उग्रतारा सांस्कृतिक महोत्सव में संस्कृति ?

"Ugaratara Sanskritik Mahotsav 2013" was celebrated on 6th and 7th October, 2013 at Mahishi. This was the second celebration of the mahotav and it was a historic evenet. To see the details of the mahotsav , you may visit our website : http:\\usm.mahishi.org

Regarding the organization of Mahotsav, we have collected the reviews of the people, invited guests, performing artists, reporters and common maas who were present during the mahotsav and were witness of the events and are publishing in a series.

Second in the series, we are publishing the review of Shee Kundan Kumar Mishra. Shree Mishra is native of mahishi and is reporting for DAINIK JAGRAN from mahishi. Apart from reporting, Shree Mishra is a social activist also and doing extensive research on the archeological evidences in and around mahishi. Many of the archeologically important materials and manuscripts have been preserved by him and in safe custody. He has published various articles in news papers, magzines, books on the historical, archeological and religious importance of mahishi and is a true social fighter in his own sense. He is also covering "Ugratara sanskritik Mahotsav " since its inception and was present during the mahotsav this year also. Here is present his feelings and review in his own words.

 

उग्रतारा सांस्कृतिक महोत्सव  में संस्कृति ?

(द्वारा :श्री कुंदन कुमार मिश्र , पत्रकार , दैनिक जागरण )

उग्रतारा सांस्कृतिक महोत्सव  में हज़ारों कि संख्यां में उपस्थित लोगों में से शायद ही कुछ प्रतिशत लोग ऐसे होंगे जिसे आयोजित महोत्सव के  उद्येश्य से कुछ सरोकार हो। महोत्सव में उपस्थित राजनीतिज्ञों का मुख्य उद्येश्य सिर्फ  सरकार कि उपलब्धियां गिनाने तक सीमित रहा तो आयोजक मंडल ने  नामचीन  कलाकारों की मदद से भीड़ जुटाने को सफलता का आधार माना। सेमिनार में उपस्थित विद्वानों में से साउथ  एसियन यूनिवर्सिटी के श्री देव नाथ पाठक महोत्सव   आयोजन में   सामाजिक और  सांस्कृतिक सरोकारों कि  खोज करते नज़र आये वहीं  देलहि यूनिवर्सिटी के प्रोफेसर श्री पंकज कुमार मिश्र मंडन काल में जीवंत संस्था और आज के शैक्षिक एवं सामाजिक संस्थानों में मंडन मिश्र को जीवंत किये जाने के प्रयास पर बल देते नज़र आये। बाकी सारे विद्वान वही पुरानी तोता मैना की कहानियों में ढलते नज़र आये। 

इस वर्ष द्वितीय महोत्सव के पूर्व या पश्चात् इस धरोहर  भूमि के विकास सम्बन्धी योजनाओं पर चर्चा किसी भी मंच से किसी भी द्वारा नहीं की गयी। महोत्सव के मुख्य आयोजन स्थल पर  चंद दिनों पूर्व हुए बारिश के कारण जमा पानी एवं कीचड़ को उद्घाटनकर्ता मंत्रीजी ने भी देखा परन्तु जल निकासी या पूर्व में घोषित स्टेडियम निर्माण की चर्चा तक नहीं हुयी। उद्घाटन के पश्चात् स्टॉलों का निरीक्षण करते समय मंत्री जी ने प्रशासन से ये जानने की ज़रुरत नहीं समझी की सरकारी संश्थानों के अतिरिक्त गैर सरकारी संस्थानों की भागीदारी इतनी कम क्यूँ है? जनता के निजी स्टॉलों को तरज़ीह क्यूँ नहीं दी गयी जबकि कई सारे स्टाल खाली रह गए थे। 

