Music,
Dance and Drama
Nilamata
Purana reveals, the people of Kashmir were fond of
music, dance and drama. They played, danced and sang
to express their joys, to mitigate their pains, to
please their gods and to appease their demons. Young
girls were trained in fine art.
Dancing
always goes hand in hand with music. On each and
every festive occassion, religious or
semi-religious, seasonal or agricultural, the chief
item of celebration used to be dancing and singing.
Popularity
of Music and dancing, in ancient times, is
corroborated by Archaeology. A tile from Harwan,
presumed to be of 4th century A.D. shows three
musicians playing flute, cymbals and drum. Another
tile represents a female musician playing drum,
third one shows a female dancer.
In
ancient times, the festival of sowing of seeds, was
celebrated for about a month. Singing and dancing
enlivened this noble period.
Music
had been with people of Kashmir, both vocal and
instrumental, as early as 200 B.C. receiving royal
patronage. The mode of singing varied in three forms
- simple recitation, singing in chorus, enchanting
Vedic mantra.
Dancing
girls were attached to temples. They would visit the
king on his coronation day and take part in most of
the festivals and ceremonies. Dances were performed
to welcome the rich gift of grapes. Bilhan praises
the high skill of ladies of Kashmir in dancing.
The
words Preksha and Preksanaka mentioned in Nilamata
Purana refer to theatrical performances. It is said
there existed some dramatic clubs, which gave shows
on demand. It is mentioned in ‘Early History and
Culture of Kashmir’ by S.C.Ray that there were
many theatre halls, provided with cushioned couches.
Most of the functions referred to in ‘Nilamata
Purana’ were performed either in the vicinity of
bonfire outside the houses or in open fields. Bilhan
extols the ladies of Kashmir for the excellent
dramatic performance, which excelled the acting of
heavenly damsels.
Dancers,
Musicians and Actors were well respected in ancient
times and they received honour and gifts on certain
festivals. The festival held in the month of ‘Asadha’,
had one of the ceremony to present gifts to artists.
The ‘Bhadrapada’ festival was very significant
and important to artists. On this day, the artists
were given a bath, worshipped and then given gifts.
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