An overview of Oja pali

Oja pali art form of Assam is very primitive performance of Assam. The performance of Ojapali involves a mixture of songs, dance, dramatic dialogues and gestures. Generally, five male performers perform together. They are basically differentiated into an Oja and four palis. Oja can be considered as the leader and palis his assistants, the dainapali or bhaira(daina meaning right-hand) being the main of the assistants. The Oja sings and elaborated the stories from epics and puranas and the palis supports him with chorus and hymns.

The dialogues and songs they used in their performance are not written. The dialogues and songs are improvised on the spot by oja (the leader) and Daina pali or bhaira( the chief assistant). It is purely depending on the spectators and the environment. They also uses comic element to get spectators involved in the performance. Mention may be made here that these oja –pali performers are mainly uneducated people. Sometime their use of language and words may not have meanings when we simply read. Sometimes they use words just to make their dialogue rhythmic and to make people laugh. Here oja starts a sentence and then bhaira or the daina pali( the chief assistant ) make it elaborate to the audience. The Bhaira or the daina pali make things simple to the spectators and put comic element to it. That is why it is called:   

                                 ( oja pun pali hala/

                            Tar maje rasar nijara//  )

                                  Oja is strait, pali bend

                      Within that there will be stream of rasa.

Oja pali generally performs in public places, namghars(Assamse temple). The performance place surrounded by spectator and it performs in the middle of it. During performance sometimes oja and daina pali start interacting with spectator too. Thus oja pali has carries the nature of social messenger or community media.

The particular song sequence that I have translated describes the story of how Jambuwanta (a character of Ramayana) urges Hanuman to recover Rama and Laxmana after being kidnapped by Ravana in disguise. Through the performance they address the issue of food scarcity, flood and erosion in the society. The sequence is on the colloquial language of Darang district which is slightly different in accent than the mainstream Assamese language.

  The original performance sequence in Assamese:

Oja: o,Edineko poti jawoto chndrawali tawto kathiya.

        Bidhatar likhan najay chariya//

Bhaira: jetiya ji hoba laga ase age asehoi/

Bidhatar hosa misa kodasit nohoy.

Oja: Aair ghorot jam bole duhate kham/

Bhaira: Bidhatai nohoy bule pise pise jam /

Jiyekir ghorot nijeti jai kidang kidang kore

Tetelir patot bhat barhi di ukalikanda kore//

Oja: Adsha

Bhaira: Dukhiyar kotu nai sukh/

Ghate ghate pani khai hukai jai mukh //

Eke pai jak sotake pai tak/

Dukhiyar dukhe pala nangal holake fal nilak//

Oja: hoy,hoy,aru?

bhaira:atalu nilak singa boitha nilak/

potharor nilak mor tola kathiya//

Oja: Banat moril tinita bhai/

 Tinita kukur mori gel pithaguri khai//

Bule kar agot kom,kone potiyabo/

Kar murot dhorim kune batiyabo//

Oja: Aru?

Bhaira: Hepar kala kaan muja/

Bhangi kou teu kiya nubuja//

Age asilu bhatou ita holu tiyan/

Imakone bhangi koun teu nubuja kiya//

Oja: hobo,hobo, etiya ki hol jana?

Bhaira: ki hol?

Oja: he probhu ramchandray rambhodraya bodhsi/

Roghu nathay nathay sitaya potoye nomoh//

(a prayer to God Rama)

Bhaira: hoy, hoy

Oja: jetiya tratayugot rama-ravanar yudha lagil tetiya papistha ravane Rama- laxmanak sor kori patalpur nagark….

Bhaira: (continue from oja’s mouth) oloiii gol…

Oja:tetiya Ramak bisari Bandar bilake habathuri khale/

Bhaira: tarpisot

Oja: hokolu bandare jukti kroi Hanumanok maat logale

Bhaira: matok diya.

