Crafting the full religious fervour and beauty of Buddhist Art, the Manipuri artistes in Manipuri art form presented dance drama ‘Natir Puja’ at Madhya Pradesh Museum on Monday.
Natir Puja is the one of Tagore’s masterpieces developed around a poor dancing girl of the palace, meaning Nati, whose service is to clean the Stupa. Her devotion to Buddha is uncompromising. Enacting with due talas, ragas of Manipuri tradition the artistes in the dance drama expressed that- Bimbisara, the king of Magadha has built a beautiful Stupa in the name of lord of Budh and follows Buddhism.
After Bimbisara, his son Prince Ajatsatru has announced taken over the rule of Magadha. The new king stringent laws, one of which prohibits the women to enter the stupa built up and thus the service of the Nati, Srimati at the Stupa is terminated. Despite the strict order Nati performs the Buddha Puja. Seeing this much devotion of Nati in Buddha, Ajatsatru make plan to kill Nati. To execute this plan, Nati is chosen to worship at the Shrine of the stupa. Nati takes the honour gracefully despite the risk of severe punishment. On Buddha Purnima, the member of the royal families, Bhikshus are assembled at the Stupa in festivities and to watch the Nati dancing and performing puja at the Shrine.
In the end of her dancing, as she kneels down and recite the final verse in the name of Buddha, Ajatsatru in rage orders to execute Nati on the very spot leaving her dead. In this dance drama, the character of Nati is played by RK Sanatombi, Ajatsatru is by M Nareshkumar Singh, Bimbisara by O Jelen Singh. In the beginning of the dance drama, Deputy Director, Adivasi lokkala Avam Boli Vikas Academy welcomed artists.