Nata Sankirtan Maha Jeigya in the Manipuri societyA passage from the Manipuri book Nata Sankritana by Sanakshya Ibotombi Haorokcham

Yumnam Suren
Contd from previous issue
The Kirtan on Astakal Leela is mainly sung in Ahoratra Kirtan taking the time of a whole day. This is a grand Hari Sankirtan beginning in the morning and ending in the morning of the next day or beinning in the evening and ending in the evening of the next day. This usually started with Adhivas, success by Astakal Leela song and ended with the singing of Vijay song.
In an auspicious event happening to Manipuri Hindu, such as, Pukhri Laisana, Mandir, yum, mandap etc. Hongba (inauguration) of pond, shrine, temple house, pavilion and in the final annual funeral service (Samvatsarik Shradha), Nata Sankirtan Maha Yagya is attached in a simple or large manner according the one’s ability, as a rule.
In all the scheduled annual festivals related to Shri Hari and performed in the precinets of Shri Shri Govindaji Temple Nata Sankirtan Mahayagya precedes the function always and other shows (leelas) and kirtans etc. are followed as per convenience and Bijay singing includes artistes from different places and localities irrespective of men, women, youths  and children by forming their own association participate in the festivals as of pride and privilege.
Not only in the precincts of Shri Govindaji Temple but in all Hari temples in all the nooks and corners of Manipur the scheduled annual functions/festivals pertaining to Shri Hari are performed regularly.
All people irrespective of age and sex forming different groups of kirtan singers participate in the festival. In the festival known as Yaosang which is related to Vasanta Mahotsava, people irrespective of age and sex, forming their own Holi kirtan groups give performances at Hari temples and private houses. In the Rathay festival called ‘Kang’ in Manipuri boys and girls by forming singing groups known as ‘Khubak Eshei kirtan Pala’ give performances in various Hari temples.
In the religious festivals of Jalakeli and Jhulon also kirtan singing groups of boys and girls perform at Hari temples at different places. Leela (plays), such as Krishna Leela, Raas Leela, Goura Leela etc. which fall in the class of kirtan are ogranised and performed at different times and places privately. Raas Leela which are performed at scheduled times in Shri Govinda’s temple also are included in the class of Krishna Leela Kirtan.
In the Gouriya Vaisnavite Society of Manipur the Nata Sankirtan Mahayagya has been considered and observed very reverentially and giving great importance as Gandharva Vidya (the art of science of music) as well as a Mahayagya (great sacrifice) for the past many centuries. Really speaking the most firm and unalienable virtuous religion service of the Manipuri Society is the Nata Sankirtan only.
The Idea of Vedic religion having entered in the tiny State in the far North East border of India called Manipur many centuries ago, and having endured the impacts of religious revolutions at different stages, the Vedic religion in the form of Gouriya Vaisnava faith had struck its root in the soil of Manipur deeply and is existing still.
The old customs and practices of the Manipuris like maintaining of individual domestic fire-places in every house by setting up a Sacred Spot near it known as ‘funga lairu’ to worship fire and also worship of the sun, moon and stars and ancestors in consonance with the Vedic ideas have been observed unfailingly and preserved still.
Though suffered devastations and desolation time and again due to foreign invasions and occupations, Manipur had remained a small independent kingdom till the middle of the 20th Century AD and had been preserving many ancient culture and tradition of India in Manipuri society and out of them Nata Sankirtan is one.
Many beautiful artistic activities of Adhivas, Purvaranga are Gandharva Vidya which were actively used in the vedic time and kept recorded in Bharat Natya Shastra but have been forgotten in many parts of India out of disuse are preserved in the Manipuri Society intact.
Some manuscripts of Natya Shastra (art Science of drama) which had remained untraceable for some centuries in India, when they were retrieved and published one after another with the help of European scholars in the beginning of the 20th Century A.D. and while Indians begun to study in the 20th century about the true nature of Adhivas, Purvaran and Gandharva Vidya etc. which were in the Vedic time, they faced a big difficulty in interpreting the meaning of Bharat Natya Shastra even as the knowledge of music and dance of the Vedic Tradition had fallen into oblivion for about ten or twenty generations of men.
If the subject is studied in the light of the taal and dance etc. of Nata Sankirtan which were being used for many log years by the Manipuri the problem will be solved considerably well, because the dance and music employed in Nata Sankirtan is completely based on the principles and tradition of Bharat Natya Shastra.
(To be contd)