Astamatrika Dance of Patan-Rev

Preserving the Tradition of Patan: The Astamatrika Dance Min Bahadur Shakya I. Introduction The ancient Nepalese city of Patan is also called Lalitpur, the city of Fine Arts. Its inhabitants are mainly Newars, who live in clusters around Buddhist Viharas which jostle with numerous Hindu temples. Buddhist sites are predominant in the City. Patan is also famous for its temple architecture, monuments and its magnificent representations of various deities. Most of the statues engraved in stone, wood and bronzes are created by unnamed Newar artists during the Lichhavi (c. 400-880 AD) and Malla (c. 1400-1825 AD) periods. Almost all those who have written on Newar Society found it difficult to differentiate between Buddhists and Hindus among the Newar population. The Newar people are fond of observing various Hindu and Buddhist festivals together. In the observance of these festivals, their spiritual motivation is distinctly visible. A blending of Hindu and Buddhist features is apparent in their scenarios. We can cite examples such as Avalokiteshvara/Matsyendranath, Manjushree/Saraswati, and many others which throw light on the Hindu-Buddhist syncretic or integrative behavior among the Newar population. The cultural harmony created through syncretism is the lifeblood and cultural identity of Nepal, and a matter of national pride. Unlike the Rama Janma Bhumi and Baba Mosque controversies in India, in Nepal the two main religious groups never came into conflict. Although most of the rulers in the Malla period were Hindus, they never remained indifferent to the upliftment of Buddhists. Among Patan’s various events or festivals, the dance of Astamatrika is a unique cultural event. The uniqueness lies not so much in the dance itself, but in its integrative character and its relationship with various aspects of Newar culture. Today, the question of how such cultural harmony is possible is receiving more attention in the scholarly community. How is it achieved? Casual visitors may be surprised to see that the masked dance of the Astamatrika, or Eight mother goddesses, who are tutelary deities of Hindus, is performed by Buddhist Bajracharyas (tantric priests) and laymen. This outwardly ‘Hindu’ veneer has led some Hindu elites to claim Buddhism is merely an offshoot of Hinduism. Regrettably, this is a gross mistake. It must be noted that what the Newar people profess here is the Buddhism of the Vajrayana, which is the path of skillful Means and Wisdom. The use of mantras, sadhanas, yogas and various disciplines have parallels in Hindu Tantric methods, yet, although being apparently similar to Buddhism, in 1 | Page

terms of their basis, path and result, they are dissimilar in nature. Apart from Deity Yoga, there are innumerable skillful means in Vajrayana Buddhism which are practices or used for the attainment of perfect enlightenment or Buddhahood. The incorporation of Hindu deities in Buddhist pantheons is said to be one of the foremost skill-in-means of Buddhism. In Vajrayana Buddhism one aims to attain perfect enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, and as a result of that motivation, for the practitioner to exclude any sentient being from one's domain of meditation is absurd. A Buddhist practitioner utilizes these Astamatrika deities in meditation for the purpose of averting obstacles and for the attainment of eight kinds of mundane Siddhis or perfections. In Buddhist texts like the Abhidhanottara Tantra, Kalachakra Tantra, methods of worship, meditation and practice are set out at length. II. Origin and History of Astamatrika dance The dance of Astamatrika was introduced by King Sri Nivash Malla (16271687 AD) who was said to be an emanation of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Once he saw in his dream a congregation of mother goddesses dancing in his royal court Mulachowk. To know the significance of his dream, he consulted the Brahmin priest Madhusudan, of Gabahal Tole, and Sri Kulapad Acharya of Nyakhachowk (near Patan Gate). The King inaugurated the dance of Astamatrika by donating land for a fund (Guthi) used to financially support the performance of the dance every year. The king, being himself a scholar and tantric, composed charyagitas or songs of various deities. And the Bajracharya Kulapada arranged all the ceremonial procedures for the song and the dance according to his Buddhist Tantric tradition. The musical instruments used for the dance are called Ponga and Pancabaja (fivefold instruments). According to Kulapada, these instruments were used by divine Kinnaras and Gandharvas in the heaven of Indra. These were perceived by Lord Manjudeva, an emanation of Bodhisattva Manjushree. He then narrated these events to his famous disciple Santikar Acharya who founded the Stupa of Swayambhu. Later Santikar Acharya instructed his disciple Bandhudatta Acharya who brought Lord Karunamaya Avalokiteshvara from Kamarupa (Assam) to Kathmandu during the reign of the King Narendradeva. As Kulapada Acharya was in the lineage of Bandhudatta Acharya, he had heard all about them. In the concluding ceremony of the Astamatrika dance, Acharya Kulapada appended a drama called Belakha Huyekegu. In the drama, Guru Kulapada Acharya tried to show the importance of the Sadhana of Astamatrika for the attainment of eight mundane Siddhis, which facilitates the accumulation of merit for the attainment of Buddhahood. The Sadhana of Astamatrika is manifested in great detail through the Bhairabha chakra mandala and also in Buddhist Tantric Texts. For a tantric Buddhist, the Kathmandu valley is said to be a mandala of Heruka Cakra Samvara surrounded by Eight Matrika 2 | Page