प्रथम दिन के आधी रात तक सांस्कृतिक कार्यकर्मों का लुत्फ़ उठाने वाले मंत्री एवं प्रशासनिक पदाधिकारियों को शायद ये पता ही नहीं की मिथिला सांस्कृतिक रूप से कितनी धनी रही है जहां खेतों में धान कि रोप करते समय भी मज़दूरों द्वारा ख़ास गीत गाए जाते हैं। भगैत गायन इस क्षेत्र की प्रसिध आस्था का द्योतक है जिसे बार बार नज़रअंदाज़ किया जाता रहा है। इस क्षेत्र कि विलुप्त हो रही लोक परम्पराएं एवं लोकगीत जैसे जाता चलाते समय का गीत, ढेकी एवं ऊखल चलाते समय का गीत, सूत काटते समय का गीत , मधुश्रावणी गीत, विषहरा गीत, सलहेस और राजा चुहरमल के गीतों का प्रदर्शन मंच से क्यूँ नहीं हो सका। वहीं मिथिला पेंटिंग, अरिपन, दीप एवं स्थानीय सरोकारों से जुड़ाव रखने वाले लघु नाटिकाओं का प्रदर्शन क्यूँ नहीं हो सका। इस ग्राम के युवकों द्वारा संग्रहित पुरातातविक अवशेषों एवं पांडुलिपियों कि प्रदर्शनी क्यूँ नहीं हो सकी।

सांस्कृतिक कार्यकर्मों में भी मैथिलि से ज्यादा भोजपुरी कलाकारों को तरजीह दिए जाने से यह परिलक्षित होता है कि प्रशासन भोजपुरी फूहड़ गानों से लोगों में उन्माद पैदा कर इस स्थल को बदनाम करने की साजिश रच रहा है। 

इस वर्ष महोत्सव के पूर्व तैयरियों को लेकर भी प्रशासन ने संविदा के संवेदकों के भरोसे ही छोड़ दिया। 

महोत्सव के दशहरा के दो और तीन पूजा के बीच आयोजन के पीछे प्रशासनिक मज़बूरी चाहे जो भी हो परन्तु एक बात तो तय हो चुकी है और ग्रामीणों में भी इस बात की चर्चा है की आज से दो वर्ष पूर्व लोग दशहरा मेला देखने महिषी आया करते थे जिसमे जुटने वाली भीड़ के चलते अच्छे खासे बेरोजगारों को रोजगार मिल जाया करता था परन्तु अब सिर्फ लोग महोत्सव देखने महिषी आते हैं जिसमे आयोजन स्थल कि दूरी माँ उग्रतारा के मंदिर से लगभग दो किलोमीटर है। इससे सरकारी अधिकारीयों को तो रोजगार के अवसर प्राप्त हो जाते है परन्तु ग्रामीण बेरोजगार ही रह जाते हैं। माँ उग्रतारा स्थान में भी सन्नाटा फैला रहता है। दशहरा के दौरान मंदिर में होने वाली आमदनी में भी काफी ह्रास हुआ है। 

ज़रुरत है इस पर विचार करने की कि महोत्सव के दौरान सामाजिक सहभागिता को कैसे बढ़ाया जाए? इसके लिए आयोजन के पूर्व जो बैठक जिलाधिकारी के कक्ष में आयोजित होती है उसे ग्रामीणों के बीच भी आयोजित किया जाये। अगर सम्भव हो तो प्रशासन एवं ग्रामीण दोनों को मिलकर आयोजन स्थल मंदिर के इर्द गिर्द सुनिश्चित करना होगा।

प्रशासनिक स्तर पर इस बात की समीक्षा भी ज़रूर होनी चाहिए की महोत्सव आयोजन के साथ इस वर्ष इस स्थल के विकास की कौन सी योजना लायी गयी और उसका क्रियान्वयन कैसे होगा, तभी उग्रतारा सांस्कृतिक महोत्सव की सही अर्थों में सार्थकता सिद्ध होगी।

Comment on Review of Ugratara Sanskritik Mahotsav

Here we are sharing a comment from Mrs. SAVITA MISHRA from Patna on the review of "Ugratara Sanskritik Mahotsav 2013" by Dr. Dev N pathak. You may find his review on http://ugrataramahotsav.blogspot.in/2013/10/ugratara-sanskritik-mahotsav-2013.html
Mrs. Mishra is a freelance journalist and was also present during the recent "Shree Ugratara Cultural Festival 2013". She is describing her views and comments on the review which we are sharing in her own language.

