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Through the creation of Ankiya drama, Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva, for the first time, introduced dramatic literature in Assam and through the acting in these dramas, enriched the granary of Assam’s spiritual world by starting the culture of Bhaona. By using his full experience which he gathered by travelling various places of India for 12 years, he used the Ankiya dramas as the main tool of Bhakti Movement in Assam and by introducing acting in those dramas he tried to express the divine power of Param Brahma and thereby to circulate morality among people.

Because of the whole hearted effort of Srimanta Sankaradeva, the Assamese dramatic literature got the certain high standard. We have no any historical evidence of any strong dramatic culture in Assam prior to Sankaradeva. Though, in pre-sankari age, there was a dramatic element bearing institution in Assam called Ojha-paali, but there is no reason to think them as the main sources of the techniques of Sankaradeva’s dramatic creations. Though some people opines that in Sankaradeva’s dramas took the main inspiration from the Ojha Paali but in reality, in case of the techniques of Sankaradeva’s dramas lots of elements are also there besides Ojha Paali. Actually, in the creation of dramas, Sankaradeva’s aims works as the main inspiration but a little contribution of the year long tradition like – Ojha-Paali or Putala Naas (Doll Dancing). The aim of this paper is to make a discussion of these things.

In the subject "ANKIYA NAAT”more discussions are in Assamese language ,only a few dicussions  are in English language.A research scholar from Assamese department Ashima Gayan dicusses about ANKIYA NAAT means one act drama,These dramas were written in an artificial Assamese Maithili mixed language called Brazawali.The main subject of Ankiya Naat is to worship lord krishna.The paper defines Ankiya  naat as a particular presentation of an Ankiya naat is called a Bhawana.Twelve such plays ,scripted by Sankardev and Madhadeva between them are found in record.According to some Sarit puthi(Biography) Sankardeva started as a aplay  -wright by planning and presenting the “Chihna Yatra” and proceeded to compared a few more subsequntly. Dr.Maheswar Neog one of renown Scholar mentioned Ankiya Naat as great creation of Assamese Drama and express its as poetic and kaibic version .in “ASSAMIYA SAHITYA RUPREKHA ”

To discuss topic of this seminar paper we have mainly adopted the analytical method. Secondary sources like books and articles have used in the preparation of this paper.

Before the discussion of Sankaradeva’s dramatic creation, it is necessary to discuss the dramatic culture of the various places of India which were continued during the time of Sankaradeva. The ongoing tradition of Jakhyagan (songs of a class of demigods), also known as Bayalaatam in Karnataka and Bhagawati Mela (festival of Bhagawat) in Andgra, Karnataka and Tamilnadu, Kuriattram in Kerela can be viewed as strong dramatic tradition.

Up to the time of Sankaradeva, due to the reason that the regional languages have not grown as systematic and organized, they used Sanskrit as the main sources of their dramas and that is why, the influence of Sanskrit dramas on them is clear and remarkable. Though the dramatists of that time tried to gave their dramas a self and separate form by including local elements on them but no drama of regional languages is founded as Sanskrit influence free up to that time. Therefore, till the time of Sankaradeva, the dialogues of all the regional language drama are poetic.

                The name Jakhyagaan clearly indicates this and though it is a dr4ama it is performed like a song or poem. Here the division of act is known as Prasanga or context and songs are attached with this which is similar to the Sankaradeva introduced Prasanga (a religious ritual of Assam) of Assam. Hence the graceful prose or the dialogues spoken in tunes that we found in the Sankaradeva’s dramatic technique is a result of this. Till that time, almost all the tradition of Bhaona had to add a character like Sutradhar (the chief actor who recites the prologue) or so in their dramatic technique. In Bhagawata Mela or Kuriattram these characters were known as Bidushak but they were only the other shape of the Sutradhar. Due to the same technique we have witnessed the dominance of Sutradhar in Sankaradeva’s dramatic technique.

All the dramatic techniques based on the dramatic culture and sources of that time, prevailed in all over India, were use by Sankaradeva in his own dramatic tradition. The only difference is that Sankaradeva had shaped them by making them suitable for his purpose and on the basis of local culture and rituals. The common regional dramatic techniques, prevailed in the 15^th and 16^th century can be written down like this –

1.     Domination of song and dance.

2.     Puran based stories.

3.     Dominance of Sutradhar.

4.     Application of prologue describe in NatyaShastra.

5.     Simplification of stage.

6.     Make up considered unnecessary.

7.     Various arrangements of lights.

8.     Use of Masks.

9.     Prohibition on the female participation in acting.

10.   Pompous display of entry and departure.

11.   Use of regional languages in dialogues.

12.   Performing the drama till late night.

13.   Mukti Mangal Bhatima (a class of vaishnavite hymns).

All these features can be found in the dramas of Sankaradeva and it is possible that this is happened due to the reason that his dramas were also written from the same sources and in the same time.

To determine the dramatic techniques of Sankaradeva, his aim to create these has been playing a particular role. His aim was to circulate the ideals of his religion or Bhakti Dharma, not only amongst a particular class but among all the people. Therefore Sankaradeva had to combine the two different styles in his dramas. One is the high artistic sense bearing charming quality of pompous or custom luxurious Sanskrit drama and the other is the charm of luxury less simple rural life. The success of Sankardeva’s dramatic technique is lies in the beautiful combination of these two.

