With reference to the famous Sattriya dance, consider the following statements :
1. Sattriya is a combination of music, dance and drama.
2. It is a centuries-old living tradition of Vaishnavites of Assam.
3. It is based on classical Ragas and Talas of devotional songs composed by Tulsidas, Kabir and Mirabai.
Which of the statements given above is /are correct?(2014)
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
- Sattriya originated in Sattra monastery, as a part of neo-Vaishnavite movement started by Srimanta Sankardev in Assam, in the 15th Century. He propagated the “ek sharan naama dharma” (chanting the name of one God devotedly).
- Sattriya was given the status of a classical dance in the year 2000 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Other classical dances of India are : Bharatnatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathakali (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Kathak (North India), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), Manipuri (Manipur) and Odissi (Odisha).
- Sattriya dances differ from other dance forms in its basic stance. For male it is known as Purush Pak while for females, Prakriti Pak. The dance is based on mythological themes.
- They have special mnemonic bols, typical Assamese music known as Borgeet, musical instruments like large cymbals, drums, colourful costumes, besides complicated choreographic patterns using various talas for each stanza sung by the vocalist.
- Corpus of Sattriya dances consists of ankiya bhaona and also Ojapali dances in which the main singer sings and enacts abhinaya, telling stories and a group of dancers dance as back up dancers playing small cymbals.
