Meet Bhabananda Barbayan, who introduces the legacy of Assamese theatre at Theatre de la Ville in Paris

Inducted into the revered Uttar Kamalabari Satra at the age of three and a half, Bhabananda Barbayan learned the nuances of Satriya culture there under the guidance of guru Paramananda Barbayan and Tuniram Barbayan (nritya), Cheniram Barbayan (bayan), Kamal Bargayan (gayan), and Baluram Bargayan ( Oja, manuscript, and acting)  and Gupiram Bargayan (oja).

At 16, he became the youngest Barbayan- a master of Sattriya dance and music of the Satra. The Satra authority conferred the ADHYAPAK title on him in 1997.  

He is the first traditional practitioner of Sattriya dance, drama, and music who obtained a Ph. D. and also, an empaneled artist of ICCR, Ministry of External Affairs, India in the established category.

Also Read: WOMEN IN RED

He has been teaching and demonstrating and performed regularly in several countries like- France, England, the United States of America, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Mexico, Columbia, Brazil, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belarus, Chile, China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, ETC.

He introduced Sattriya dance to the curriculum of different universities overseas and also visit regularly as visiting faculty. He has been associated with Paris-VIII University, King’s College, University of London, Brown University & Drexel University, USA, Jawaharlal Nehru University and  National School of Drama, and Dibrugarh University.

Barbayan, who reconstructed ‘Cihna Yatra’ Bhaona in 2016 -- the first drama of Srimanta Sankaradeva -- which did not even exist after his first presentation in his early life, engaged in a conversation with IndiaTodayNE.

How did your journey to becoming a Sattriya dancer start?

Following the family tradition parent sent me at the age of four to Uttar Kamalabari Satra, Majuli for continuing the Art legacy. I am the seventh generation from our family raised in the Satra environment.  I have learned the nuances of Satriya culture there under the guidance of Adhyapak Paramananda Barbayan and Tuniram Barbayan (nritya), Cheniram Barbayan (bayan), Kamal Bargayan (gayan), and Baluram Bargayan ( Oja, manuscript, and acting)  and Gupiram Bargayan (oja). At 16, I became the youngest Barbayan- a master of Sattriya dance and music of the Satra. The Satra authority conferred me with the title of ADHYAPAK as well. Since then, I taught dance and drama and led the performances of the Satra. Over the course of time, I also did my first master’s degree in Geography and started to teach in a college as an assistant professor In the meantime, I was fortunate to meet Dr. Bhupen Hazarika a music legend of Assam who inspired me a lot and made my mind up to take the decision to be an artist. So, I did another master’s in literature and a Ph.D in dance as well. Accordingly, I reached the platforms that have provided the environment to be an artist. 

Being a Hindu monk, is your spirituality connected to Sattriya?

I was raised in a celibacy  Satra tradition in Majuli, but, I have devoted myself only to the Performing Arts of Sattriya ( dance, drama, and music). Of course, I keep practicing the spiritual teachings of Srimanta Sankaradeva.

As a choreographer, how do you deal with tradition?

Tradition by no means exists forever as it is. It is added with some requisite modification on time. Like other classical schools of dancing Satrriya has also been developing the repertoire since its origin through Ankia-bhaona the dramatic technique of Sattriya structured by Srimanta Sankaradeva. I have been working on choreography not only in dance but in drama as well.

A lot of challenges I face when I take new themes which traditionally not used as performance items in dance or drama. In that case, following the technique and philosophy of the tradition which I developed during the Satra rituals, I listen to my instinct and go forward to design something as per the demand of the theme.

You were a part of the world conference to introduce the Assamese Theatre Legacy in Paris. How did you get the opportunity?

Yes, it is really significant to introduce the Assamese Theatre Legacy in front of renowned theatre personalities congregated from across the globe. This journey started one and a half decades ago when I had an opportunity to lead our dance group to Europe. Since then, I have been traveling to several counties not only for performance but also for imparting training and research purpose. Even I have introduced the Sattriya dance into the curriculum of some Universities `where some students have obtained degrees as well as Ph.D. in Sattriya. I have also been associated with different Museums, Theatres as well as some cultural institutes in this regard. So that way I got this opportunity.   

Please tell us more about Assam and especially about Majuli, where you come from.

