu month of Shravan (July–August).

Manasa had to get "Anjali" by Chand Sadagar's right hand to get position of Goddess in the heaven.

Deodhani dance is a ritual dance performed in honour of the serpent goddess Manasa.

Manasa is depicted as a woman covered with snakes, sitting on a lotus or standing upon a snake.

Manasa is ceremonially worshipped on Nag Panchami - a festival of snake worship in the Hindu month of Shravan (July–August).

Manasa had to get "Anjali" by Chand Sadagar's right hand to get position of Goddess in the heaven.

Deodhani dance is a ritual dance performed in honour of the serpent goddess Manasa.

The goddess Manasā in a dense jungle landscape with snakes.Source: Wikipedia

ORIGIN OF MANASA PANTHEON

Puranas are  the  first  scriptures  to  speak  about  her  birth.  They  declare  that  sage Kashyapa  is  her  father,  not  Shiva  as  described  in  the  Mangalkavyas.  Once,  when serpents  and  reptiles  had  created  chaos  on  the  earth,  sage  Kashyapa  created goddess  Manasa  from  his  mind  (mana).  The  creator  god Brahma made  her  the presiding deity of snakes and reptiles. Manasa gained control over the earth, by the power of mantras she chanted. Manasa then propitiated the god, Shiva, who told her to please Krishna. Upon being pleased, Krishna granted her divine Siddhi powers and ritually worshipped her, making her an established goddess.Originally  an Adivasi (tribal)  goddess,  Manasa  was  accepted  in  the  pantheon worshipped by Hindu  lower caste groups. Later, she was  included  in a higher caste Hindu pantheon, where she is now regarded as a Hindu goddess rather than a tribal one.  As  a  Hindu  goddess,  she  was  recognized  as  a  daughter  of sage Kashyapa and Kadru, the mother of all Nāgas. By the 14th century, Manasa was identified  as  the  goddess  of  fertility  and  marriage  rites  and  was  assimilated  into the Shaiva pantheon as a relative of Shiva. Myths glorified her by describing that she saved Shiva after he drank poison, and venerated her as the "remover of poison". Her popularity grew and spread  to southern  India,  and her  cult began  to  rival Shaivism itself.  As  a  consequence,  stories  attributing  Manasa's  birth  to  Shiva  emerged  and ultimately Shaivism adopted this  indigenous goddess into the Brahmanical  tradition of mainstream Hinduism.

Puranas are  the  first  scriptures  to  speak  about  her  birth.  They  declare  that  sage Kashyapa  is  her  father,  not  Shiva  as  described  in  the  Mangalkavyas.  Once,  when serpents  and  reptiles  had  created  chaos  on  the  earth,  sage  Kashyapa  created goddess  Manasa  from  his  mind  (mana).  The  creator  god Brahma made  her  the presiding deity of snakes and reptiles. Manasa gained control over the earth, by the power of mantras she chanted. Manasa then propitiated the god, Shiva, who told her to please Krishna. Upon being pleased, Krishna granted her divine Siddhi powers and ritually worshipped her, making her an established goddess.Originally  an Adivasi (tribal)  goddess,  Manasa  was  accepted  in  the  pantheon worshipped by Hindu  lower caste groups. Later, she was  included  in a higher caste Hindu pantheon, where she is now regarded as a Hindu goddess rather than a tribal one.  As  a  Hindu  goddess,  she  was  recognized  as  a  daughter  of sage Kashyapa and Kadru, the mother of all Nāgas. By the 14th century, Manasa was identified  as  the  goddess  of  fertility  and  marriage  rites  and  was  assimilated  into the Shaiva pantheon as a relative of Shiva. Myths glorified her by describing that she saved Shiva after he drank poison, and venerated her as the "remover of poison". Her popularity grew and spread  to southern  India,  and her  cult  began  to  rival Shaivism itself.  As  a  consequence,  stories  attributing  Manasa's  birth  to  Shiva  emerged  and ultimately Shaivism adopted this  indigenous goddess into the Brahmanical  tradition of mainstream Hinduism.

MYTHS ASSOCIATED WITH MANASA

The Mangalkavyas were  devotional paeans to  local  deities  such  as  Manasa, composed  in  Bengal  between  the  13th  and  the  18th  centuries.  The Manasa Mangalkavya by Bijay Gupta  and Manasa Vijaya (1495)  by Bipradas Pipilai trace  the origin and myths of the goddess.

According  to Manasa Vijaya, Manasa was born when a statue of girl  that had been sculpted  by  Vasuki's  mother  was  touched  by Shiva's  semen.  Vasuki  accepted Manasa as his sister, and granted her charge of the poison that was produced when King Prithu milked  the  Earth  as  a  cow.  When  Shiva  saw  Manasa,  he  was  sexually attracted to her, but she proved to him that he was her father. Shiva took Manasa to his home where his wife, Chandi, suspected Manasa of being Shiva's concubine or co-wife, and insulted Manasa and burnt one of her eyes,  leaving Manasa half-blind. Later, when Shiva was dying of poison, Manasa cured him. On one occasion, when Chandi kicked her, Manasa rendered her senseless with a glance of her poison eye. Finally, tired of quarrels between Manasa and Chandi, Shiva deserted Manasa under a  tree,  but  created  a  companion  for  her  from  his  tears  of  remorse,  called Neto  or Netā.

The Mangalkavyas were  devotional paeans to  local  deities  such  as  Manasa, composed  in  Bengal  between  the  13th  and  the  18th  centuries.  The Manasa Mangalkavya by Bijay Gupta  and Manasa Vijaya (1495)  by Bipradas Pipilai trace  the origin and myths of the goddess.

