Different styles of Folk-drama of Goalpara
A very important ingredient of the cultural build-up of the region consists of the indigenous folk-plays. Not only are there full-scale dramatic performances popular in the different parts of the region, but there are also a number of other institutions that contain parts with a distinctly dramatic character. These latter can easily be identified as semi-dramatic institutions represent a distinctive art form which has been popular in this region since a long time past.
Of the two categories of dramatic institutions, the full-fledged folk-play is represented by the Kushan-gan, the Pala-gan or Dotra-gan, the Bhari-gan or Bhao-gan, etc. while the semi-dramatic elements are contained in the ritualistic mimetic performances connected with Padma-puran or Marai-gan, Kati Puja and Charak Puja, etc.
Kushan-gan
The most important as well as popular folk-plays of Goalpara are those that are known by the name Kushan-gan. The origin of the term Kushan is not known for certain. Different explanations are put forward: but the most plausible explanation is that it has been derived from Kusha, one of the two sons of Rama, who are said to have been the first singers of the Ramayana under Valamiki’s training. It is said that in the past the Kushan parties drew their themes exclusively from the Ramayana. Many people of the older generation still call it Raban-gan, Raban being a corruption from Ramayana. The argument in favour of the above explanation gains additional strength when we take note of the mode of presenting Kushan (or kushane) plays in North Bengal, where the practice is for two boys to take the main part in the singing of the narrative. The two boys are said to represent Lava and Kusha, recalling a very ancient mode of presenting the Ramayana.
Kushan plays are presented by semi-professional troupes consisting of about fifteen to twenty people, including grown up men and boys. These persons are generally drawn from peasantry. They are normally engaged in agriculture or some such occupation but train themselves during winter when they have plenty of free time and also the demand for such entertainment is great.
Every Kushan troupe is organised under a leader who is the principal singer, director and manager, all rolled into one. He is called Mul or Moul in some parts and Gital or Gidal in others. Of course, Mul or Moul is the term applied to the leading artist in any such singing or dramatic troupe. Gital or Gidal is also a general term to designate an expert singer. Sometimes a person who has distinguished himself as a leading Kushan artiste earns the title of Kushani.
Mul
The Mul or Gital in a Kushan play invariably carries during a performance a small one-stringed bowing instrument called Bena, with which he accompanies the singing. Bena-playing is such a distinguishing characteristic of Kushan plays that they are sometimes called Bena-ganDohari/ Dowari: Next to the Mul or Gital, the Dohari or Dowari performs the most important function in a Kushan paly. The term is obviously related to the term Dohar which in standard Assamese colloquial means an assistant singer or the chorus of a song. The function of the Dohari or Dowari in a Kushan play is to act as the principal assistant of the leader, and he has to adept at singing and dancing. Besides, the Dowari also helps the leader in conducting dramatic dialogues which he makes lively with his monespun humour. In fact, in the present form of the art, the most sought after quality in a Dowari is his capacity to make the people laugh by the introduction of humorous sequences, by witty dialogues or even by buffoonery. Often the Dowari dominates the show and t is not infrequently that a famous Dowari proves to be a greater draw than even a well-known Mul.
Pail
The Pails are the assistants (c.f. Assamese pali) of whom there are usually several in a troupe. Their main function is to provide the choral support to the singing of the Mul by repeating the refrain and to maintain the continuity in the singing of the narrative by putting in such pieces as a, ha etc. at the end of every movement. The chief among the Palis are the Diana Pail and the Bawa pail; the Daina Pail is the principal singing assistant while the Bawa pail’s normal function is to play small cymbals.
Chengra
Chengra in the local dialect means a boy, and the Chengras in a Kushan play, generally numbering four or five, are boys dressed as female dancers. They also take part in singing and occasionally in acting, when dramatic pieces with female characters are introduced.But their chief function is to dance, and usually they go on dancing almost throughout the performance.
Bain
A Bain or Bayen is an instrument-player, and Bains in a Kushan play provide instrumental accompaniment, chiefly with the Khol.
