Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/705

 VI.j BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 665 with the title of Rai Gunakara by Raja Krisna Chandra. Bharata Chandra’s Annada Mangala was at one time so popular in Bengal, that there was scarcely a young man or young woman with any pretensions to learning who could not reproduce passages from it. The story of Vidya Sundara was popularised by his work to such an extent that our popular theatres called yatras at one time rang with the songs of Vidya and Sundara. The long poetical descriptions did not suit the yatras, so Gopala Uriya, a famous Yatrawala of later times took the cue from Bharata Chandra’s writings and composed short and light songs based onthe text of his poem, which became very popular in the country. In these yatras the dance of Hira, the flower woman, was a point of great interest. We may quote the following song as a specimen :— is in quest of lodgings. There are many lotuses to receive the bee, why should there not be many hearts to welcome thee! Hear me, O youngman, when I pluck flowers, the bees fly around me—that is the pleasure that keeps me at Burdwan.” The prince is brought to the house of Hira where he constantly harps on Vidya; the flower- হৃরদকমলে দিতে বাসা আশা করে কতই জনে ॥ শুন নাগর তোমায় ৰলি, নিত্য নিত্য কুম্ুম তুলি, সঙ্গে সঙ্গে ফিরে অলি, এই ন্থখে থাকি বর্ধমানে ॥" A song sung in Gopala Uriya’s yatra. 84 The popu- larity of Vidya- Sundara. Adopted in yatras.
 * “Tt is so curious that a handsome man like you
 * '' হায়রে দশ! কি তামাস। বাসার জন্য ভাবছ কেনে ।