Oja: o Hanuman, o Hanuman

Bhaira: (act like Honuman) huu..kuu, huu..kuu

Oja: eifale ahasun/ etiya probhu Ramak bisari jabo lagibo

Bhaira: koloi?

Oja: patalpur nagarloi

Bhaira: kunu kotha nai

Oja: Jodi anibo para bor hukhor kotha

Bhaira: Jodi anibo nuwaru?

Oja:tetiyahole ki korim jana?

Bhaira: ki

Oja: ji Hrishyamukh parbotot ami ji juik sakhsi kori probhu ramchandrar lagat mitrata sthapon korisilu hei agnilunda ami hojai loun/ loi ki korim jana?

Bhaira: ki?

Oja: baru kou huna: (song) ‘Anibo nuwaru jodi shrirama –laxmana/

                                             Agnikunda sajai sawe tejibo jiwana//

                                                 O honu bhai!’

                                             Jambuwante bole huna veer hanuman/

Ramak bisari juwa patala bhuwana//

Briddha jambowantak honui prename hadori/

Ramaka bisari honu goila doradori//

And stated his mission to recover Ramachandra.

Oja: Jambuwante lahekoi Hanumanak maat logale

Bhaira: o’ maatok diya

Oja: Hanuman

Bhaira: ku…uuu ( sound like hanuman)

Oja: tumar bahire kunu jabo nuwaribo he/

Bhaira: moi jam/

Oja: etiya tumi jabo lagibo patal pur nagarak//

Oja: jambuwantar charanat hanumane hewa jonaise/

Sewa korar logote bhagawanaku…..

Bhaira: bhagawanar naam smaran korise

Oja: januvyang ch: tatha panivyang ch:/ ( a sanaskrita sloka)

Bhaira: eibuli hanumane sewa-lewa-tewa tiniuta korise

Oja: kihor hewa,lewa,tewa oi?

Bhaira: o ihot tiniu bhayek

Oja: tarmane?

Bhaira: sewa hol bordeka,elder brother/

Oja: aru?

Bhaira: lewa maju deka,middle brother

Oja: tewa?

Bhira: hour deka, little brother/

Oja: tarmane ihot tiniuku sewa karile bhagawan santosta hoy?

Bhaira: hoy

Oja: Jodi ejonok sewa kora hoy?

Bhaira: o’ihot duyu beya pabo/

Oja: moi okol Sewakhe janu

Bhaira:adsha; tumi kenekoi sewa kora?

Oja: prothomote moi janu duta matit pelai diu/

Bhaira: moiu diu

Oja: golot ekhon bostro diu//

Bhaira: hoi neki? Aru?

Oja: haat jur kori sewa koru

Bhaira: ai hol

Oja: ai hol bhgawanar usorot amara sewa

 (Then they act like an unknown)

Bhaira: o oja neki ha?

Oja: o

Bhaira: oi baapre baap( smile) bohut din dekhai nai?

Oja: o apunako bohut din dekha nai/

Bhaira: hothate log pai bhal lagil

Oja: moi bohudur goisilu

Bhaira: apunar ghoror kha khabar bhal?

Oja: ekrokom bhal/ apnar kenekuwa?

Bhaira: muru beya nohoy diyok/ kintu pohpal diyato ekrokom taan hoisi he/

Oja: kenai?

Bhaira: gotei gera kheniya.gera kheaniya.

potharat nai dhan/

Dukhiyar dukh bujibo kone/

Sorkareu nasai amar pine/

O bandhoi//

In English:

Oja: Almighty’s (bidhata) prediction never is erased.

Bhaira: It’s not all about Almighty’s prediction,

Whatever will happen is already set.

Oja: Will go to mother’s home and have food with both hands

Bhaira: wherever you go. Almighty will follow you.

(Rhythmic)Gone to the daughter’s home asking for something

Had food in the tamarind leaf and saying something else.

Oja: Ok (oja supports)

Bhaira: Poor people never be happy.

