Ras Lila Manipuri Classical Dance

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Ras Lila
- MANIPURI CLASSICAL DANCE -

By: P. Kunjo Singh *

Rajrishi Bhagyachandra Maharaj was born in 1748. In his reign when he took shelter in Tekhal (Assam) in a war with Ava (Burma) he found the image (darshan) of the almighty Lord Shri Krishna in his dream in the most beautiful and special dress more suitable for the softest dances.

The Lord was in his Natabar besh and a flute in his hand and a top-knot (Chura) of peacock feathers on his head. The union (jugal murti) of Lord Krishna and Srimati Radhika was seen in his future vision. The king had a dream telling him to make idols from the jack fruit grown in Kaina hills and worship it.

Krishna and Radha - the iconic pose of a Ras lila

After his life, the king left a great legacy, the legend of Rajrishi Bhagyachandra. He had his dream to make true and with his aspiration he resolved to worship Lord Shri Krishna performing the Ras-Lila-dances which he had seen in his dream.

In 1776, the devoted Vaisnav, Rajrishi Bhagyachandra, established the Shree Shree Govindaji Temple and inaugurated the divine idol of Radha Krishna and began to worship the Lord with his consort in the Royal Palace. After this the Rajrishi tried his dream of the Ras dance to be a living legend and taking essence of the twenty ninth to the thirty third Chapters of Shrimad Bhagavata Darshan which are known as the Raspanchadhyaya, he trained many artists for the different kinds of Ras dance of Radha-Krishna.

And, from the 11th day of Hiyanggei (November) 1779 to the full-moon day, the Ras-Lila of Radha Krishna was held with the most enthusiastic mood of the religious people of Manipur.

From the religious point of view and from the artistic angle of vision, we can claim that the Manipuri Classical Dance, the Radha-Krishna Ras-Lila is one on the most chastest, modest, softest and mildest but the most meaningful dances of the world, in relation to its highest form of Sudha Swatic Gunas (pure qualities of the Lord).

The movements are very grandeur and beautiful. The fixation of eyes is to the point of the tips of the fingers. It fixed only at, not higher than forty five degree above, a distance of about three meters.

The artist never looks at any person or audience as a mark of concentration to the Lord surrendering the outward world and illusions of Maya and also giving up all lust, greed, anger, envy, hatred and pride of the Gopies.

The steps are very much acute and complex and never show outward feeling of lust and amorous play. Here lies the specific significance of the charms and beauties of the Manipuri Classical Dance, the Ras-Lila of Radha-Krishna in various episodes.

When one sees the Ras-dance of Manipur, (s)he will be brought to a far off place in the heaven of Lord, the Creator as the style of the Choreograph, the distinction of the mudras, the suitability and beauty of the costumes, and the acuteness of the rhythms are supernatural.

One more important aspect of the Manipuri dance is the mingling of faiths of Vaisnavism and Saivism with that of the Lai-Haraoba - a traditional dance of the three hundred and sixty four deities of the Meiteis of Manipur. Here in Ras-dance the philosophy of the Meiteis is the basis on which the philosophy of the Vaisnavism is the body and plot of the dances with the essence of the Bhagavata philosophy.

A young kid dressing up and playing a 'child' - Lord Krishna

The Ras-dance was performed in the field in its inceptions. Then, it comes to the Mandabas. In both the cases the audience were watching the play from all sides. Sitting arrangement is also under a very strict rule. The Maibas, Maibis, the king, the knights, the warriors, the ladies, the females, the girls, etc. are given special seats.

But, now again stage performances within a limited, short period have been developed. Thus the technique of the production and presentation have been changed to a great extent. This makes the enthusiastic, interested scholars witness the inner meaning of the dances without any lost of time and energy. This also makes the dances popular in all section of the elite people of the world.

Still, the sentiment of the religious devotion is still remained inside, because the dances signify not only the merriment of the artistes and the audience but also spares a room for appreciating and drinking the nectar of the religious practices towards the truth, the good and the beauty with a complete surrender to the supreme Lord, Shri Krishna.

There is no restriction of the number of Gopis in the Ras-dances. There is also no restriction of the duration of the performance. The guru and shutradhari should take as much time as they think it necessary for arousing the feelings of rasa, raga, anuraga, bhava, bibhava, etc. within the hearts of the Gopis as well as in the hearts of the audience.

The guru, the shutridhari and the drum beaters together try to develop and depict the inner idea of the gunnas (the qualities of the Lord), the union of the individual selves with the only supreme power of love of Shri Krishna. Waiting for Shri Krishna, calling his name, decorating for this satisfaction are all the important steps sung by the Gopis shedding tears on the chicks.

There are different kinds of Ras-dances. They are:

Maharas - to be played on the full-moon day of Mera (October) based on Shrimad Bhagavata Panchyadhyaya.
Kunjaras - to be played on the full-moon day of Hiyanggei (November) based on Brahma Beibarta Purana.
Basantaras - to be played beginning from the full-moon day of Shajibu (April) to the full-moon of Kalen (May) based on Govinda Lila Amrita.
Nityaras - to be played on any auspicious day of ten months except Hiyanggei and Shajibu based on Govinda Lila Amrita.
Dibaras - to be played in all months on any auspicious day, based on Govinda Lila Amrita.

The exponents of the Ras-Lila dances mentioned above are different.

Maharas, Kunjaras and Basantras were of Rajrishi Bhagyachandra Maharaj and Nityaras of Shrijut Chandrakirti Maharaj

Besides these, there are also different kinds of dances, such as Gosthalila, Udhukhal, Ekagopi, etc. which were originated in this culturally fertile land of Manipur.

To mention all these should take much more volumes beyond our expectation. A combined preparation is required for the complete focus on the most beautiful and highest form of dance.

Only then, we all the people of the world will be benefited in two ways - in the emancipation of this life and in the attainment of the higher level of scholastic views.

* P. Kunjo Singh, M.A. (Manipuri) wrote this article at The Manipur Page. This article was webcasted on April 23rd, 2007.

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