MODE OF PRESENTATION
A Kushan performance is generally organised on the occasion of a puja or some other ceremony. Kushan plays are big attractions at fairs held in connection with festivals especially during the winter months. The custom is for the organisers to arrange for a performance with the payment of some advance (Baina) to the troupe. Besides board and lodging, the party is paid an amount depending on the resources of the organisers and the popularity enjoyed by the troupe.
The performance generally a start late in the evening and sometimes continues throughout the night, the arrangement for lighting being made with high-powered lamps.
The Stage: a Kushan play needs no raised platform for a stage. It is usually takes place in a pandal put up in the open. At the centre of the pandal is kept a circular space called Asar where the Bains and the Pails sit. Also, when a performer has no particular function to perform, he takes his seat here. On the whole, the Asar serves as some sort of a green-room during a performance except for the make-up which is done earlier in any convenient place. The audience sits all around the Asar leaving a space of about six to eight cubi between the Asar and themselves. This ring-shaped space is the stage where the play is performed.
The performance starts with an invocation to Saraswati to grace the Asar and to bless the performance. The participating artists take their respective positions after making obeisance to the Asar and the assembly. This is called Asar-bandana and only after this is the play introduced.
First comes the Mul who, Bena in hand leads the singing while he keeps up a circular movement in the ring-shaped stage. Next to him comes the Dowari and last of all the Chengras; they all follow the Mul and give him support in the singing. While the Dowari and the Chengras maintain a dancing movement, the Mul himself maintains a relaxed and restrained posture. Although normally the movement of the group is towards one particular direction, at times the performers also move back ward and forward alternately. There is also variation in the speed which is normally slow; but occasionally the movement becomes faster and at particular moments the artistes are seen to circle the stage at a tremendous speed.
The story of the play mainly proceeds through the singing of narrative songs which, however, does not continue without pause. Every now and then there is a break or interlude of some kind or other in the narrative singing. Short breaks are sometimes meant for the introduction of some song and dance number. Frequently also there are short explanatory dialogues between the Mul and the Dowari. This is called Bhangti Dewa. Sometimes there are longer breaks with regular dramatic sequences in which the same set of artistes take apart in different roles. For example, in a play based on the story of Raja Harishchandra, the Mul may take the role of the Harishchandra’s father, the Dowari may become the king himself and one of the Chengras may appear as queen Shaibya, and so on. There is no set script for such a sequence and the acting is on the whole extempore although the overall pattern is previously arranged and some episode in the story of the play but the Dowari generally adds a comic touch to it. Sometimes he also presents, with the cooperation of others, purely farcical pieces. These dramatic breaks are called Ghat. Kushan performances in which there is a provision for regular acting with appropriate make up and other accessories are called Ghat-bandha Kushan.
Payar and Kemta: as mentioned above, the interpolation of short interludes into the narrative singing is often meant for song and dance numbers of which there are two types, Payar and Khemta. In fact payars are an adjunct of all long narrative songs. But in Kushan plays they constitute an additional attraction as their selection helps to project particular moods at particular points of the plays. There are various types of Payarsbut the majority of the popular Kushan Payars are those depicting love and yearning. Khemtas are on the other hand light and crisp songs of the Chatka type that are introduced to break the monotony of the narrative and to provide relief to the audience especially when the tempo of the performance seems to be sagging. Such songs generally have no links with the prevailing mood of the play and are accompanied by vigorous and even provocative dancing by the Chengras. The demand for a Khemta may even come from a bored and tired audience with such shouts as “let’s have Khemta, let’s have Khemta” and it is customary to respond to it. It is an excellent example of rapport between the artistes and the audience.
DRESS, MAKE-UP
Dress and make-up: The dress and make-up of a Kushan play are simple and unobtrusive. Generally the Mul wears a Dhoti of some length with its fore-part folded and hanging in front; he also has a shirt, and a wrapper, folded lengthwise around his neck, the two ends hanging on both sides in front. The Dowari has a shorter dhoti, worn in the fashion of an average peasant and a vest or a similar short-sleeved shirt. As he also acts as a clown he sometimes dons an outlandish headgear. The Mul and the Dowari, however, use no make-up. It is only the Chengras who are more or less elaborately and showily dressed and made-up. They wear a petticoat, veils and gaudy tinsel ornaments, apart from wigs and false breasts.
