Mati Akhora - The foundation of Sattriya Dance from mallika kandali's blog
Dr. Mallika Kandali
In Assamese, generally Mati-Akhora means exercise done on the ground. The
Sattriya dance training begins with these Mati-Akhoras. After completion of all
the Mati-Akhoras, the dancer can be taught the individual dance numbers of
Sattriya. Mati-Akhoras are foundation for the learners to make a healthy
physical, mental and spiritual set-up which is very necessary for a classical
dancer. It is worth mentioning that some of these Mati-Akhoras are similar with
some yogic postures or asana (based on yoga Shastra), which help the learners
to maintain a physical and mental discipline. For example - “chakrasan” of yoga
is similar with the thiyo lon of Mati-Akhora, which helps to make the back strong and the body light,
which is essential for the dancer. Again “dhanurasan” is similar with the jur
kamitona of Mati-Akhora, which makes the body active, strengthen the thaighs
and help to remove extra fats from belly areas. Besides these many Mati-Akhoras
have yogic quality which help the learners to shape their body from all sides.
It is worth mentioning that Mahapurush Sankaradeva, the architect of Sattriya
dance was a great exponent and expert of yoga, who studied Yoga Shastra
thoroughly.
It has been observed that there is no unanimity about the total numbers
of the Mati-Akhoras; in other words, the different Sattras advocate different
numbers of Mati-Akhoras. Kamalabari group of Sattras have been following and
practising 64 numbers of Mati-Akhoras. On the other hand, Sattras like Auniati,
Bardowa (Narowa and Salaguri), Bengenaati etc. also follow some Mati-Akhoras. It is worth mentioning
that, the Asom Sattra Mahasava, the highest association of the Sattras, in a
seminar and workshop on Mati-Akhoras held at Jorhat from 13-03-1994, studied
the Mati-Akhoras of various Sattras and accepted seventy three Mati-Akhoras. In
the recent years, several dancers and researchers have enumerated this figure ranging
from sixty seven' to one hundred twenty2. In one school of
thought, these Mati-Akhoras are identified or named on the basis of the
movements of the hands , while some experts have emphasised their views in
naming them as per the movements and the direction of the feet. However, the
origin is the same.
The Mati-Akhoras are broadly categorised into two parts – one part is (a) pure exercises and the other (b) basic dance units. Pure
exercises are based on some acrobatic
poses. For example– thiyo lon, athu lon, tamal musura, morai pani khowa etc.
These exercises are generally not used in dance, though there are some exceptions. For
instance – we can refer to the Natuwa dance of Auniati Sattra, where in these
exercises or acrobatic poses are extensively used. On the
other hand most of the Mati Akhoras belong to the basic dance units .
It has already been mentioned that the Mati Akhoras are grammatical forms
for Sattriya dance, and at the same time they are the exercise as well as the
structural basis of this dance form. That is why, almost the entire body
processes are covered by the Mati-Akhoras and they are a) Utha (rising); boha
(squatting), c) thiyo (standing position), d) calana (gati or gait), e) pak
(turns and spins), f) jap ( jump), g) ulaha (undulating or wavy movements), h)
citika (springing), i) bura or duba (porpoising) etc. On the other hand, the
Mati-Akhoras are categorised under eight different broad units, such as - ora,
chota, jalak, jap, muruka, khar, pak and
lon. These are categorised on the basis of different characters and application
patterns. Under these broad units, there are many sub-units. For example -
there are four types of ora - Purush Ora, Prakriti or Stri Ora, Phul Ora,and
Lahi Ora. Like that there are at least six types of chota- ora chota, kati chota,
Udha chota etc.
Mati-Akhoras embrace all the
features of Sattriya dance. They are – the basic body positions or stances,
bhangas or body bending, body movements, foot-stances and foot movements,
various utplavanas or jumps, bhramari or paks, gati or gaits, various hastas,
sira bheda or head movements, griva - bheda or neck movements, dristi-bheda or
eye movements etc.
