A Slice of Assamese Culture and Heritage in Bengaluru

Bengaluru’s fame and reputation as a sparkling mélange of pan-Indian cultures is undisputed. The coming of the IT moguls to Bengaluru brought in droves of aspiring students and working professionals to the city and its precincts from all over the country. Today, Bengaluru is home to a large population of the Assamese diaspora, with the majority either pursuing higher studies or chasing their dreams in the thriving IT industry. Having found a home far away from home, these residents have integrated into the city’s cosmopolitan verve and enriched its culture in their own ways. The Srimanta Sankardev Cultural Society, Bengaluru (SSCSB) is one of the pioneering groups of Assamese Bengalureans uniting a large section of the community through the common idea of celebrating and carrying forward the rich culture and heritage passed down by the generations. The SSCSB took the initiative to build a Naamghar in Bengaluru back in 2015. Originally propagated by the great 15th century Assamese Neo-Vaishnavite Saint, Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev, the Naamghar, literally “Prayer House”, is a socio-religious congregation center where people gather for prayers and religious discourses. Performing Bhaona   Source: indiaculture.nic.in The Naamghar epitomizes the democratic and egalitarian principles espoused by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev. As such, it is the bedrock of the Assamese spiritual and social life – and the very reason why the SSCSB undertook the monumental initiative. The unrelenting efforts of the SSCSB volunteers bore fruit when construction of the community Naamghar at Marathahalli was successfully completed and the Manikut or “Jewel Hut” (similar to garbha griha or sanctum sanctorum in temples) was inaugurated on 15 July 2018. Two prominent local personalities– T. Vijay Kumar Reddy and local MLA, Arvind Limbavali– played an important role in this initiative. Today, naam-prasanga (collective recital of hymns and prayers in praise of Lord Krishna) and Bhagavat Paath (recital of the Bhagavat Puraan) are performed and practiced here in Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev’s Eksarana Naam Dharma tradition every Sunday in the presence of close to 100 devotees. In keeping with their motto, the SSCSB is currently leading an initiative to showcase one of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev’s timeless creations – the performance of a Bhaona – at the DRDO Hall, CV Raman Nagar, on Sunday 7 April, 2019. Earlier, a Bhaona was organized in Bengaluru in 2017 and a 22-member group came here to perform all the way from Morigaon, Assam. Unlike the previous instance, the majority of the participants enacting the characters in the Bhaona this time are Assamese Bengalureans. The team will be joined by a 12-member a troupe from Assam, specializing in various facets of the performance. The event will be preceded by a daylong Bhagavat Paath (recital of the Bhagavat Purana) at the premises of the Naamghar on Saturday 6 April. What is Bhaona? The history of Assamese dramaturgy can be traced back to the unique one-act plays or Ankiya Naats written by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev and his disciple Madhavdev in the 16th century. The staging of these plays has since come to be known as Bhaona and has been one of the most popular forms of entertainment in rural Assam. The term Bhaona most probably has its roots in the Assamese word “Bhauti”, meaning “the movement of a part of the body to express an idea or meaning”. A Bhaona performance revolves around key events from Indian mythology, primarily the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. A typical Bhaona performance lasts from four to six hours, featuring a glittering repertoire of doba and khol (traditional drums) with taal (brass cymbals), accompanied by dance and spectacular performances by artists and actors swathed in grand costumes and masks. “Bhaona involves elaborate arrangements and a large number of participants. Enacting a performance of this scale with perfection requires histrionic skills and unrelenting practice for several days and weeks. It is very rare for any of our brethren living outside Assam to attempt a rendition of Bhaona themselves. To see the community in Bengaluru gearing up for such a grand performance is truly heartening”, says Naba Kumar Das, Working President of the SSCSB. The Assamese community in Bengaluru is impatiently waiting for the Bhaona performance, with the excitement and enthusiasm peaking with each passing day. “The participants are working really hard and we are confident they will pull together a great show”, says Rajeeb Barman, General Secretary of the SSCSB. The SSCSB invites Bengalureans to witness this epic performance on Sunday 7 April at the DRDO Hall, CV Raman Nagar. The performance will be staged between 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm. Entry to the event is free and guests will be accommodated based on the hall capacity. To know such interesting events and Indian culture, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Download our magazine Spunky Indian to read exclusive stories from India.