Aesthetic Continuum: Essays on Assamese Music, Drama, Dance and Paintings

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The great Sankardeva movement thus brought about a new and comprehensive outlook on life and a distinctly healthy tone to social behaviour. It accelerated the pace of renascence of literature and fine arts like music and painting. The dignity of the individual endeavour of man as a distinct religious being and not as ‘the thrall of theological despotism’ was declared. Assam discovered herself as an integral part of the holy land of Bharatavarsa, and gloried in that discovery. The holy books in Sanskrit, the litterae humaniores of India, could no longer be sealed to the common man’s view by a rigid oligarchy. The use of the local language in expositions of theology and philosophy was in itself a challenge to the erstwhile guardians of secret doctrines, who understood the significance of the challenges and ‘protested very much’. The new humanism eyed askance at the numerous blood sacrifices, including the immolation of man, and the nice sacerdotalism that was the order of the day in Hindu Society. The use of Assamese, and Indo-Aryan tongue, which formed but an island in a Tibeto-Burman ocean, as the medium for the propagation of neo-Vaisnava faith led to its emergence as the language of all the people. The ancient kingdom of Kamarupa was now undergoing a huge change, and it was having almost a regeneration, political and social, which timed well with the cultural resurgence initiated by Sankaradeva; and the first possibilities of a unified and modern Assam were a now in evidence.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maheshwar Neog

Maheswar Neog (1915-1995) is widely known as an author and scholar of extraordinary gifts and accomplishment, is the author of over 150 publications and research papers writing in authority on a number of subjects – Religion, Language and Literature, Cultural History, Epigraphy, Music, Dance and Drama, Painting etc. He has particularly covered aspects of the North-Eastern region of India fairly broadly in his writings. Some of his outstanding publication in English are: Sankardeva and His Times: Early History of the Vaisnava Faith and Movement in Assam, Religions of the North East, Bhaona – ritual play of Assam, Pracya-sasanavali, Art of Painting in Assam, Rhythm in the Vaisnava Music of Assam, Sankardeva, The Bhakti Ratnakara of Sankardeva and History of the Concept of Bhakti, Srihastamuktavali, Tradition and Style, Guru Carita Katha, Sri Sri Sankardeva, etc. Besides, quite a host of works in his own language, Assamese, brought out by National institutions and dignified publishing concerns. He was well connected with leading Indological institutions and Journals of the country and abroad Professor Neog held many important positions, including Jawaharlal Nehru Professor, Gauhati University, Saint Sankardeva Professor, Punjabi University, Professor Emeritus, Gauhati University and Fellow, Sangeet Natak Akademi.

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Bibliographic information

Title
Aesthetic Continuum: Essays on Assamese Music, Drama, Dance and Paintings
Author
Edition
1st ed.
Publisher
ISBN
8190720519
Length
xvi+513p., Plates; Illustrations; 22cm.
Subjects