LANGUAGE
It is said that all the proceedings of a Kushan play were formerly conducted in the local dialects. However, the language used in much of the performance is often a patois of the local dialects and Bengali. This is particularly true of the narrative pieces and some of the dramatic dialogues. The comic scenes, however, are always in the local dialects; so are the Payars and Khemtas.
Pata-gan/Dotra-gan/Kechcha-gan
The Kushan is the most important of the folk-plays found in the Goalpara region not only because it is the most popular form of such plays but also because it is the archetype of a whole lot of traditional folk-plays of this region. Thus, Kushan is the genre that may be said to include sesveral other types of folk-plays. Particularly the Pala-gan or Dotra-gan has so much in common with Kushan that laymen generally use the single term, Kushan< to designate both the forms.
The points of difference between the Kushan plays and the Pala or Dotra-gan plays are subtle but significant:
(1) The theme of a Kushan play drawn from the epics and has atleast an indirect religious appeal. In a Pala or Dotra play, however, this religious aspect is absent and it is built up on a popular tale. A tale in the local dialect is called Kechcha (from Urdu Kissa, a story) and hence the name Kechcha-bandi. And since it also involves the recitation of a popular tale in a drama form, it is also called Pata-gan or Pata-bandi gan, the word Pala in the local dialect standing for a play.
(2) Another important difference between the Kushan and the Pala or Dotra paly is that while the playing of the one-stringed Benaby the leader is a peculiarity of the former, the leader of the latter has in its place a Dotra (or dotara). This is the reason why this particular type of plays has the alternative name Dotra-gan just to mark it out from the Kushan.
(3) There are also some differences in the modes of presentation, especially in the musical structures of the two forms.
But the on all other points such as the manner of compositions, the formation of the troupes, the different functionaries and their respective functions, the techniques of singing, dancing and acting, the Pala-gan or Dotra-gan form has practically no difference with the Kushan-gan form. There are the Mul, the Dowari, the Chengras and the Bains performing in the same manner, the same type of stage, a similar technique of singing the narratives and of ntroducing dramatic and musical braeks; even the dress and make-up are identical.
Khara-tali, Boisna-tali
The folk-plays, especially of the Kechcha-bandi type, may be presented in two different techniques. The first, known as Khara-tal or tali, involves the elaborate full-scale presentation as described above. In it the main players are on their feet (Khara standing), moving, dancing and gesticulating, and they are assisted by a number of other singers and instrumentalists. In the other technique all the inessential accessories like the Pails, the Bains and the Chengras are dispensed with. Only the Mul and the Dowari sing the narrative in the sitting posture, whence the name Boisna-tali (Bois = to sit). In the Boisna-tali form of presentation, there is no regular acting as in the other form, but the two singers occasionally break into dramatic dialogues.
It may be pointed out here that in the western parts of the region, the practice of presenting tales with musical and dramatic embellishments is very common. Every such tale is known as a Gan or Jatra but that does not mean that each represents a distinctive dramatic form. In fact, each follows the pattern of folk plays we have described above, with certain variations here and there. Thus, Nayanshari depicts the story of an unusual love-affair between a young widow and medicant, Manai Jatra narrates the story of two brothers, Manai and tanai, Char-jugi-gan is built upon the theme of the four stages of human life from infancy to old age, and so on. The material of some some of these are drawn from the Muslim society and often the artistes themselves belong to that community. Formerly, dramatic representation of Jari songs, narrating the story of Karbala, was common among the Muslims. The palying of the Shanai, besides the Khol and the Cymbals, used to be a speciality of these performances. Sometimes the Kushan style was also followed in presenting the story. Another Pala that used to be popular among the Muslims is Satyapir. But such performances are fast going out of practice and are seldom to be seen today.
