Satranga, Majuli, presents Brindavana Yatra at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakhetra on Sunday. Picture by UB Photos

March 4: The paintings that Srimanta Sankardev meticulously made on Vrindavani vastras to capture Krishna’s divinity have come to the city people in the form of a dance drama, Brindavana Yatra, this evening.

Bhabananda Barbayan, a Xattriya exponent from Majuli, has made the dance drama based on the themes presented on two Vrindavani vastras which is believed to have been woven between 1565 and 1569 and early 17th century and being preserved in a museum in Paris.

Narsimha ripping apart the heart of Hiranyakashipu, Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu, Krishna holding atop the Gobardhana hill, Ravana locking horns with Hanuman, fish and tortoise incarnations of Vishnu, Krishna stealing the costumes of the gopis, Krishna humbling Kalia (a serpent) are some of the topics depicted on the two fabrics.

Vrindavani vastra is a name given to silk textiles from Assam that depicts scenes from the lives of avatars of Vishnu along with scenes from Ramayan and the Bhagvad Purana.

These textiles were first made in around 1567-69, under the supervision of the Vaishnavite reformer Sankardev and the cloth depicts scenes from Krishna’s childhood home of Vrindavan.

Barbayan said the inaugural show of the 70-minute dance drama was performed at Uttar Kamalabari Xatra on Thursday. The concept and choreography of the dance drama was of Bhabananda Barbayan and was performed by Barbayan’s dance group, Satranga.

Barbayan said after Sankardev, similar types of fabrics were produced in Assam for use in the village naamghars and xatras.

“This tradition has been continuing even till date but in a much simpler forms. Although this tradition has been continuing, because of simplification of the craftsmanship the charisma of the fabric is not retained,” Barbayan said.

“The objective of my initiative is to let this rich tradition of weaving out fabric in replica of Vrindavani vastra to be used as a covering on the altars in naamghars and xatras till eternity. I wish that the bhaona actors will also use such fabric for their costumes which will go a long way in encouraging, appreciating and patronising our weavers,” he said.

Barbayan said in order to make the paintings on Vrindavani vastras into dance drama they consulted several Puranas.

“Based on the clues of the paintings on the Vrindavani vastras, I consulted several Puranas and other religious books to mould the dance drama,” he said.

Barbayan said that the entire concept came to his mind when he visited Paris in 2008 to perform Xattriya dance. “When I saw the Vrindavani vastra for the first time at the museum Musee Guimet in Paris, I was spellbound and decided to do something on it,” he said.