By Nava Thakuria
Guwahati: People of Assam will never forget Koch dynasty heroes Narnarayan and Chilarai for their enormous contribution to rebuilding Kamakhya temple (one of the major Shakti Peeths of Bharat atop Nilachal hills in Guwahati) and also much-needed patronage to great Vaishnavite saint, philosopher, scholar, artiste, singer, poet Srimanta Sankaradev, who preached Ek Saran Naam Dharma.
Maharaj Narnarayan, the 16th century great Koch king of eastern India, and his younger brother Bir Chilarai not only gave protection and shelter to Sankaradev but also supported the Vaishnavite movement and later both preached Vaishnavism.
Recently, a makeshift platform, erected on the bank of the mighty river Brahmaputra, welcomed thousands of enthusiastic audience as the Sunset on the horizon. The illuminating stage under the soothing full moon started unfolding the events which gave birth to Chilarai, who was born on a Phagun Purnima and so initially named Shukladhwaj and later Sangram Singha, and the dramatic journey ended with the demise of the great general on the bank of Ganges.
The stage was readied to narrate the inspiring story of Bir Chilarai. As an astonishing war hero, Bir Chilarai mesmerised everyone with his bravery, clever diplomacy, patriotism and scholarly personality.
Presented by Pragya Foundation on the 514th birth anniversary of Bir Chilarai, the play was staged to highlight the unique qualities of the supreme commander of an organised Koch armed forces. An unbelievable warrior- who was swift as a kite (Chila in Assamese language, so was named Chilarai by his soldiers), a brilliant strategist and also an art connoisseur.
Chilarai along with his elder brother Malladhwaj (before emerging as Narnarayan) went to Varanasi to study Sanskrit literature, art and culture under Brahmananda Swami. During the period, their father Biswa Singha, founder of the Koch royal dynasty in 1515 AD died. Soon they returned and started an aggressive warfare to successfully expand the territory of Kamrup Kamata kingdom covering present day Assam with neighbouring localities and also some parts of Bangladesh.
Based on a novel penned by writer Nayanjyoti Bhattacharya and directed by eminent theatre personality Purnima Pathak Saikia, the action-packed play created some golden moments from the pages of eastern India’s history five centuries back. The temporary stage was decorated with different backgrounds in blocks and guided by judicial use of illumination along with thundering background music and character voices choked the theatregoers, who also witnessed four horses with riders in costume making roundup movements to add more excitement to the event.
The birth anniversary of Chilarai is observed every year on the full moon day of Magh in the Assamese calendar year with various programmes. The State government celebrates the day as Bir Chilarai Divas on a particular date and also declares it a state holiday. Moreover, the government confers an important award in memory of the great warrior. Historians say Sankaradev was chased by the then Ahom king and had to move towards the west. Without the patronage of Narnarayan-Chilarai, Sankaradev would not have even survived. Often some intellectuals interpret this fact as a hate speech towards Ahom rulers, without realising that if Ahom General Lachit Barphukan could not defeat the Mughal invaders, the north-eastern region would have been changed forever. Bir Lachit not only saved the region but also many parts of present-day southeast Asia from a forced process of conversion to Islam. Nonetheless, the indigenous populace of eastern Bharat will continue admiring both Chilarai and Lachit for centuries to come.
*Senior journalist