Bhari-gan and Bhao-gan
In the southern and eastern parts of the region is found another type of folk-plays called Bhari-gan (in the south) (T.C.Khakhlari) or Bhao-gan (in the east). They are said to have been widely popular in these areas in the past. However, their popularity is at present at a low ebb and the whole institution is now in a moribund state. While Bhari-gan performances are still occasionally held insome villages in the south, particularly no Bhao-gan performances are to be seen in the east now-a-days.
The Bhari-gan plays also derive their themes from the epics. Here also there is a principal singer and a number of assistants, the former being known as Mul Gaoniya and the latter as Paila, pali or Dohariya. Here also the performance leans more heavily on narrative singing than on acting. In a Bhari-gan, the Gaoniya, with a whisk in his hand, leads the singing with appropriate steps and gestures and the dohariyas join in chorus and also provide the musical accompaniment. There is not much dialogue, while the story proceeds with the singing of songs and the characters have resort mainly to action and gesture. The comic scenes with humorous dialogues that are inserted from time generally have no link with the story of the play.
A striking feature of the Bhari plays is the use of masks by many characters. Some characters like Rama, Lakshmana and Sita are customarily not supposed to wear masks, whereas in case of such characters as Ravana, Hunuman and jambuvana masks are essential. We have already mentioned the Ketuas. They not only use an incongruous type of make-up but also wear the most odd0looking masks, and they indulge in all kinds of clownish pranks to make the people laugh. Sometimes the Ketuas enter the stage following Ravana carrying torches in their hands. The masks are made by the members of the troupes themselves with wood and tree-bark.
Another interesting feature of the Bhari plays is the awe and reverence with which those engaged in them regard the whole process. For example, the masks used in the plays are believed to be possessed by spirits and new masks are used only after formally worshipping goddess Kali. When not in use, the masks are kept in a house with care; and earthen lamps are regularly lighted in the house, failing which, it is believed, the spirit residing in the masks fight amongst themselves during the night. In some places, the faith in the sacredness of the institution is so deep-seated that no other performance except a Bhari-gan is allowed within the precincts of a Than (holy place) for fear of defiling its sancitity. It is also to be noted that in a Bhari-gan performance no modernistic furniture is used. For example, a king is given a wooden mortar to sit on and not a chair, as in a modern Jatra. Even kerosene oil is not used for lighting.
Although the etymology of the terms Bhari-gan and Bhao-gan is not definitely known, it is most likely that they are related to Bhaoriya and Bhao respectively. Bhaoriyas are professional song-and-drama performers popular in Kamrup and Darang, whose acting is known as Bhao. The relation between the Bhari-gan or Bhao-gan with the Bhaoriya troupes is suggested not only by the similarity of the sounds but also by the closeness of the forms which we discuss later in this chapter.
Goalani Jatra
This is another type of crude folk-play in which masks are freely used. These masks are made of the hard crust of the bottle-gourd.
The Goalani Jatra is by no means a regulr dramatic institution. There is neither any well-integrated story nor any standard mode of performance. It consists of some loosely-knit dramatic scenes among which the episodes of a milk-maid (goalani) occupy the place of importance. Hence the name Goalani Jatra. The following gives a rough idea about the nature of scenes that are enacted.
(1) Bherakanta is anxious to get married. The marriage takes place. But to his dismay and consternation he discovers that the bride is only a boy made up as a girl.
(2) A man comes to a household seeking a job and is engaged as a servant. He is not good at any of the household chores. But he claims that he knows the art of curing patients. A girl of the family has an unwanted pregnancy. The new servant helps her in having an abortion.
(3) The milkman and the milkmaid go to the dairy farm (bathan). They have an encounter with a Barkandaj, a petty official of the Zamindar. Then appears a buffalo-herd, Dotara in hand, and sings Moishali songs.
There are also other characters, both human and animal. The animal characters like the tiger, the bear and the buffalo are particularly interesting as they appear with masks. The actors have some sort of mutual understanding but the dialogues are by no means previously set and are practically impromptu.
