Rhythm in the Vaishnava Music of Assam

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Fifty years ago, in 1958. Publication Board Assam was established by the Government of Assam, in order to give a fillip to the book movement in Assam. It was aimed to produce, publish and distribute rare invaluable books and to undertake such other projects that might achieve the aims and objectives for which the institution was created. That effort has still been continuing. This year we have been celebrating the Board's golden jubilee with elaborate programs. In 2008, around 60-70 new books will be published besides the reprint of another 45. With these publications the Board, during last 50 years, has contributed with more than thousand publications.

In the latter half of the fifteenth century A. C. Sankaradeva (1449-1598) founded a school of neo-Vaishnavism in Assam. There was the efflorescene of a great literature and culture in this part of India with the advent of this new faith. Sankaradeva and his closest disciple, Madhavadeva, composed a number of songs of various orders-bargit (devotional lyrics, lit, noble songs), ankiya git (songs of the dramas), bhatima (prasastis of God. Vishnu or Krishna, a guru or a king), payara (recitational verses), Sanskrit odes, etc. Of these bargit and ankiya git may be classed together as representing the classical mode of Assam's Vaishnava music.

We sincerely hope that this book will be well received by the students, scholars and academicians as well as general readers.

I have much pleasure in introducing to the public the present volume on the rhythm or tala in the Vaishnava music of Assam.

Research and collection of Vaishnava music of Assam has been one of the main activities undertaken by the Assam Sangeet Natak Akademi. Preliminary work in this connection was undertaken by the late Srimati Rani Sabita Debi, Honorary Secretary, and Dr. Maheswar Neog. These took the form of tape-recording a great number of Vaishnava songs (Bargit, etc.) through the invitaion of the Honorary Secretary and, secondly, the circulation of a questionnaire on different aspects of Bargit (subject-matter of the gits, their origin, the rägas employed, the mälitäs or Assamese ragadhyānas, tāla, accompanying instruments and the line of research to be adopted). This first stage of the research was very satisfactory in as much as it had shown that the school of Vaishnava music can be re-established on a scientific basis to impart teaching in theory and practice without interfering with its intrinsic spiritual value.

In the second phase a committe was set up and named as Bargit Research (Preliminary) Committee with eight members and Dr. Neog as its Secretary. The main aim of the Committee was to explore the possibilities of setting the rägas of Bargit to accepted standards and of establishing Vaishnava music of Assam as another school of Indian classical music. With this aim in view, the Committee carried on a preliminary sample survey of Bargits. For this purpose six typical and representative rägas were selected in six most widely practised songs with accompanying talas.

**Contents and Sample Pages**