Abstract
The Indian subcontinent has historically
evolved through a complex interplay of political authority, religious
institutions, and community-based cultural systems. From the earliest monarchic
and feudal structures to the rise of colonial modernity, religion and ritual
have remained the nucleus of India’s societal organization. This paper traces
the continuum from temple-centered economies of ancient India to the survival
of intangible cultural practices such as the Devanti dance of the Parihareshwar
Temple at Dubi, Pathsala. Drawing upon field investigations and
ethno-musicological analysis, it examines how traditional art forms once
embedded in ritual performance were disrupted by colonial modernity, yet
continue to persist through community memory. The study further situates
Devanti within broader frameworks of Vyasa music and ICOMOS–UNESCO heritage
discourses, emphasizing the need to reinterpret global charters from
non-Western epistemologies.
Keywords: Temple heritage, Ethnomusicology, Devanti dance, Vyasa
music, ICOMOS, Cultural continuity, Colonial heritage policy, Intangible
Cultural Heritage, Assam, Temple economy
1.
Introduction: Temple-Centered Society in Ancient India
The socio-political and cultural structure of ancient India was deeply rooted in religious philosophy and ritualistic traditions. Although India was governed by emperors, maharajas, and feudal lords, religion functioned as the unifying force of administration and social organization. Every conquest led not merely to political expansion but to the consecration of sacred space through temple construction. Temples became the epicenters of economy, education, and community life, employing priests, Brahmins, artisans, musicians, dancers, and laborers who collectively maintained the divine order.
To sustain these establishments, rulers donated Devottara lands for temple deities and Brahmottara lands for the priests and Brahmins. Cultivators were employed to till these lands, and the yield financed temple rituals, education, and local governance. Thus, temples served as both spiritual and administrative nuclei of early Indian civilization.
2.
Temple Settlements and Socio-Economic Organization
Around each temple, self-sufficient settlements were formed, comprising specialized communities—craftsmen, gardeners, dancers, potters, and musicians—whose livelihoods revolved around ritual performance. Villages emerged as concentric cultural ecosystems, with the temple as their architectural and moral core. Fortifications were often built nearby to ensure security. This integrated social system, transmitted through centuries, represents the living continuity of India’s ancient heritage.
3.
Divergence of Western and Indian Cultural Systems
In contrast, European civilization—though historically influential—is relatively recent, spanning a few millennia. Its linear progression from classical antiquity to industrial modernity differs from the cyclical and ritual-based continuity of Asian and African cultures. The expansion of European colonialism, however, imposed Western epistemologies on diverse civilizations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, often disrupting indigenous systems of education, culture, and belief.
The colonial education system, grounded in Eurocentric frameworks, introduced new hierarchies that marginalized local traditions. As Western notions of rationality and progress dominated, traditional cultural practices were often dismissed as primitive or unscientific. Intellectuals in colonized nations began to recognize this erosion of native identity, sparking movements to restore indigenous knowledge systems and cultural autonomy.
4.
The Problem of Global Heritage Frameworks
In modern times, international heritage charters—mostly authored by Western scholars and architects—reflect European cultural priorities. These frameworks often overlook or inadequately interpret the living, intangible, and ritualistic heritage of civilizations like India. As a result, numerous South Asian monuments and practices are categorized as “undocumented,” “unlisted,” or “unworthy,” not due to lack of heritage value, but due to the absence of documentary evidence destroyed by historical invasions and colonial neglect.
While Europe possesses detailed archives of its thousand-year-old monuments, India’s five-thousand-year-old structures have survived largely through oral transmission and traditional restoration rather than archival documentation. This discrepancy highlights the urgent need to indigenize heritage methodologies.
5.
Ethnomusicology as a Framework for Indigenous Heritage Study
Our approach to cultural heritage and tourism stems from ethnomusicology—a discipline that interprets culture through sound, performance, and ritual expression. Since 2020, our team has been conducting scientific research on Vyasa music, aligning our work with UNESCO and ICOMOS frameworks while simultaneously reinterpreting them through indigenous epistemology. During this process, the Devanti dance of the Parihareshwar Temple in Dubi village, Pathsala, emerged as a living expression possibly linked to Vyasa music traditions.
6.
Field Study of the Parihareshwar Temple and Devanti Dance
A two-day preliminary field study was conducted at Dubi village and Pathsala town to document the current status of the Devanti dance and its socio-cultural background. The Parihareshwar Temple is presently under renovation by the local development committee using modern materials such as brick and cement. Historical evidence suggests that the original structure was restored by Ahom King Shiva Singh in the 16th century, though its foundation was laid much earlier, possibly during the reigns of Bhutivarma and Bhaskarvarma.
During Ahom King Shiva Singh’s time, communities from various regions were settled around the temple to facilitate its daily rituals. Musicians and dancers were brought from the Negheriting Shiva Temple in Dergaon, establishing a migratory tradition of temple artists. Oral narratives suggest that the Devanti dance tradition declined during the colonial era due to conflicts between priests and performers, leading the displaced artists to take up other occupations such as fishing.
7.
Preservation and Revival of Devanti Tradition
The Devanti dance was later revived through the efforts of Late Ratnakanta Talukdar, who collaborated with surviving temple dancers Raya and Kaushalya to train young women from Pathsala in this sacred art form. The ten-minute dance, depicting the ceremonial bathing of Lord Sadasiva, represents the surviving fragment of a once elaborate day-long ritual performance. Today, the Devanti dance continues to be practiced within the Dubi community and among select performers in Pathsala, although much of its original repertoire has been lost.
8.
Devanti in the Context of Assamese Temple Traditions
Historically, the Devanti dance was performed across major Shaiva temples of Assam—Negheriting Shiva Daul (Dergaon), Shivsagar, Bishwanath Chariali, Shingri, Hajo, and Dubi. Its disappearance marks a significant loss in the cultural history of Assam. Near the Brahmin settlement of Vyaspara, the neighboring Nath community continues to perform the Deodhani dance and Manasa Kāvya songs, indicating a shared ritual-musical lineage between Brahminical and folk traditions. The interplay between Brahmin and Nath musical practices suggests that the Devanti, Deodhani, and Sattriya dances may share a common ritual origin rooted in Vyasa music traditions.
9.
Conclusion: Towards an Indigenous Heritage Methodology
The study of Devanti dance underscores the necessity of approaching Indian heritage through indigenous frameworks that integrate ritual, performance, and community participation. The temple-centered social system, once the foundation of governance and education, continues to influence cultural practices today. Western-derived charters must be reinterpreted to recognize such living traditions, which transcend mere architecture to embody the spiritual and musical essence of India’s civilization.
The intersection of Vyasa music, Devanti dance, and ritual heritage offers a new paradigm for understanding Indian cultural continuity—one where intangible expressions are not peripheral, but central to the nation’s civilizational identity. Further interdisciplinary research linking ethnomusicology, anthropology, and heritage policy is essential to ensure that traditions like Devanti regain their rightful place in the global heritage discourse.
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