Aside from these, two other forms of folk-drama, Leotani and Jusrir-gan, are said to have been prevalent in some parts of the region in the past but neither is alive today and practically nothing is definitely known about their nature. (Proceedings of Asom Sahitya Sabha- 39th session)
A very important ingredient of the cultural build-up of the region consists of the indigenous folk-plays. Not only are there full-scale dramatic performances popular in the different parts of the region, but there are also a number of other institutions that contain parts with a distinctly dramatic character. These latter can easily be identified as semi-dramatic institutions represent a distinctive art form which has been popular in this region since a long time past.
Of the two categories of dramatic institutions, the full-fledged folk-play is represented by the Kushan-gan, the Pala-gan or Dotra-gan, the Bhari-gan or Bhao-gan, etc. while the semi-dramatic elements are contained in the ritualistic mimetic performances connected with Padma-puran or Marai-gan, Kati Puja and Charak Puja, etc.
Kushan-gan
The most important as well as popular folk-plays of Goalpara are those that are known by the name Kushan-gan. The origin of the term Kushan is not known for certain. Different explanations are put forward: but the most plausible explanation is that it has been derived from Kusha, one of the two sons of Rama, who are said to have been the first singers of the Ramayana under Valamiki’s training. It is said that in the past the Kushan parties drew their themes exclusively from the Ramayana. Many people of the older generation still call it Raban-gan, Raban being a corruption from Ramayana. The argument in favour of the above explanation gains additional strength when we take note of the mode of presenting Kushan (or kushane) plays in North Bengal, where the practice is for two boys to take the main part in the singing of the narrative. The two boys are said to represent Lava and Kusha, recalling a very ancient mode of presenting the Ramayana.
Kushan plays are presented by semi-professional troupes consisting of about fifteen to twenty people, including grown up men and boys. These persons are generally drawn from peasantry. They are normally engaged in agriculture or some such occupation but train themselves during winter when they have plenty of free time and also the demand for such entertainment is great.
Every Kushan troupe is organised under a leader who is the principal singer, director and manager, all rolled into one. He is called Mul or Moul in some parts and Gital or Gidal in others. Of course, Mul or Moul is the term applied to the leading artist in any such singing or dramatic troupe. Gital or Gidal is also a general term to designate an expert singer. Sometimes a person who has distinguished himself as a leading Kushan artiste earns the title of Kushani.
Mul
The Mul or Gital in a Kushan play invariably carries during a performance a small one-stringed bowing instrument called Bena, with which he accompanies the singing. Bena-playing is such a distinguishing characteristic of Kushan plays that they are sometimes called Bena-ganDohari/ Dowari: Next to the Mul or Gital, the Dohari or Dowari performs the most important function in a Kushan paly. The term is obviously related to the term Dohar which in standard Assamese colloquial means an assistant singer or the chorus of a song. The function of the Dohari or Dowari in a Kushan play is to act as the principal assistant of the leader, and he has to adept at singing and dancing. Besides, the Dowari also helps the leader in conducting dramatic dialogues which he makes lively with his monespun humour. In fact, in the present form of the art, the most sought after quality in a Dowari is his capacity to make the people laugh by the introduction of humorous sequences, by witty dialogues or even by buffoonery. Often the Dowari dominates the show and t is not infrequently that a famous Dowari proves to be a greater draw than even a well-known Mul.
Pail
The Pails are the assistants (c.f. Assamese pali) of whom there are usually several in a troupe. Their main function is to provide the choral support to the singing of the Mul by repeating the refrain and to maintain the continuity in the singing of the narrative by putting in such pieces as a, ha etc. at the end of every movement. The chief among the Palis are the Diana Pail and the Bawa pail; the Daina Pail is the principal singing assistant while the Bawa pail’s normal function is to play small cymbals.
Chengra
Chengra in the local dialect means a boy, and the Chengras in a Kushan play, generally numbering four or five, are boys dressed as female dancers. They also take part in singing and occasionally in acting, when dramatic pieces with female characters are introduced.But their chief function is to dance, and usually they go on dancing almost throughout the performance.
Bain
A Bain or Bayen is an instrument-player, and Bains in a Kushan play provide instrumental accompaniment, chiefly with the Khol.
