Basanta : Man behind Hanglai Jagoi art form Tale of battle against all odds

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Dec 12 : With art and culture forming an indelible part of the very ethos of Manipuri society since ages, many dance forms and folk culture have popularized the State in the National and international domain.
Apart from a series of rich ancient folklores of different ethnic communities intertwining with the Manipuri society since the mythological time, many dance forms were also created and came into vogue during the reign of various kings.
Among them was “Hanglai Jagoi” (Manipuri Puppetry Theatre) which is said to have been introduced during the reign of Maharaja Chandrakirti in the late 19th century and widely popularized during the reign of King Bhagyachandra.
However, this rich cultural asset of the State has been waning recently with only a few dedicated artists and individuals trying to preserve and promote it in the face of stiff challenges.
Gurumayum Basanta Sharma of Thiyam Leishangkhong in Imphal West District is among a few artists who have been striving hard to preserve and promote the art form in Manipur and outside the State.
Recognizing his dedication for the preservation and promotion of traditional Manipuri Puppetry, Basanta has been selected by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Ministry of Culture for the Senior Fellowship for 2020-21 for a period of two years with effect from July 1 this year.
Basanta had also participated in many international and National puppet shows and showcased different genres of traditional Manipuri Puppetry outside the State.
Born to late Gurumayum Jadu Sharma, Basanta learnt the art of Manipuri Puppetry and Manipuri Puppetry Theatre from his father who was also once a famous puppetry artist in the State since 1986 when he was just 14.
He also learnt the art form from various eminent gurus of Manipuri Puppetry Theatre, dance, music and other rare art forms of Manipur and has been actively engaging in this line of work since 1994.
Besides doing the work of preserving, documenting and propagating the ethnic puppet dance and decoration of the various forms of puppetry for the last many years, Basanta imparts training to youngsters besides conducting lecture-cum-demonstration programs.
According to Basanta, the Hanglai Jagoi or Manipuri Puppetry was once a part and parcel of the Manipuri society and had been showcased at the Shree Shree Govindajee Temple and every locality across the valley.
“At first, it was performed only during the Manipuri Krishna Leelas like Ras Leela, Goura Leela and Sansenba Leela by displaying puppets correlated with the stories of Krishna from above the phijang (decoration) by the puppeteers. Later on, this art form was expanded to a wider range with the introduction of puppetry stages and folk tale narrations through puppets”, Basanta added.
The Manipuri puppet artist claimed that the traditional Manipuri Hanglai was originally made of wood, paper, ragged clothes, dried paddy etc although some materials have been replaced today by other materials.  
Lamenting that the art form is gradually dying owing to challenges like acculturation, modernization, socio cultural factors and lack of support, the puppetry artist went on to maintain that many rare dance forms and cultural heritage of different ethnic communities in the State are about to go extinct now in the face of these challenges.  
Basanta asserted that being engaged in art and protecting culture in the State, one needs to be financially independent as all the requirements have to be borne by the artists and art lovers.
The puppetry artist who has been long associated with the Moppet Decoration and Cultural Centre, Yumnam Huidrom Thiyam Leishangkhong is imparting his artistic skill to many youngsters.