Revival of Charyasongs [Ancient Bengali Buddhist Mystic Songs] Presented by Bhābanagara Foundation

Charyapada were Ancient Bengali Buddhist Mystic Songs. Around thousand years back, in between 650 to 1100 AD, Ancient poets wrote and performed Charyapada by singing, dancing and acting. Such music trend is still marked in contemporary Baul songs. Researchers found elements of Baul songs in the Charyapada. In 1200 AD Muslim invasion became great threat for Charyapada practices. But the manuscript of this literature was somehow preserved in the Royal Library of Nepal. Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri discovered the manuscript from the mentioned Library in 1907 and Kolkata University published it in 1916. At that time Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri commented that the verses of Charyapada were sung in traditional Bengali musical from, like Kirtan. From time immemorial till today the Bajryajanee Buddhist Sadhaka openly or in sly continue practicing Charya-centric austerity, music and dance.

In the above context, Bhābanagara Sadhusanga, a programme of Bhābanagara Foundation, since 2015 has been a practice based action of reviving Charya-song. In course of time around one thousand sadhaka singers all over Bangladesh are practicing Charya Songs on regular basis. There is Paharpur BuddhaBihara Charya Charcha Kendra at Somapura Mahavihara in Naogaon. This place was one of the Charya sadhana centers of ancient Bengal and so the members of Paharpur BuddhaBihara Charya Charcha Kendra continue their practice at their own residences and in the Bihara premises.

In sum, the Baul-Fakir-Sufi sadhaka have been fascinated to Charayapada and got engaged in reviving the practice by playing local traditional music instrument. From 2015, the practitioners coming from different corners of the country regularly get together every Wednesday in the Suhrawardy Udyan in any situation and continue Charya Song Practice. The venue and the practice got so renowned that scholars from Oxford University (Professor Imre Bangha), London University (Dr. Hanne-Ruth Thompson), Heidelberg University (Professor Hans Herdar), Tokeyo University of Foreign Studies (Professor Masahiko Togawa), Poland’s Warsaw University (Dr. Michael Panasuk), Inalco of France (Jeremie Codron), Charles University in Prague (Martin Hribek), Temple University of America (Benjamin Krakauer), Sapienza University Rome (Carola Erica Lorea) and many more other researchers and professors. All of the distinguished visitors appreciated the efforts of reviving Charya Songs. Thus, the activities of Bhābanagara Sadhusanga has achieved national and international recognition.

Bhābanagara Sadhusanga sadhaka performed Charya songs at Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, National Museum, Dhaka University, Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Paharpur and Mohastan Garh and different spots in and out of Dhaka. Bangladesh Television (BTV) telecast a special documentary on our practices of reviving the charya songs. Though Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri discovered and published 46 charyapada, our Bhābanagara Sadhusanga collected all of the 50 Charyapada and performs those using quite local traditional tunes for the sake of understanding of the people irrespective classes. However, Bhābanagara follows 4 styles in performing Charya songs: 1. In original language of charyapada; 2. In contemporary Bangla language; 3. Following the raga/ragini mentioned in chayapada and 4. Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri commented Kirtan style and the traditional folk tunes.

The discussion on Bhābanagara’s Charya songs at the National parliamentarians Assembly is a supreme institutional recognition to our programmed of reviving Charya songs indeed.