The wide range of Indian theatre and the political effect it has are what make it a contentious field. As Western theatre emerged in India in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, regional theatrical customs all but vanished. And because of a lack of support and money, a number of indigenous folk-theatre traditions have vanished in recent years. The few that remain have lost their identity as a result of intercultural mingling, which has occurred historically from the meeting point of Western and Oriental performance traditions as well as geographically throughout India.
(source: Google)
Jatra had initially developed in the undivided Bengal province before independence and in the eastern regions, including the states of Odisha, Assam, Tripura and eastern Bihar. It is a folk musical drama tradition performed by the people. The matured form of jatra took shape around the 16th century after the Chaitanya movement. And it is not considered ancient as some other folk traditions. The term jatra has been derived from the Sanskrit word “yatra”, meaning procession and journey. It is the theatre of mixed forms, including music, dance, acting and recitation. Jatra is a combination of a variety of performances over time and has emerged as a popular form of entertainment in rural Bengal.
HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN
The origin of the jatra can be traced to the time of the influence of Vaishnavism and the Bhakti movement in the 16th century, introduced by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The religious singing and dance of the Bhakti movement’s adherents, who were influenced by Raasleela and dramatic poems such as Jayadeva‘s Gita Govinda in the 12th century and Chandidas‘ Sri Krishna Kirtan in the 15th century, led to the development of the jatra. Additionally, historians point to the presence of the Nata Gita, an orchestral folk drama set in mediaeval Bengal that featured singing, dance, and music without conversation.
(source: ISKON)
In the absence of theatres or permanent stages in Bengal, jatra developed into religious processions of followers who travelled from one location to another while singing and dancing to the music of kirtan or songs of faith. Frequently, these processions included talented singers and dancers who would frequently portray mythological scenes. Over time, these short dramas began to be presented at the conclusion of processions and in open spaces, called asar in Bengali, with spectators on all sides. Although the genre’s name persisted, these outdoor stages became the primary venue of these performances. As the genre developed, it included all of the popular folk traditions of singing, dancing, and music to establish a new model for folk theatre in the next decades.
(source: Bvmlu)
Plays based on the life of Sri Krishna were written by his disciples Ramananda Rai and Rupa Goswami after Chaitanya. Many of these plays also had royal sponsorship, such as from Prataprudra Deva, third Gajapati emperor of Odisha, which contributed to the continued development of this style. This eventually developed into the telling of classic mythological plays that included tales from the Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other historical and folkloric sources. Devotees of various Bhakti cults quickly adapted the pattern. For example, Chandi devotees introduced Chandi Mangal, a narrative poem by Mukundaram Chakrabarti, to initiate Chandi Jatra, while Bhasan Jatra originated from the Behula tale and the Bisahara Yatra became a Manasa snake myth.
HOW DID IT FLOURISH
Plot, plotline, and narrative remained straightforward and frequently didactic as the Jatra movement progressed to urban areas and even introduced literature to the rural masses, who at the time were largely illiterate. Its break from the original Krishna Jatra musical format was another development of the 19th century. Prose exchanges and open verse speech quickly infiltrated this conventional theatre structure, giving birth to Natun Jatra, or New Jatra, and dances were introduced that would become a mainstay in the years to come. During this time, secular themes were introduced into what had previously been a religious theatre, which was another novel tendency in Jatra.
When the Indian independence struggle began in the beginning of the twentieth century, jatra, which had already reached its creative and popular zenith the century before, underwent yet another evolution in response to the shifting dynamics of the Indian environment. Known as Swadesi Jatra, it adopted political themes and evolved into a platform for political protest and satire. It portrayed a wide range of social subjects and started to mirror the growing trend of political and social consciousness. Communism was also beginning to take hold in Bengal at this time, and Lenin’s life was being dramatised, and communist ideas and concepts were being shown more and more in jatras.