Due to the reason that, the prime objective of Sankardeva’s drama was to circulate the ideals of Bhakti Dharma, the pleasure arising from chivalry or coition, that is generally considered as the permanent pleasure of drama, leave the way to the pleasure arising from peace or devotion. Sankaradeva had to give the highly artistic sense bearing elements of his dramas a local shape or form for the taste of the local people which mainly grew on the basis of Sanskrit dramas. For example, the act of standing of the warriors in Bhaonas by making a short distance between their feet has taken from Sanskrit dramas. In NatyaShastra, this is known as Alik (baseless) pose. Due to the reason that, this Alik or baseless pose will not be acceptable among people, therefore Sankardeva was able to make it acceptable by using the technique of placing sword, bow-arrow or wooden club in their hands on their standing mood. To fulfill the objectives of his dramatic creation, Sankaradeva had done make which NatyaShastra forbids.

In Sanakardeva’s dramatic technique, economic social condition of that also plays a notable role. In the first step of Sankaradeva’s dramatic creation canvas, stage setting played a remarkable role as we witness in his first drama Chinajatra. But, leter, probably the economic condition compels him to leave that canvas and stage setting and apply a simply decorated stage. Because the dramatic performance with canvas and decorated stage are expensive and tough. Therefore, by considering the eco-social condition of Assam, Sankaradeva applied aesay and simple stage setting in the dramas. Economic social condition was the main reason because of which Sankaradeva applied those simple stages by leaving the luxuries customs of Sanskrit dramas.

Sankaradeva’s dramas are one act play. To complete the whole story within one act, Sankaradeva had to apply various techniques like Sutradhar, performing the two incidents at the same time or division of stages etc. The main objectives of introducing Sutradhar are – to tempt the audiences towards the drama, to understand them the subject of drama, to prohibit the other pleasure’s dominance over the pleasure arising from devotion as in drama Keligopal, after the description pleasure arising from the coition between Krishna and Gopis, it has been said to the audiences through Sutradhar ‘Oisana Jagata Guruka Banasari, Anasari Gopanari Kama Bhakatiya Bashya kayala. Hari Bhakatika Mahima Ki Kahaba’ (like this the jungle wondering moral or religious rule breaking females of Gopa (cowhers) dominate lord Krishna through their sexual devotion. This is the divine power of devotion to lord). Besides this Sutradhar plays notable role in the cases like – disappearing the act system, observance of tradition or incident, maintain the storyline without any effect by elaborating the scenes through Sutradhar which cannot be performed, asking the well-wishes for all the people and particularly arising the pleasure of devotion in the minds of the audience. Due to the need of objectives or story, unlike the Sanskrit drama, in Bhaonas, Sutradhar has to stay right from the beginning to end. It is interesting to note that, in Bhaona, Sutradhar is that character which can directly addressed to the audiences. In is hard to get such techniques in the other dramatic technique.

Another interesting technique to reduce the gap between the drama and the audiences is to the application of the songs. Songs are used abundantly in Ankiya drama and these songs are the local form of some classical songs described in Natyashastra. The classical entry and deparature songs of Sankrit drama also took the shape the entry and deparature songs in Sankaradeva’s Bhaona.

One of the notable techniques of Sankaradeva’s drama performing technique is the use of a artificial language like Brajjayali. The three type of elaboration Slokas, Songs and dialogues is a particular technique of Sankaradeva’s drama.

If, at the same time, two stories have to performed, then except the actor or the actors who have a relation with the other incidents the other actors should be keep silent. Regarding dramatic techniques, another notable point is that after the entry of all the characters they stay in the Bhaona place itself. The actor becomes active when the story needs him and the others became inactive.

Sankaradeva has decorated the 21 kind of prologues described in Natyashastra with local characteristics. Among these, Sankaradeva used 19 kinds of prologue like Abataran (Falling), Prarusan (Temptation), Trigata, Rangadwar, Uthapan, Paribartan (Change) etc. In Sankaradeva’s drama there are the arrangements to perform scenes like war, sleep, eating, death etc.

To a large extent Ankiya drama is symbolic and based on the performing tradition of Muktangan (open or non-decorated organs). There is no need of scene settings in Ankiya drama, almost all the deeds are being done with symbols. When king enters and sit in a mat like a common man and after that when it is said that ‘Sinhasane Bidhi Bahala’, the audiences assume that mat as the throne of the king. The total number of pleasure arising from drama is eight according to Natyashastra, but Sankaradeva increased it into eleven. The other three pleasures, which were not described in Natyashastra are pleasure of calmness, devotion and childhood. Though the various pleasures got their place here as the story need them but whenever the other pleasures are about to surpass the pleasure of devotion, with a fantastic skill the superiority of the pleasure of devotion impose on them.

A beautiful combination of the elements of antiquity, modernity and east and west can be seen in the acting or Ankiya drama, was started by Sankaradeva almost 500 years ago. All the dramatic elements are found in Ankiya drama, which is a brilliant creation of Sankaradeva and it can be termed as supernatural quality of him that through this wonderful creation he binds up the various caste and communities of Assam and formed the greater Assamese caste. Through Ankiya drama, all the objectives of Sankaradeva like finding lord, guide, satisfaction, application of the rare love of Bhagawata, expansion and circulation of Aksaran Nam Dharama etc. were fulfilled. Hence, form the above discussion it can be said that Ankiya drama is monument of Assamese national life.

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