According  to Manasa Vijaya, Manasa was born when a statue of girl  that had been sculpted  by  Vasuki's  mother  was  touched  by Shiva's  semen.  Vasuki  accepted Manasa as his sister, and granted her charge of the poison that was produced when King Prithu milked  the  Earth  as  a  cow.  When  Shiva  saw  Manasa,  he  was  sexually attracted to her, but she proved to him that he was her father. Shiva took Manasa to his home where his wife, Chandi, suspected Manasa of being Shiva's concubine or co-wife, and insulted Manasa and burnt one of her eyes,  leaving Manasa half-blind. Later, when Shiva was dying of poison, Manasa cured him. On one occasion, when Chandi kicked her, Manasa rendered her senseless with a glance of her poison eye. Finally, tired of quarrels between Manasa and Chandi, Shiva deserted Manasa under a  tree,  but  created  a  companion  for  her  from  his  tears  of  remorse,  called Neto  or Netā.

MANASA PUJA AND DEODHANI DANCE

The cult of Manasa is most widespread in Bengal and lower Assam districts, where she is ritually worshipped in temples. The goddess is widely worshipped in the rainy season, when the snakes are most active.

She is worshipped for protection from and cure of snake bites and infectious diseases like smallpox and chicken pox.

The cult of Manasa is most widespread in Bengal and lower Assam districts, where she is ritually worshipped in temples. The goddess is widely worshipped in the rainy season, when the snakes are most active.

She is worshipped for protection from and cure of snake bites and infectious diseases like smallpox and chicken pox.

Deodhani Dance considered as a form of wild dance evolved from two places of Assam, Mangaldai and Uttarlakhimpur. This dance is performed at the time of `Manasa Puja`

Deodhani Dance considered as a form of wild dance evolved from two places of Assam, Mangaldai and Uttarlakhimpur. This dance is performed at the time of `Manasa Puja`

ORIGIN OF DEODHANI DANCE

The Oja-Pali is the most distinctive form of folk dance drama in Assam. The group is an amalgam of chorus singers and dancers led by the ‘Oja'; and ‘Pali' – his assistants. They dance, play small cymbals and sing narrative songs from the Epics and the Puranas.

The Oja-Pali troupes can be divided in to two – the one connected to the Vaishanava tradition and other to the Manasa cult. The former, known as ‘Ramayan-goa' Oja-Pali uses recitation of verses from the Mahabharata or theRamayana. The other is known as the ‘Sukanayani Sukanani' Oja-Pali and draws its themes from the Padmapurana written by Sukavi Narayanadev.

Deodhani dance form of Assam is a not a classical dance form and not even folk dance; it is a semi classical form. This dance includes 2 types. One type is trance and another is semi classical. Within the southwest Kamrup & Mangaldoi parts of the Assam, this dance form is common. These areas are connected to Sukanani Oja Pall.

The Oja-Pali is the most distinctive form of folk dance drama in Assam. The group is an amalgam of chorus singers and dancers led by the ‘Oja'; and ‘Pali' – his assistants. They dance, play small cymbals and sing narrative songs from the Epics and the Puranas.

The Oja-Pali troupes can be divided in to two – the one connected to the Vaishanava tradition and other to the Manasa cult. The former, known as ‘Ramayan-goa' Oja-Pali uses recitation of verses from the Mahabharata or theRamayana. The other is known as the ‘Sukanayani Sukanani' Oja-Pali and draws its themes from the Padmapurana written by Sukavi Narayanadev.

Deodhani dance form of Assam is a not a classical dance form and not even folk dance; it is a semi classical form. This dance includes 2 types. One type is trance and another is semi classical. Within the southwest Kamrup & Mangaldoi parts of the Assam, this dance form is common. These areas are connected to Sukanani Oja Pall.

Deodhanis and Deodhar in dance movement in Shakti Peeth Kamakhya.Source: Demotix.com

Deodhani dance depicts the process of worshiping Devi Manasa.

The dancers wear Mekhala, the traditional dress of Assamese, in Muga, red blouse as their dress along with traditional jewellery.

While dancing the dancers leave their hair open and they dance to the tune of Jaidhol (a cylindrical percussion instrument) and Khutitaal (palm sized Cymbal).

Dancers’ rotating their head in rapid circular motion with open stresses is a striking moment of this dance. It is performed solo or in a group of three or four females.

The dance begins when a young woman drinks the raw blood of a pigeon and goes into a trance and starts the dance with slow movements. As the tempo of the music increases, the dance became faster and the dancer spins the whole body like a top and twists the neck, imitating a snake. This goes on till the dancer falls exhausted into a swoon.

Deodhani dance depicts the process of worshiping Devi Manasa.

The dancers wear Mekhala, the traditional dress of Assamese, in Muga, red blouse as their dress along with traditional jewellery.

While dancing the dancers leave their hair open and they dance to the tune of Jaidhol (a cylindrical percussion instrument) and Khutitaal (palm sized Cymbal).

Dancers’ rotating their head in rapid circular motion with open stresses is a striking moment of this dance. It is performed solo or in a group of three or four females.

The dance begins when a young woman drinks the raw blood of a pigeon and goes into a trance and starts the dance with slow movements. As the tempo of the music increases, the dance became faster and the dancer spins the whole body like a top and twists the neck, imitating a snake. This goes on till the dancer falls exhausted into a swoon.

DANCE AS PERFORMED IN THE PUJA

TRADITION LINKED TO BEHULA AND MANASA

BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES

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