(source: INTACH)
Particularly when radio and television were introduced and the upscale theatrical sector grew, even if it persisted in rural regions. The famous Jatra songs had been recorded and became ubiquitous Bengali tunes, which further expanded the audience. Old Jatra scripts also made the transition into books, and newspapers began setting aside space for Jatra discussions. Jatra remained a vibrant tradition of musical theatre. Beginning in the beginning of the 1960s, when several theatrical companies started playing using the jatra form, it began to draw serious theatregoers and formal recognition, leading to the contemporary renaissance. The inaugural Jatra festival was held in Kolkata in 1961.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF JATRA
- Kabigaan: Khemta and Kabigaan were the most common and populist varieties in the second part of the nineteenth century. The term “kabigaan” refers to musical duels involving two performers or groups that were fiercely competitive and frequently featured derogatory remarks about the artists’ personal lives.
- Juri: Chandannagar native Madanmohan Chattopadhyay made an effort to reorganise the songs and music. He wrote songs using Indian classical melodies and human emotions as inspiration. He introduced the Juri singers, a group of chorus singers. These Juri comprised a group of skilled singers who were skilled in classical and folk music; the vocalists were young for female parts and adults for masculine characters.
- Tukko: The use of rhyming couplets in Jatra songs was a novel technique introduced by Parmananda Adhikary. This form, known as Tukko, had an adjustment to the full couplet in the last section. It gave the audience a satisfying feeling and was simple enough to memorise, allowing them to take the tunes back to their homes.
- Ekane Gayak: The boy singers sung largely romantic or religious songs and lacked musical skill. It was quite a sight as they also moved on stage in front of the audience. To bring emotion to the drama, someone among them would occasionally step up and sing as a soloist or in the background.
- Uktigeeti: It means a statement. A lone performer sang utkigeeti songs, ideally the main characters with complex facial expressions.
- Sakhi Dal: The girl dancers would fill in the scene-changing period.
Niyati
(source: Tripadvisor) - Vivek: A quasi-normal male persona named Vivek, or consciousness, became the musical element of Jatra when Juri songs vanished. Vivek was a figure whose core was intellectual in nature and who made it evident that the audience had a moral conscience. It had been an effective way for viewers to learn more about the Pala and experience the Rasa to the fullest.
- Niyati: Niyati might be said to be Vivek’s feminine counterpart. The traditional portrayal of Niyati was that of a secretive, veiled woman who frequently wore red or black sarees. Either a sympathetic wailer or the good angel would be her role. She is also occasionally referred to as Bhagya Devi.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATUS
There have been important factors contributing to Jatra’s sharp decline in popularity in the years after the year 2000. Building a divide between the civilians and the ones portraying the common men became necessary with the introduction of Samajik, or social pala. Stardom and fame gave it more wind as well. The spirit of traditional Jatra was lost in the pursuit of short-term prosperity and financial gain. The audience became even more detached from the performers and topics when popular films were remade. The actor-audience relationship was completely undermined by the intrusion of recorded music and technology. At performances, the live musicians would engage with the crowd with passion and skill. The audience’s faith and unity have been destroyed by reliance on technology.
The natural musical heritage of Jatra has been progressively stifled by the star-studded shows, inflation, the competitive market, and the emerging Jatra industry. These days, Jatra depends more on pre-written songs.
(sources: Wikipedia)
CONCLUSION
In the past, jatra was a significant kind of entertainment in rural communities. Many contemporary types of entertainment have supplanted it in the present day. Audience preferences have also evolved. The desire for jatra has significantly decreased in the current cultural context. Performances of Jatra are being changed. Mythological and historical narratives are juxtaposed with social and modern themes. Speaking styles, clothes, musical instruments, makeup, staging, lighting, and other elements are also being altered by modern theatrical approaches. In addition, modern Bangla theatre is referencing the native Jatra. The combination of the jatra’s dance, song, and performance is giving modern Bangla plays a special power amid the backdrop of Western, text-based drama.
REFERENCES
- https://old.rrjournals.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/07-10_RRIJM200507003.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatra_(theatre)#History
- https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Jatra
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354667721_Crossings_with_Jatra_Bengali_Folk-theatre_Elements_in_a_Transcultural_Representation_of_Lady_Macbeth
- https://youngintach.org/files/folk-dances-of-india-jatra.pdf