The Comment from Mrs. Savita Mishra :

I completely disagree with the view of Dr.Dev N Pathak.First of all when any missionary project is in its initial stage, it should be appreciated rather than criticized with factual error as it hurts seniments of no.of people involved in it. I have been witnessing this State Govt.’s two days prestigious mega event “Shree Ugratara Sanskritik Mahotsav” followed by a national seminar based on Mandan-Bharti and Mithila Sanskriti since its inception in 2012.

The joy and happiness of thousands of people have been felt as such type of grand event of entertainment n enlightenment is observed first time in the remote area of Mahishi. In fact, for them it is like A Oasis in The Desert. That's why seeing the popularity of the Mahotsav this year the involvement of locals, volunteers and media have increased manifold. It deserves much more appreciation as not only it represents the rich culture of this region but also provides a very good platform for so many hidden, outstanding talents.

I must say the crowd here was the best ever as I have noticed so far as it has been seen and read that whenever there is such programme in open space it goes most of the time uncontrollable. Chairs have been thrown n whistles have been blown not even in district headquarters, small towns but even in state capitals and administration becomes almost helpless to control it. Sometimes it has to be stopped in midway. But in this highly prestigious event right from a five year old child to 80 year old man and woman after finishing their dinner came out from their houses from miles and watched lovingly, enjoyed each and every performance till 4 a.m.What does it show?

The success of any event is the happiness of the classes not of the masses .Hats off to the Distt. Administraion, the volunteers, the Ugratara Trust members, the young local co-ordinators who perfectly n peacefully managed this mega event. The audience enjoyed the national n famous singers like Kalpana Patowari and Malini Awasthy as well as artists of popular programme GAAM-GHAR of Akashwani Darbhanga spreading Mithila Culture. Also superb presentation by the local talents like Sama- chakeva and bhagwati based dances etc.

So truely it shows the success of a mission started last year by the Honorable Chief Minister Mr. Nitish Kumar on the request of vice- President of Ugratara Trust during his Seva Yatrain Mahishi in 2011.

Instead of displaying picture of muddy field of the venue ,Dr. Pathak you should please acknowledge that despite the heavy rains from couple of days couldn’t dampen the spirit of organizers and regarding corruption ,I should say that the fund is directly released by the State Govt. to the Distt. administration and not to the trust. And this fund is actually not sufficient for this mega event to preserve the rich cultural heritage. In fact there is a move to raise the fund from next year onward as said by organigers. So it is very sad to say that Mr.Pathak is quite unaware of the hard work and selfless dedication of Distt. Administration ,trust members n intelligentia.

Last year i have been so much touched by the fact that in a enthusiastic mood ,some of Govt officers donated money for tiles flooring in front of Maa Ugratara Mandir for the beautification and the work was done overnight.

I have witnessed the talks by the people over there .Also for your kind information the Trust members have not taken a single penny of the fund and their entire expenditure are being managed by their own pocket.  The mission of preserving the glorious past of the Mahishi was very much praised by the HOD English deptt.,Mithila University ,Mrs. Indira Jha in the seminar and she even desired such programme in the other part of the state. She has  chosen her speech in Maithili instead of English. So maithili culture is very much preserved here and don’t ruined.

In my opinion freedom of expression is right of everyone whether it is in any language. Yes it should be of common mass. Dr. Pathak has himself self written a article in English language in the second edition of souvenir  DHAROHAR. Will you please tell me how many common people will go through this? But it does not mean that you are against the MAITHILI culture. Yes I do agree that on the inaugural days local leaders tried to use this prestigious occasion for their political benefits but it is not a big thing. It can be controlled from next year.