MODE OF PRESENTATION
A Kushan performance is generally organised on the occasion of a puja or some other ceremony. Kushan plays are big attractions at fairs held in connection with festivals especially during the winter months. The custom is for the organisers to arrange for a performance with the payment of some advance (Baina) to the troupe. Besides board and lodging, the party is paid an amount depending on the resources of the organisers and the popularity enjoyed by the troupe.
The performance generally a start late in the evening and sometimes continues throughout the night, the arrangement for lighting being made with high-powered lamps.
The Stage: a Kushan play needs no raised platform for a stage. It is usually takes place in a pandal put up in the open. At the centre of the pandal is kept a circular space called Asar where the Bains and the Pails sit. Also, when a performer has no particular function to perform, he takes his seat here. On the whole, the Asar serves as some sort of a green-room during a performance except for the make-up which is done earlier in any convenient place. The audience sits all around the Asar leaving a space of about six to eight cubi between the Asar and themselves. This ring-shaped space is the stage where the play is performed.
The performance starts with an invocation to Saraswati to grace the Asar and to bless the performance. The participating artists take their respective positions after making obeisance to the Asar and the assembly. This is called Asar-bandana and only after this is the play introduced.
First comes the Mul who, Bena in hand leads the singing while he keeps up a circular movement in the ring-shaped stage. Next to him comes the Dowari and last of all the Chengras; they all follow the Mul and give him support in the singing. While the Dowari and the Chengras maintain a dancing movement, the Mul himself maintains a relaxed and restrained posture. Although normally the movement of the group is towards one particular direction, at times the performers also move back ward and forward alternately. There is also variation in the speed which is normally slow; but occasionally the movement becomes faster and at particular moments the artistes are seen to circle the stage at a tremendous speed.
The story of the play mainly proceeds through the singing of narrative songs which, however, does not continue without pause. Every now and then there is a break or interlude of some kind or other in the narrative singing. Short breaks are sometimes meant for the introduction of some song and dance number. Frequently also there are short explanatory dialogues between the Mul and the Dowari. This is called Bhangti Dewa. Sometimes there are longer breaks with regular dramatic sequences in which the same set of artistes take apart in different roles. For example, in a play based on the story of Raja Harishchandra, the Mul may take the role of the Harishchandra’s father, the Dowari may become the king himself and one of the Chengras may appear as queen Shaibya, and so on. There is no set script for such a sequence and the acting is on the whole extempore although the overall pattern is previously arranged and some episode in the story of the play but the Dowari generally adds a comic touch to it. Sometimes he also presents, with the cooperation of others, purely farcical pieces. These dramatic breaks are called Ghat. Kushan performances in which there is a provision for regular acting with appropriate make up and other accessories are called Ghat-bandha Kushan.
Payar and Kemta: as mentioned above, the interpolation of short interludes into the narrative singing is often meant for song and dance numbers of which there are two types, Payar and Khemta. In fact payars are an adjunct of all long narrative songs. But in Kushan plays they constitute an additional attraction as their selection helps to project particular moods at particular points of the plays. There are various types of Payarsbut the majority of the popular Kushan Payars are those depicting love and yearning. Khemtas are on the other hand light and crisp songs of the Chatka type that are introduced to break the monotony of the narrative and to provide relief to the audience especially when the tempo of the performance seems to be sagging. Such songs generally have no links with the prevailing mood of the play and are accompanied by vigorous and even provocative dancing by the Chengras. The demand for a Khemta may even come from a bored and tired audience with such shouts as “let’s have Khemta, let’s have Khemta” and it is customary to respond to it. It is an excellent example of rapport between the artistes and the audience.
DRESS, MAKE-UP
Dress and make-up: The dress and make-up of a Kushan play are simple and unobtrusive. Generally the Mul wears a Dhoti of some length with its fore-part folded and hanging in front; he also has a shirt, and a wrapper, folded lengthwise around his neck, the two ends hanging on both sides in front. The Dowari has a shorter dhoti, worn in the fashion of an average peasant and a vest or a similar short-sleeved shirt. As he also acts as a clown he sometimes dons an outlandish headgear. The Mul and the Dowari, however, use no make-up. It is only the Chengras who are more or less elaborately and showily dressed and made-up. They wear a petticoat, veils and gaudy tinsel ornaments, apart from wigs and false breasts.