Majuli is a hub of the Vaishnavite culture as well as a shelter for ethnic tribes and the largest pollution-free freshwater river Island of mighty Brahmaputra. Also is a hotspot for flora and fauna. The main local festival of the Island is the Raas festival. As a major community of the island is Missing, so, Ali -aye-ligang the spring festival of the community is also observed notably.

It is said that sixty-five Satras were set up on the Island, however, today only twenty-two exist.

There are two types of Satras- monastic called udasin and household called grihasthi. The udasin Satra is an ideal representative as well as well-known and influential. The architectural structure of an udasin Satra consists of a square enclosure, with four opening gates. Four rows of interconnected huts or houses called ha? I am from the perimeter of an institution. The rows are made up of small living quarters called Baha or bahar for the devotees and the Satradhikar. The namghar or kirttanghar, the main prayer hall is also a performance stage of performing arts that remains in the centre. The guru-asan, the main altar is placed in the head of the kirttanghar and is known as manikut, where the Bhagavata scripture is kept.

The Satras are not only places of religious activities, but also the centres of all sorts of cultural and performing arts –e.g., dance, drama, music, sculpture, painting, musk making, scripture studies, etc as well as literature. The entire activities of a Satra are called Sattriya.

Also read: Assamese short film Xoudaamini reflects the truth of society, sheds light on marital rape

Two kinds of activities are performed in the Satras- daily ceremonial and occasional ceremonial. Fourteen prayers are observed in three sessions on daily ceremonials. The principal occasional ceremony is Guru-kirtan-Utsav the death anniversary of the great saints Srimanta Sankaradeva and Mahapurush Madhabdeva.

It is worth noting that Bhabananda Barbayan is an exponent himself, imparting lessons, as well as conducting workshops, besides holding lecture demonstrations on Satriya, traveling far and wide.

Also read: FABRIC TALES FROM THE NORTHEAST

He has established three Sattriya training institutions in different places. They are- SATRARANGA, a foundation for cultural relations, in Majuli, Assam in 2000, RONGAYAN, an academy of Sattriya dance, theatre, and music in Guwahati, Assam in 2003 and SATTRIYA AKADEMI, DELHI in New Delhi in 2008.

Bhabananda Barbayan has composed a number of Dramas and Dance compositions with the unique essence of experiment and academic research.

He has been working on the Vrindavani Vastra since 2009 (a specific textile piece made by Srimanta Sankaradeva in the 16th century that depicted Lord Krishna’s story, now preserved in different museums around the world). Barbayan has presented his research work on the Vrindavani Vastra at the Musee Guimet, Paris, British Museum, London, and Philadelphia Museum of Arts, USA, as well as performed about 300 shows in different prestigious festivals, museums, and universities around the world.

He has also been working on some production projects to present the Indian classical theatres in different languages that could be taking benefits the essence of the philosophical value of Indian arts by different races and communities around the globe. Completion of those projects is-  Ankia Naat ( Medieval classical theatre of Assam); Parijat Haran in the French Language for actors from France, Italy, Belgium, and Denmark, Ram-vijoy in the Spanish Language for actors from Mexico, France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, and Slovenia, Keli-Gopal in the English Language for actors of Brown University, USA, Rukmini-Haran in the Gujarati Language for actors of Gujarat and  Abhijanasakuntala of Mahakavi Kalidas in Sanskrit- Prakrit  Language for Delhi based actors.       

He has been honoured with several awards, like- ‘Sanchari Award’ in 2009, and ‘Youth Icon of India in 2010, La Maison de Ananda Award 2012-13’, ‘Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Award-2012’ in 2014, ‘Fellow: Awareness Through Movement and Functional Integration’, Centre Feldenkrais Cantal, France 2017 and ‘Gurugram Kala Sanaman- 2018’.

A few documentary films have been made on his artistic contributions such as ‘Des Visages et des Figures’ of  Romain Manon, produced by  ‘Toumes Au Musee National Des Arts, Asiatiques Les Musee Guimet, Paris in 2011, ‘Devotion: Another definition’, of Amritjyoti Mahanta , produced by D.D.National, Delhi in 2016  and ‘A journey of transformation into a National Asset’, produced by CCRT, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, 2019.

Barbayan has also directed the dance and music for documentary films where he appeared in a number of sequences, e.g., eminent Hollywood filmmaker Mr. John Poul’s film, produced by BBC, London in 2004, and French filmmaker Emanuel Petit’s film ‘Dans Les Drumes De Majuli’ in 2007.