But overall “Shree Ugratara Cultural Mahatosav” fulfilled its aim and was a grand success. One of the noted speakers of the seminar of both the seasons, Divisional Commandant, Patna,Mr.Tejnarayan Kherwar has told that the success rate of the seminar has increased by 100% this year.

   

Ugratara Sanskritik Mahotsav 2013 : A Review by Dr. Dev N Pathak (Asst. professor, South Asian University, New Delhi)

"Ugratara Sanskritik Mahotsav 2013" was celebrated on 6th and 7th October 2013 at Mahishi. The celebration was historic event in many respects and set some standards in one or other ways. There were cultural events, Seminar, Exhibition, Agri fair and many more events throughout 2 days of the event. The list of invited guests were of national and international credits who have presented their views, suggestions for the betterment, uplifting of the status of treasured land Mahishi.

Regarding the Organization of Ugratara Sanskritik Mahotsav 2013 , we have collected some reviews of the invited guests, scholars, cultural performers who have attended the Mahotsav and were the witness of the events.

First in the series we are publishing the review of Dr. Dev N Pathak. Dr. Pathak was a invited guest of Sri Ugratara Sanskritik Mahotsav 2013 for National Seminar on 2nd day of Mahotsav. Dr. Pathak is asst. Professor with   South Asian University, New Delhi. He teaches sociology and social anthropology subjects to postgraduate students of SAARC countries. He is also conducting a research work on Ugratara and Mahishi . The details on Dr. pathak can also be found on http://usm.mahishi.org/scholars.html .

 Cultural Corruption in Ugratara Cultural Festival

 By Dr. Dev N Pathak (Asst. Professor, SAARC University, New Delhi)

It is nearly a truism that Mithila, the Maithili speaking region in Bihar,embodies a rich cultural tradition in Bihar. A lot of platitudes, and thereof pride and prejudices, determines the contemporary Maithili conscience. This is not an eccentricity for a cultural region. For, the drum beat of proud supremacy is heard in every cultural part of the Indian whole. The need of the hour is however to run the cultural performances through a litmus test and diagnose it ruthlessly, else cultural body will fester and decay with cancerous germs of corruption. In this context, it is but natural to cast a critical glance on the Maithili culture in Bihar. It is very much normal to seek for a fair representation of the cultural richness in a festival, which claims to celebrate Maithili culture. The Ministry of Tourism of the Government of Bihar sponsored a cultural festival ‘Ugratara Sanskritik Mahotsav’ on 6 and 7 October, 2013, at a village Mahishi in the district of Saharsa. Mahishi, along with other villages in the vicinity such as Chainpur, Kandaha and Bangaon, are renowned for historical significance. These cluster of villages are on the map of the archeological survey of India with statues and remainspertaining to the Pala dynasty. However, Mahishi excels in history and mythology owing to the presence of the deity Ugratara, a goddess whose existence blends Hindu and Bauddha dharma. The village is often perceived in association with the renowned Mimansa scholar Mandan Mishra. It is believed that Pundit Mandan Mishra and the propounder of Advaitism Shankar had a debate in Mahishi which confirmed the validity of the philosophy of non-dualism. Besides, Mahishi is home of rich folklore, cultural and social manifestation of the Vaidik and Tantrik traditions. Given the rich posterity of Mahishi, the first ever cultural and intellectual celebration took place in 1970. Intellectually active local youth, scholars, and lay residents strived to resume the annual cultural celebration to highlight the heritage embedded in Mahishi. After a long trail of persuasion, the Government of Bihar agreed to sponsor the annual cultural celebration in 2012.  

The 2013 episode of the festival was a ‘grand success’ like the one last year according to the official assessment as well as the proactive youth leaders of Mahishi. However, there are issues emerging from the festival, which warrant timely attention.