It is worth mentioning that generally the dance is divided into two kinds
– 1) tandava and 2) lasya. Tandava style of dance represents the masculine and
vigorous expression or movements. On the other hand lasya style of dance
represents the smooth, delicate, graceful, gentle expression or movements. This
division of tandava and lasya is observed in Mati-Akhoras. It is worth mentioning
that Sattriya dance is basically a lasya based dance form. So, though the division of
tandava and lasya exists in this dance form, yet we do not have extreme vigorous
expression in tandava part of Sattriya dance. Basically it is divided on the basis of
general nature or temperament of man and woman. Anyway - this division is
strictly followed in the Mati - Akhora. For example - Ora (the basic stance or
position of Sattriya) is divided into "purush ora" and "prakriti
ora" which represent the male and female elements. On the other hand, one
of the bhramaris is also divided on the basis of male and female elements, that
is purush pak and prakriti pak. It is worth mentioning that the dance numbers
of Sattriya are also divided into two types– a) purusha bhangir nach (male style
of dancing) or tandava style dance numbers and prakriti or stri bhangir nach
(female style of dancing) or lasya style dance numbers etc.
It is worth mentioning that, the Natya Shastra has mentioned the chari
and karana, which are also certain kind of exercises and bhangis like Mati-Akhoras
and are used to compose certain dance poses. It is worth mentioning that there
are some similarities in the structural pattern of
Mati-Akhoras with the structural pattern of those chari, karana, khanda,
mandala, matrika and angahara of Natya Shastra. As described by N.S. – poses
created by the movements of a single foot are called chari, poses created by
using two feet are called karana, combination of three or more karanas create a
khanda and the combination of three or four khandas create a mandala. On the
other hand two karanas create a matrika and two, three or four matrikas create
an angahara. The application pattern of chari, karana, khanda and matrika is
directly observed in Mati-Akhora.For example-the features of chari
are observed in Citika
of Mati-Akhora,karana in Hat-Bhari Chalona,khanda in Hat Soluwa etc. It is
worth mentioning that, there is a lot of scope to create the mandala and
angahara in Sattriya by using various Mati-Akhoras.
After the completion of Mati-Akhora, when the learner's foundation becomes
strong, then she or he is generally taught Nadubhangi nach, a dance numbers of
Sattriya.
Now, some important Mati-Akhoras are mentioned below, according to the
application pattern:
Name of the Mati-Akhoras WHERE
TO APPLY
1. Khasaka As exercise, and salutation to Guru
2. Ora (Purush and Prakriti) Initial position in male and female
style of dancing
3. Orat baha-utha Both exercise and dance
4. Harbhanga As exercise, can be used in dance
5. Pani-sisha As exercise, can be used in dance
7. Saman ora As dance pose
8. Udha-chota in dance
9. Baha chota in dance
10. Ora chota in dance
11. Samukhalai chota in dance
12. Kati chota in dance
13. Etiya chota in dance
14. Gerowa-sowa A
exercise, can be used in dance
15. Orat jap in
dance
16. Bagh jap in dance
17. Beng jap or bhekola jap both exercise and dance
18. Samukhaloi jap in
dance
19. Kachobandh As
exercise
20. Hatpakowa As
exercise, can be used in dance
21. Moropa in
dance
22. Muruka in
dance
23. bahamuruka in
dance
24. thiyo muruka in
dance
25. Hat salowa in
dance
26. Citika in
dance
27. Ketela in
dance
28. Jalak in
dance
29. Sigha jalak in
dance
30. Tewai in
dance
31. Kakilakhosa in
dance
32. Khahaki in
dance
33. Jatoni in
dance
34. Athuwa in
dance
35. Kati khar in
dance
36. Cit khar in
dance
37. Luti Khar in
dance
38. Olata khar As
exercise
39. Chatrawali both
exercise and dance
40. Morai pani khowa As
exercise
41. Kachai pani khowa As
exercise
42. Udha lon As
exercise
43. Thiyo lon As
exercise, use in natuwa nach
44. Athu lon As
exercise, use in natuwa nach
45.Tamal muchora As exercise
46.Buku chuwa both exercise
and dance
47.Purush pak in dance
48.Prakriti pak in dance
49.Akal pak in dance
50.Uor pak in
dance
51.Pithi pak in dance
52.Thita pak in dance
53. Cereki pak in
dance
54. Shari pak in
dance
55. Geri pak in
dance
56. Thengmela tukura pak in
dance
57. Udha Cereki pak in
dance
58. Teltupi As
exercise
59. Zor kamitona As
exercise
60. Kamitora As
exercise etc.
61.
Tukura pak in
dance
62.Kati
pak in
dance
63.Uddha
cereki pak in dance
64.Theng
mela tukura pak in dance
65.Uor
pak-tukura pak in dance etc.
1. Goswami, Jatin : Sankari Nrityar
Mati-Akhora, Part I
2. Saikia, Govinda, Sattriya Nrityar Ruprekha.
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