Glossary of Indian Music Manipuri Sankirtana (Part -25)

By: Gurumayum Shivachandra Sharma
1. Gaan Raag: In the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, the Gaan Raag is a vocal improvisation with some selected syllables in various tempos with different pitches as a vocal exercise. It is also simply known Raag or Esheigi Raag. There are various openions regarding this Gaan Raag by Manipuri scholars, “Raag as imaginating God”, “Raag as a combination of Radha and Govinda”,etc,. There is only two types of Gaan Raag in Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, namely, a) Raag Achouba (Mishra Bilawal Thaath), and b) Raag Macha (Mishra Khamaj Thaath) respectively. But, nowadays two more minor Raags are added by some local Ojhas, namely, a) Mishra Malhar Raag, and b) Mishra Kafi Thaath respectively.
2. Manglacharan: In the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, after the Gaan Raag, there is a chanting of Mantra (verse) with respect as a symbol of Bhakti Prem, that chanting is musically known as the Manglacharan. It is believed that, this chanting of Manglacharan is truly practice for the success of the Sankirtana performance. In some case, if the singers doesn’t chants this Manglacharan, then the Sankirtana will be incomplete. There are also some rules to be followed during this chanting and some of the commonly use Mantras in Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana are, a) Shree Gouranga Manglacharan (the most important signature of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtanaas a mandatory), b) Guru Pranam Mantra (by Eshei Hanba, the main vocalist), c) Nityainanda Pranam Mantra (by Duhar, the second vocalist), d) Vaisnava Pranam Mantra (by all the Palas),etc.
3. Abahon: The word Abahon means welcoming or calling in Hindi. So, after chanting the Manglacharan, the calling or welcoming of the Lord Shree Gouranga Mahaprabhu within the Sankirtana is considered as the Abahon in the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana. It is also musically known as the Goura Chandrika or simply Gourachandra. In other hand, calling or welcoming of other God or Goddess of Hindu is also generally known as the Abahon. Therefore, there are two types of Abahons in Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, namely, a) Goura Abahon, and b) Deva Abahon respectively.
4. Avatar: In Sanskrit, the word Avatar means the incarnation. So, in the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, after the Abahon, the Avatar will be sung as an introduction of Lord Shree Gouranga Mahaprabhu describing his birth event, birth place, his family and his past incarnation, So, it will be sung as a mandatory part. In this part, Lord Shree Gouranga Mahaprabhu is considering as an incarnation of Shree Krishna in this era of Kali Yug at Shreedham Nabadweep of Nodia District, West Bengal as a son of Jaganath Mishra and Sachi Rani.
5. Goura Rup: As a sequence in the Duwadasa Prana of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, the beauties, activities, ideologies and the Leela’s with beloved friends, by Lord Shree Gouranga Mahaprabhu will be followed after the singing of the Avatar considering as the Goura Rup in the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana. It is also musically known as the Gouranga Rup. The word Goura is a short name of Gouranga and Rup means it’s nature. In this part, every singers released their musical talent by performing in various tunes and rhythmic patterns.
6. Gouranga Bhavi: In the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, after singing the Goura Rup or Gouranga Rup, the imagination of Lord Shree Gouranga Mahaprabhu remembering the Braja Leela’s of Lord Shree Krishna will be describe in the form of Gouranga Bhavi as a sequence of the Duwadasa Prana of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana. In short, it is also musically known as the Goura Bhavi. And the word Bhavi reflects the sense of imaginating something. In some Sankirtana performance, as a sub part of Gouranga Bhavi or Goura Bhavi, the Brindavana Varnan (describing the glory and beauty of Shreedham Braja Brindavan) is also popularly sung in the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana.
7. Rasa Kirtana: As the sequence in the Duwadasa Prana of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, after imaginating the Gouranga Bhavi or Goura Bhavi, Lord Shree Gouranga Mahaprabhu will starts the Kirtana of Braja Leela remembering the flash back of Shree Radha Krishna of Braja Brindavana considering as the Rasa Kirtana in the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana. But not only Braja Leela, Leela’s of Lord Shree Gouranga Mahaprabhu and his beloved friends are also widely sung. There are numerous Rasa Kirtana in Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, some of the popularly well known Rasa Kirtana are, a) Nimai Sannyas, b) Gostha Leela, c) Nishant Leela, d) Prabash Khanda, f) Jogi Besh, g) Jhulon Leela, h) Sanatan Sangha, i) Kalanka Bhanjan, j) Rai Ramananda, k) Bhakta Pralhada, etc,.
8. Aarti: In the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, after the performance of the Rasa Kirtana, offering a lamp or lights and sweets to the Lord to make a rest will be conduct in the form of Aarti as a mandatory sequence in the Duwadasa Prana of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana. In Hindi, the word Aarti it selds reflects the sense of enlightening the darkness. In the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, there are numbers of Aartis, including, a) Shree Gouranga Aarti, b) Shree Gopal Krishna Aarti, c) Shree Radha Krishna Jugol Aarti, d) Shree Kunja Aarti, e) Shree Ram Krishna Aarti, f) Shree Shree Jaganath Aarti, g) Mahadev Aarti, h) Durga Aarti, I) Ganga Aarti, j) Shreemad Bhagavad Aarti, k) Shree Guru Deva Aarti, l) Bhog Aarti, etc,.
9. Prathana: As a sequence in the Duwadasa Prana of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, after offering Aarti to the Lord, the praying as a direct line of communication to the Lord with a strong devotional sensation is musically considered as the Prathana in the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana. In Hindi, the word Prathana relects the sense to ask or to seek the wealth. In the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, there are three sub part of Prathana, namely, a) Radha Krishna Prathana, b) Devi Deva Prathana, and c) Mana Shikshya respectively.
10. Bijoy: As a last final part in the Duwadasa Prana of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, after singing the Prathana, as a conclusion of the Sankirtana, there is a mandatory tradition to be perform by all the performers in a synchronised mode considering as the Bijoy in the tradition of Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana. In this final part, every performers will be in alert and very careful. In Manipuri Manoharshai Sankirtana, there are also three sub part of this Bijoy, namely, a) Nityai Pada, b) Joi Bhai, and c) Bijoy Dvani respectively.