The author of this article was an eyewitness to an unfolding evidence of irony in the face of Maithili cultural pride on 6 October, the first day of the UgrataraSanskritikMahotsav- 2013. The inaugural ceremony of the festival was unabashedly an irritating theater of politics by the representatives of the incumbent government. The overdose of politics on the stage was shamelessly disclosed in a long drawn and deadening political ritual. A large number of khadi-clad politicians, including a Member of Parliament, a cabinet minister, a huge number of insignificant cadres, along with the district administrators, on the stage had nothing to relate to the cultural festival. Except stating a hyperbole- this government is the only protector of the cultural pride, whatever that means, of Mithila!Each after the other popped up to name the same string of the people present on the stage, and since they were many on the stage the very act of naming took fifteen minutes every time. After parroting the names each said- thank you for being the savior of Maithili cultural pride! One wished they had an iota of imagination in making their politics a little subtle and nuanced. An anchor by mistake, as she seemed to have reached a cultural festival though she was planning to go for a television serial audition, was jarring in her Hindi pronunciation and baffling with innumerable names. None tried speaking in Maithili language in a festival, which claims to promote and celebrate Maithili culture. The district administrators, ranks and files, seemed to please their political bosses for known and unknown reasons. They were downright unreflective in their approach to the whole inaugural event. The four-hour long inauguration ended with a promise of a cultural program in the evening on the same day. The key attraction of the evening performance was a popular entertainer Kalpana Patowari. The evening performance had audience reveling to the peppy jigs of Kalpana which included a few new-age bhajan such as ‘hey ganeshke papa’ and many songs in Bhojpuri for which Kalpana is notorious in Bihar. Ironically enough, the event in the heart of Mithila, for ‘Maithili cultural pride’, had no interest in Maithili folksongs whatsoever .The land of Mithila pulsates with those folksongs even now in the villages and township. There was evidently little interest in those songs of Mithila. The political leadership, district administrators, and influential local folks sat in the front row and sent money on each performance of Kalpana. It did seem to be only a slightlymodified version of the feudal entertainment by courtesans for power to be. Maithili culture was conspicuous by absence in the cultural festival of Mithila, alas!

Upon empathetic enquiry the author of this article arrived at a biting realization. The festival is thoroughly controlled by the district administration to implement the bare minimum design of the Government of Bihar. The local class of intellectuals and youth activists from Mahishi have little say in the decision making process. There has been a unanimous concern about the way the Government of Bihar sanctions fund for the cultural festival, to be organized in close consultation with the Ugratara Trust and the interested locals. But then, year after year the district administration has been unilateral in making several decisions at odds with the local aspirations. The administration took a conscious decision to allow the inaugural function to be a naked political show, and to reduce the cultural event into a veritable live show of television based lewd-and-loud program. It makes the program popular, opined one of the potbellied district officials. On the other hand, some of the local activists have also indicated that in the background of the culturally impoverished‘cultural festival’ there is also a possibility of corrupt malpractices. The administration must have embezzled funds in the name of the festival, suggested a youth activist in Mahishi. Nobody really knows as to how much was spent and in what account! There is no open documentation of the festival of the bygone year; there won’t possibly be one for this year either. It is quite for the convenience of the district official to have the event non-documented. For, a documented event will become a vivid site of contestation. The district administration is intolerant to any kind of youthful questioning and has also threatened- if there are critical voices, the Government of Bihar will not release fund for the event anymore.

