The Barpali Days: culture

Jan 16, 2012

culture 12:58 PM

Gadadhar Bariha – The lone living dancer of Sabda Nritya

In India every state has got a dance form of its own. While in Andhra Pradesh it is Kuchipudi, in Kerala it is Kathakali, in Uttar Pradesh it is Kathak and in Orissa it is Odissi. But do you know from where does all these dances originated from. It is sabda and swara. While sabda means the music, swara means the voice. On the absence of either of these two elements any dance is not a wholesome one.

Whereas Sabda Nritya is a dance form that originated from a small village of Western Odisha called Kumbhari. Late Bhagabana Sahu was its exponent. This dance form is in the verge of extinction, because it has been kept as a closely guarded secret in the last five decades. More to it this dance has been imparted only to the male while females were strictly forbidden. As a consequence today here left only one living dancer by the name Gadadhar Bariha aged 58 years.

He hails from a remote village of Sonepur District called Kamira. At the age of 12 years he was chosen by his Guru Bhagabana Sahu to be trained for the Sabda Nritya. In those days there were no schools in this region, so he attended the guhal path, which means alphabets of Oriya were taught in the cow shed. He spent next 36 years of his adulthood serving his Guru in the ashram at Kumbhari.

Like his Guru he too lives a life of strict discipline. He spends most of his days in solitude in the jungle. He opines that “Sabda Nrutya is a derivative of ancient Hindu holy texts called sastras. Whereas today in every cultural dance of India there is only jaubana unmadana. We have corrupted our cultural dances while using women as a mere instrument. He says “Sabda Nrutya has not been commercially explored till date the way Odissi, Bharat Natyam or Kathak has been exploited, neither it should be”.

In January 2012 he was introduced by this writer with Dr.ileana Sitaristi (Padmashree awardee) the great Odissi dancer of Italian origin as she wants to promote Sabda Nrutya on the international stage. After watching his performance she acknowledged, Sabda Nritya is here inside Gadadhar Bariha and no more there at Kumbhari where she had been almost a decade back.

Since he is not a literate person in English and got a poor outlook, he fails to promote this dance in the outer world. Unless he imparts this knowledge to others Sabda Nrutya would just be a content of the history text books.

This dancer could be reached at

+917326082906

kiranbima@gmail.com

WhatsApp# +918249314972

E. KIRAN MOHAN(the writer)

C\o. Dr.E.R.Rao (M.D),

Tehsil Chowk,

At\PO: BARPALI – 768 029,

Dist. Bargarh, Orissa, India.

E Kiran Mohan 6

Aug 13, 2011

culture 7:23 PM

SITAL SASTHI of BARPALI [ଶୀତଳ ଷଷ୍ଠୀ]

We the Indians leave no stone un-turn, while conducting the wedding of the ordinary mortals. Likewise we attempt to celebrate the marriages of heavenly abode.The inhabitants of Barpali conduct the wedding of lord Shiva and goddess Parvati at the end of every summer. It is being celebrated on the sixth day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu calendar month of Jyestha Shuklapakshya Panchami, which mostly occurs either during June or July of each year. This celestial wedding celebration is called Sital Sasthi.

Sital Sasthi is the prime religious and social event of this little town Barpali. While the Sital Sasthi of Sambalpur could likely be 300 years old, the Sital Sasthi jatra of Barpali is of recent origin. It was first started by the than jamindar (landlord) of Barpali Raja Nruparaj Singh, when he got blessed with a son (Lal Bir Mahendra Singh) in the year 1877. For the past 136 years it is being kept on celebrated with ardent devotion. Nruparaj Singh was a landlord, but was conferred with the title of a Raja by the British, which means a king. Though the days of kings and kingdoms have perished, but the custom and the culture was able to survive till date.

[Entrance to the place of wedding]

[The decoration made out of thermocol at Parbati's parents home ]

There is a sea change in the socio economic front ever since the jamindar system had been over-turned by the Constitution of India. When the days of jamindar went, it is Nruparaj Club which had taken charge to conduct the Sital Sasthi fair. Lord Siva is otherwise called Sambhu which means swayam bhu in Sanskrit. It means one who is self incarnate. Hence Lord Siba don’t have parents.

[ a short Video of Kalasa Sova Jatra ]

[A close view of Ma Parbati while taken from

**Tehsil Chowk to Shivaji Club after ganthla khula]**

Sital Sasthi is a weeklong festival, which is celebrated like the wedding in any Oriya families. It is on the day of Akhyaya Trutia,when the first initiative is taken. On this day the kanyapita (the father of Devi Parvati) takes a Thala (a container) and comes out from the temple in his hand to collect fund for the marriage of his daughter. While carrying a thala in his hand he moves from door to door in Himadri Nagar asking for contribution from the common men both in cash and in kind. Every family of this town contributes eagerly. Thala Utha marks the beginning of Sitalsasthi Jatra.

The ritual of Patarpendi follows Thala Utha for the marriage of the divinity.Patarpendi is non other than the modern day nirbandha or the engagement. On this day the Kanyapita would welcome groom’s representative to his house. The talk begins with a formal discussion regarding the marriage and the bride’s father later agrees to give the hand of Devi Parbati in marriage to Lord Siba. A bunch of Sargi leafs (Sal) is given to the bride’s father as a token of promise by the groom’s side, that’s why it is called patarpendi.

[The newly wedded couple - Lord Siva and

jagat janani Ma Parvati]

[Utensils given as dowry during the wedding]

[a Sadhu in the attire of Lord Shiva during Sital Sasthi]

This year (2011) Shivaji Club of Barpali was the home of Goddess Parbati, while kanyadana was performed by Sh.Ananta Meher and his wife Smt.Bilasini Meher of Barpali on 6^th June 2011. The barat started from Nrupraj Club at midnight along with Ghumra dance and fireworks. For long six hours Lord Siva went graciously in a palanquin throw different streets of Barpali. At morning reached Sivaji Club, the home of the bride ma Parbati. The barati were received by the bride’s representatives with honour. The marriage was conducted as per the Vedic rituals. It is worth a watch to see how the jautuk or dahej (dowry) was given by the parents of Ma Parbati to the groom. As you could find in the pictures, a wooden bed, ornaments, sacks of paddy and rice, brinjals, potatoes, pumpkins, bananas, Sambalpuri sarees, blouse pieces, soaps, cumbs, lipsticks, talcum powders, kitchen appliances and cutleries were given as dowry.

[an elephant during the Sital Sasthi Jatra]

[A herd of camels during Sital Sasthi jatra]

But the children of Barpali seldom understand the religious importance of Sital Sasthi. All they know is meena bazaar, circus, magic show and the push-cart eateries who crop-up to make a brisk business during Sital Sasthi, because of them.