LANGUAGE
It is said that all the proceedings of a Kushan play were formerly conducted in the local dialects. However, the language used in much of the performance is often a patois of the local dialects and Bengali. This is particularly true of the narrative pieces and some of the dramatic dialogues. The comic scenes, however, are always in the local dialects; so are the Payars and Khemtas.
Pata-gan/Dotra-gan/Kechcha-gan
The Kushan is the most important of the folk-plays found in the Goalpara region not only because it is the most popular form of such plays but also because it is the archetype of a whole lot of traditional folk-plays of this region. Thus, Kushan is the genre that may be said to include sesveral other types of folk-plays. Particularly the Pala-gan or Dotra-gan has so much in common with Kushan that laymen generally use the single term, Kushan< to designate both the forms.
The points of difference between the Kushan plays and the Pala or Dotra-gan plays are subtle but significant:
(1) The theme of a Kushan play drawn from the epics and has atleast an indirect religious appeal. In a Pala or Dotra play, however, this religious aspect is absent and it is built up on a popular tale. A tale in the local dialect is called Kechcha (from Urdu Kissa, a story) and hence the name Kechcha-bandi. And since it also involves the recitation of a popular tale in a drama form, it is also called Pata-gan or Pata-bandi gan, the word Pala in the local dialect standing for a play.
(2) Another important difference between the Kushan and the Pala or Dotra paly is that while the playing of the one-stringed Benaby the leader is a peculiarity of the former, the leader of the latter has in its place a Dotra (or dotara). This is the reason why this particular type of plays has the alternative name Dotra-gan just to mark it out from the Kushan.
(3) There are also some differences in the modes of presentation, especially in the musical structures of the two forms.
But the on all other points such as the manner of compositions, the formation of the troupes, the different functionaries and their respective functions, the techniques of singing, dancing and acting, the Pala-gan or Dotra-gan form has practically no difference with the Kushan-gan form. There are the Mul, the Dowari, the Chengras and the Bains performing in the same manner, the same type of stage, a similar technique of singing the narratives and of ntroducing dramatic and musical braeks; even the dress and make-up are identical.
Khara-tali, Boisna-tali
The folk-plays, especially of the Kechcha-bandi type, may be presented in two different techniques. The first, known as Khara-tal or tali, involves the elaborate full-scale presentation as described above. In it the main players are on their feet (Khara standing), moving, dancing and gesticulating, and they are assisted by a number of other singers and instrumentalists. In the other technique all the inessential accessories like the Pails, the Bains and the Chengras are dispensed with. Only the Mul and the Dowari sing the narrative in the sitting posture, whence the name Boisna-tali (Bois = to sit). In the Boisna-tali form of presentation, there is no regular acting as in the other form, but the two singers occasionally break into dramatic dialogues.
It may be pointed out here that in the western parts of the region, the practice of presenting tales with musical and dramatic embellishments is very common. Every such tale is known as a Gan or Jatra but that does not mean that each represents a distinctive dramatic form. In fact, each follows the pattern of folk plays we have described above, with certain variations here and there. Thus, Nayanshari depicts the story of an unusual love-affair between a young widow and medicant, Manai Jatra narrates the story of two brothers, Manai and tanai, Char-jugi-gan is built upon the theme of the four stages of human life from infancy to old age, and so on. The material of some some of these are drawn from the Muslim society and often the artistes themselves belong to that community. Formerly, dramatic representation of Jari songs, narrating the story of Karbala, was common among the Muslims. The palying of the Shanai, besides the Khol and the Cymbals, used to be a speciality of these performances. Sometimes the Kushan style was also followed in presenting the story. Another Pala that used to be popular among the Muslims is Satyapir. But such performances are fast going out of practice and are seldom to be seen today.