goddesses and eight cemeteries. Hence the name chosen by Mary Slusser for her book on the Cultural History of the Kathmandu Valley, namely, "Nepal Mandala." III. Ritual Procedure To start with, the participating dancers must go to a temple of Vajrasattva and take Refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. They bow to their Guru's feet and make some offerings. Then, to the accompaniment of elaborate music, the guru instructs them in the art of dancing before the temple of Nrityeshvara, the Lord of Dancing. Then, on New Moon Day, the participants must observe the Uposadha fasting ceremony for a full day and then, treating them as eight mother goddesses and other deities numbering thirteen in total, the guru performs his Sadhana and rituals in the temple. Each participant must visualize themselves as one of the deities of Astamatrika and engage themselves in meditation. According to Kulapada Acharya, the participants who play the role of Astamatrika must purify their body, speech and mind and must refrain from talking impure foods, and the rituals should contain cereals and vegetarian items. So there should be no killing of animals for sacrificial purposes. a. Musical instruments and Charyagita The use of Charyagita is another exceptional feature of this dance. Unlike other secular songs, the Charyagitas have a spiritual significance which is esoteric in nature and cannot be fully comprehended by the uninitiated. The charya dance and charyagita have to be performed and sung simultaneously. As stated earlier, the musical instruments used in this dance are called "Ponga" and are supposed to be heavenly instruments, and the sound they produce thus has a spiritual significance. Visitors are often astounded and delighted to see such a spiritual heritage in living form. But unfortunately such heritages in these days are really endangered. b. Mask Creation The Astamatrika dance is also a ceremony that is ritually marked by a set of masks, which on this occasion are worn and danced with. These masks have a continual life-force or energy. They are focal points of the Astamatrika dance ceremonies performed during the Dashain festival. 　 The 13 deities represented during these Astamatrika dances are as follows: 1. Simhini White 2. Bhairava Blue 3. Ganesh White 4. Kumara Red 5. Brahmayani Yellow 6. Rudrayani White 7. Kaumari Red 3 | Page

8. Vaishanavi Green 9. Varahi Red 10. Indrayani Orange 11. Mahakali/Chamunda - Red

12.Mahalaxmi 13. Vyaghrini -

Red +Yellow Yellow

It is to be noted that each of these Astamatrika deities has a special temple in Patan dedicated to them, and they have a long relationship with the local people who worship them on different occasions. IV. Purpose of Astamatrika Dance The Astamatrika performances render these deities visible, in an immediate and dramatic form loaded with spiritual significance, which brings a sense of order and meaning to the Newars’ culture in their socio-religious life. In Newar Buddhist society, all Chitrakars are Hindu-Buddhists who are makers of the masks and painters of Hindu-Buddhist themes. They are artists who work within a relatively strict iconographic tradition. They cannot manipulate or change the canonical iconographic details. It should be noted that with the preservation of the dance, the artistic traditions of making masks and paintings are also conserved. The dance of Astamatrika is performed for the removal of obstacles in the city caused by unknown evil spirits and ghosts and for the removal of the eight great fears. Furthermore, a tantric practitioner worships the Astamatrika for the attainment of eight great Siddhis, well-being, peace, the prosperity of the country and the people. V. The Need for Preserving the Astamatrika dance As discussed earlier, the religious cooperation and tolerance that exists among the Newar people is a primary asset of our cultural heritage. The preservation of the Astamatrika dance not only maintains this pan-religious integration but also specific cultural traditions of music, art and performance. We earlier mentioned that the Astamatrika dance had continued to function since it was founded with grants made by King Sri Nivas Malla himself. It is known from local sources that there are as many as 39 guthis (= 13*3) in each of these localities viz. Nakabahil, Bubahal and Okubahal, who in those days held responsibility for performing the Astamatrika Dance every year. In the course of time, the Guthi Sansthan, a government undertaking, usurped all these Guthis, paralyzing the Astamatrika dance. Bubahal and Okubahal Tole ceased to take responsibility and only one locality, 'Nakabahil' Tole, continues to take on this heavy responsibility. It is our solemn request to the concerned authorities of Guthi Sansthan that if they can locate some of the 4 | Page

existing guthis or lands it would be a great source for the sustenance of Astamatrika dance financially. Although the Astamatrika dance has both a profound spiritual significance, and is a special example of religious integration in Nepal, the Nepalese authorities have little interest in fostering in its development. Changes of government have brought no change at all in the attitude towards preserving this outstanding tradition. No one in authority seems to be interested in this precious heritage. Who is going to take care of it? Our cultural heritage is not only the property of Nepal, but of the whole world. Is it not necessary to act responsibly towards these spiritual traditions? For the preservation of these traditions, three suggestions are put forward here: i) One should explore the essential features of Newar cultural heritage in a historical perspective, and conduct thorough research which should be presented to the public to create awareness. ii) One should analyze the basic conditions of the present structure of these vanishing cultural heritages. iii) Concrete steps to preserve these traditions are absolutely vital. The interreligious harmony manifest in these traditions shows that they have global as well as local significance. Conclusion: The purpose of this paper is to present a specific example of the religious integration found in Newar society. The Astamatrika dance also has special properties that distinguish it from other dances. Nowadays, in our changing modern society, people are losing faith in these Astamatrika deities and even in the practice of their religion. The general loss of interest in the study and practice of religion is one of the major obstacles to its survival. There also seems to be no authority who will take serious interest in preserving our heritage, irrespective of whether it is Hindu or Buddhist. Another objective of this paper is to show that by preserving one cultural tradition, many other facets of this cultural heritage will also be preserved. These days, due to the advancement of science and technology, our world has grown smaller. Heritage and ideology are not confined to one particular locality or country. Culture has become not only “Nepalese” or “Indian”, but the property of the whole world. It is therefore now the duty of all concerned bodies, whether national or international, to look after these socially significant traditions for the betterment of humanity. 　

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