Page:History of Bengali Literature in the Nineteenth Century.djvu/475

 MISCELLANEOUS WRITERS 451 Bengali ya/rz, therefore, is closely connected with that of Baisnaib literature in general and it would nov be in- gorrect to say that Baisnabism supplied the yatra@ with themes for several centuries and confirmed, if it did not directly give it, its operatic and -melvdramatic qualities. These qualities persisted practically throughout. its whole history. But in course of time we find the yatra, inspite of the drawback already noted, gradually developing its crude dramatic elements. After the Baisnab era, the earliest well-known Yatrawala was New elements inthe Paramananda Adhikari, a native of yatra finding its way : p into it in later periods. Birbhim, who flourished probably In the 18th century and carried on the tradition of Ka/iya-daman yatra. There was a greater amount of acting and dialogues in this yi/ra, although song, melodrama and Baisnab themes were not altogether discarded. The tradition was continued by Sudama Adhi- kari and Lochan Adhikari, the latter specially excelling in the delineation of Ahrirva Saindad and Nimai Sannyas— themes which possessed greater human interest than the conventional dan, wan, mathur of Srikrsna. Gobinda Adhikarl of Krsnanagar, Pitambar Adhikari of Katwa and Kalachand Pal of Bikrampur, Dacca, were comparatively recent exponents of the same Arsna-yi/ra. But the other speciese—Fim Yatra, Chandi Yatra, Mansir Bhasin Yatra— were not totally extinct. Guruprasid Ballabh; of Faras- danga and Lausen Badal of Burdwan gained considerable reputation in Chandi Yatra and Mansar Bhasin Vitra, res- pectively; while am latra, obtained celebrity in the hands of Premchand Adbikari, Ananda Adhikart and Jaya- ehandra Adhikari, of Pataihata. No specimen, except a few scattered songs, has been preserved of these earlier Yatrawalas.