The second day was slotted for a seminar to discuss the significance of Mandan Mishra and Ugratara. Ironies piled up at the site of the seminar. It was the place where Mandan Mishra used to have his residence and Sadhna. A totally tattered government school on one side, and a little less attended school for Vedic learning on the other side, flanked the stage for the seminar. It was just by coincidence that I visited the schools before the seminar began. It was indeed revealing and hear-wrenching to see the durdasha around the Mandan dham. There was no sign of effort by the villagers or by the district administration to protect and facilitate an ambience for intellectual progress at the site of Mandan dham. What could be more ironical than this! Yet, the show went on, and every speaker in the seminar spoke one after the other. It was not much different from Nero playing on lute while the Rome was set on fire. Nobody really wished to highlight the ironical situation in which all were accomplishes. Instead, the seminar witnessed politics of propositions: change the name of the village! As if the mere changing of the name can resolve the issues of crises! It also seemed very clearly that seminar was not a necessary ‘item on the list of events’ for the organizers. Some of the invited guests were just for a window-dressing, to show off that ‘we are interested in intellectual discussions’. The truth was that scholars who were invited from Delhi were most neglected and redundant. Neither the audience nor the organizers were interested in a critical debate with them. Their interest was still some of those tiring-endless questions: whether Mandan was defeated by Shankar or not; whether Mandan was Sureshwaracharya or not; whether Buddha had an influence on Mahishi or not! It clearly showed that the debate was frozen in time and space and nobody really was keen to move forward. The only sign of moving forward, relating to new questions of contemporary Mithila, was expressed in the hollow tokenism: change the name of the village!

It looked like the festival was not ambitious, either intellectually or culturally. There was no attempt on the part of the organizers to give enough importance to intellectual deliberation. Nor were the invited intellectuals interested in calling a spade a spade! They too played it safe for some unclear goals and interest.Amid the vulgar politics of heritage in Mithila there lies a throbbing intellectual culture of the ordinary folks. It is visible in Mahishi too where children learn to recite mellifluously the ‘Vedic richas’, where green foliage hum in tune with the wind coming from the Koshi river, where a syncretic religious life weakens the caste hierarchy. The culture of Mahishi is beyond the politics of heritage, and thus it is an invitation to a visitor for a foray into the realm of ideals.The festival is yet to capture Mahishi’s culture. 

(Ugratara Sanskitik Mahotsav : The review published here is solely the views of Dr. Dev N Pathak about Ugratara Mahotsav 2013 , what he has seen and experieneced during it.We appreciate the critical reviews as there is always a chance to make the organization better and fruitful. It remains a lesson for further organizations.You are also requested to write the reviews if you were present during the Mahotsav 2013. You may mail us your reviews on info@mahishi.org )

Ugratara Sanskritik Mahotsav, Mahishi : An Introduction

"Shri Ugratara Sanskritik Mahotsav" is an annual fucntion organized Tourism Department of Bihar in the divine, cultured and archeologically important land of Ugratara and Bharti and Mandan in Mahishi , Saharsa. The Mahotsav first celebrated in Year 2012 on 17th and 18th October and is now in calender of Deptt. of Tourism for annual celebration. It will be celebrated in  or around Shardiya Navratra (Dusshera) every year.  The Mahotsav is managed by Distt. Administration,and "Ugratara Mandir Nyas Samiti" and expected to bring a new edge to the archeological, cultural, social,philosophical and artistic value of the region.

The “Shaktipeeth Ugratara”  situated in village Mahishi , has a great archeological, historical and religious values. The temple is of ancient times and is a main center of “Tantra Meditation” too due to its speciality of forming an equilateral with “Chandi Temple” of Biratpur and “Katyayani Temple” of Dhamara Ghat near Nepal Border. Thus this temple is an immense source of power and draws devotees from far and wide not only from India but also from adjoining countries like Nepal, Bhutan, China and Tibbet, etc.

The main temple has the idol of goddess “Tara” which has a great archeological values too and thought to be of “Stone Age”.There are other two deities also in the temple worshipped as “Ekjata” and “Nilsaraswati”. It has also been observed that the facial expression of the idol Tara changes with the change in the phase of day.

Mahishi is a village situated 16 kms west of district headquarter Saharsa and 296 Kms east of state capital Patna.  The village has a great archeological, historical, religious and linguistic values. The village is famous for ancient temple of “Ugratara” , the discourse held between Mandan Mishra and Adi Shankaracharya, the great poet and author of Maithili and Hindi Rajkamal, and many modern marvel scholars . The village has a rich history and tradition which has been proved by excavation works carried time- to- time in the village.

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