নেপালের 'চচা' গান ও প্রাচীন বাংলার চর্যাপদ| Cacã Songs of Nepal and Charyāpada of Ancient Bengal

Abstract

This essay tries to explain the relationship between the cultural heritage of Nepal the Cacă songs and Charyapada of ancient Bengal. In the year of 1907 Bengali scholar, Mahāmhopadhyāya Haraprasad Shastri discovered Charyāpada as cultural and literary magnificence of ancient Bengal from Kathmandu, Nepal. Exactly 100 years later in 2007, the writer of this essay accomplished his field work and training on Cacă songs, the cultural heritage of Newari people, in the same place Kathmandu. Then the writer discovered that the Bajracharyas, the elite of Newari Bajrayānas, do secret Pujas (Chakrapuja, Ghanachakra) which are confined between themselves. Dances with songs, drinking of wine and eating the meat is very common in these Pujas. Uninterruptedly religious songs are sung and in big Pujas dance with singing Songs is common. These ritual songs are called Cacă. The word Caca is a derivative either from Caryä or Charya. The dance which is occurred with Cacă songs is called Cacă Pyäkha. The main priest of Chakrapuja dances as a venerable deity. Every Cacă song is sung under certain notes and beats which are not identical to modern day's Hindustani notes and beats. These notes and beats fossilized the form of music of hundreds of years back. Different words which had been used in Cacă songs are identical to many words used in Charyäpada manuscripts. From this observation, the writer concluded that Cacă songs have two importances 1. They are the reflection of ancient Bangla and simultaneously 2. The reflection of the development of the Newari tradition which is till now in existence in Kathmandu valley.