Their mouth gets dry

They talk to them whom they find same status.

Unhappiness and poor never be separated.

Oja: Alright, what else?

Bhaira: This time farming is not going well.

Flood has come and taken away all seeds.

Bhaira: Three of my brother passed away during flood

On that pain three pets also died

Now Whom I will speak, who will listen to us?

oja: And…What else?

Bhaira: How simply I have explain my pain to you

Why don’t you understand?

Oja: Ok.ok, now listen to me.

Bhaira: What happened ?

(Then they sing a prayer to Rama)

Oja: he probhu ramchandray rambhodraya bodhsi/

Roghu nathay nathay sitaya potoye nomoh//

Bhaira: Yes..Yes.. ( bhaira supports)

Oja: During the war of Rama and Ravana, Ravana kidnapped Rama Laxamana …

Bhaira: (continue from oja’s mouth) oloiii gol…

Oja: Monkeys got surprised when they could not able to find.

Bhaira: After that...

Oja: After a discussion among monkeys they called Hanuman.

Bhaira: (supports oja) They should do that.

Oja: (Act with the voice of monkey) hu..kuu..

Oja: Come here Hanuman.

Now you have to go to find God Rama.

Bhaira: Where should I go?

Oja:(act like Jambuwanta) To the underworld.

Bhaira: Ok. I will go.

Oja: If you can recover him we will be very happy.

Bhaira: If I cannot then?

Oja: Then we Will go to the fireplace Hrishyamukha hill,

Where we took oath to maintain friendship with Ramachanra and then?

Bhaira: Then what?

Oja: Let’s hear then..(Song) ‘If we unable to recover ShriRama and Laxamana.

We will sacrifice our life at the fireplace.

O’ brother hanuman!’

Jambuwanta said listen Hanuman.

Go to the underworld find Rama..

Hanuman showed respect to old Jambuwanta

And stated his mission to recover Ramachandra.

Oja: Jambuwanta softly called Hanuman

Bhaira:(supports oja) Ok. He should do this.

Oja: (like Jambuwanta) Hanuman

Bhaira: ku…uuu (act like hanuman)

Oja: No one can go except you.

Bhaira: (like Hanuman)I will go.

Oja: Now you have to go to underworld.

        Hanuman showed respect to Jambuwanta and God too.

Bhaira :( supports oja) He took God’s name ?

Oja: januvyang ch: tatha panivyang ch:/ ( a sanaskrita sloka)

Bhaira: And hanuman is doing Sewa(prayer), lewa, tewa

Oja: What is Sewa, lewa , tewa?

Bhaira:  They are all brothers

Oja: What?

Bhaira: Sewa(respect or Prayer) is elder brother

Oja: What else?

Bhaira: Lewa is middle brother

Oja: Then what is tewa?

Bhira: The Little brother

Oja: Will god satisfy us if we show sewa, lewa and tewa to him?

Bhaira: Yes, of course.

Oja: If we do one of them then?

Bhaira: Others feel bad..

Oja: But I know sewa(respect) only.

Bhaira: Ok, how do you show respect to god?

Oja: First we put our knee on the ground.

Bhaira: I also do that.

Oja: Then we wear a cloth (gamusa) in the neck

Bhaira: Ok. What else?

Oja: Then we put hands together.

Bhira: What is this?

Oja: This is how we do to show respect to our god.

(Then they act like an unknown)

Bhira: Are you oja?

Oja: Yes

Bhira: Oh my god. We are meeting after a long time.

Oja: Oh..I haven’t seen you so long.

Bhaira: So pleasure to meet you.

Oja: I went too far.

Bhiara: How are you?

Oja: I am good. How are you?

Bhira: I am also good. But crisis prevails all over my family

Oja: How?

Bhaira: Everywhere erosion and erosion

No paddy in the field

Who will understand the poor?

Government is not helping us .O’ my dear friend.