Bhari-gan and Bhao-gan
In the southern and eastern parts of the region is found another type of folk-plays called Bhari-gan (in the south) (T.C.Khakhlari) or Bhao-gan (in the east). They are said to have been widely popular in these areas in the past. However, their popularity is at present at a low ebb and the whole institution is now in a moribund state. While Bhari-gan performances are still occasionally held insome villages in the south, particularly no Bhao-gan performances are to be seen in the east now-a-days.
The Bhari-gan plays also derive their themes from the epics. Here also there is a principal singer and a number of assistants, the former being known as Mul Gaoniya and the latter as Paila, pali or Dohariya. Here also the performance leans more heavily on narrative singing than on acting. In a Bhari-gan, the Gaoniya, with a whisk in his hand, leads the singing with appropriate steps and gestures and the dohariyas join in chorus and also provide the musical accompaniment. There is not much dialogue, while the story proceeds with the singing of songs and the characters have resort mainly to action and gesture. The comic scenes with humorous dialogues that are inserted from time generally have no link with the story of the play.
A striking feature of the Bhari plays is the use of masks by many characters. Some characters like Rama, Lakshmana and Sita are customarily not supposed to wear masks, whereas in case of such characters as Ravana, Hunuman and jambuvana masks are essential. We have already mentioned the Ketuas. They not only use an incongruous type of make-up but also wear the most odd0looking masks, and they indulge in all kinds of clownish pranks to make the people laugh. Sometimes the Ketuas enter the stage following Ravana carrying torches in their hands. The masks are made by the members of the troupes themselves with wood and tree-bark.
Another interesting feature of the Bhari plays is the awe and reverence with which those engaged in them regard the whole process. For example, the masks used in the plays are believed to be possessed by spirits and new masks are used only after formally worshipping goddess Kali. When not in use, the masks are kept in a house with care; and earthen lamps are regularly lighted in the house, failing which, it is believed, the spirit residing in the masks fight amongst themselves during the night. In some places, the faith in the sacredness of the institution is so deep-seated that no other performance except a Bhari-gan is allowed within the precincts of a Than (holy place) for fear of defiling its sancitity. It is also to be noted that in a Bhari-gan performance no modernistic furniture is used. For example, a king is given a wooden mortar to sit on and not a chair, as in a modern Jatra. Even kerosene oil is not used for lighting.
Although the etymology of the terms Bhari-gan and Bhao-gan is not definitely known, it is most likely that they are related to Bhaoriya and Bhao respectively. Bhaoriyas are professional song-and-drama performers popular in Kamrup and Darang, whose acting is known as Bhao. The relation between the Bhari-gan or Bhao-gan with the Bhaoriya troupes is suggested not only by the similarity of the sounds but also by the closeness of the forms which we discuss later in this chapter.
Goalani Jatra
This is another type of crude folk-play in which masks are freely used. These masks are made of the hard crust of the bottle-gourd.
The Goalani Jatra is by no means a regulr dramatic institution. There is neither any well-integrated story nor any standard mode of performance. It consists of some loosely-knit dramatic scenes among which the episodes of a milk-maid (goalani) occupy the place of importance. Hence the name Goalani Jatra. The following gives a rough idea about the nature of scenes that are enacted.
(1) Bherakanta is anxious to get married. The marriage takes place. But to his dismay and consternation he discovers that the bride is only a boy made up as a girl.
(2) A man comes to a household seeking a job and is engaged as a servant. He is not good at any of the household chores. But he claims that he knows the art of curing patients. A girl of the family has an unwanted pregnancy. The new servant helps her in having an abortion.
(3) The milkman and the milkmaid go to the dairy farm (bathan). They have an encounter with a Barkandaj, a petty official of the Zamindar. Then appears a buffalo-herd, Dotara in hand, and sings Moishali songs.
There are also other characters, both human and animal. The animal characters like the tiger, the bear and the buffalo are particularly interesting as they appear with masks. The actors have some sort of mutual understanding but the dialogues are by no means previously set and are practically impromptu.
Aside from these, two other forms of folk-drama, Leotani and Jusrir-gan, are said to have been prevalent in some parts of the region in the past but neither is alive today and practically nothing is definitely known about their nature. (Proceedings of Asom Sahitya Sabha- 39th session)
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