Preserving the Tradition of Patan:

The Astamatrika Dance

Min Bahadur Shakya

I. Introduction
The ancient Nepalese city of Patan is also called Lalitpur, the city of Fine Arts.
Its inhabitants are mainly Newars, who live in clusters around Buddhist
Viharas which jostle with numerous Hindu temples. Buddhist sites are
predominant in the City. Patan is also famous for its temple architecture,
monuments and its magnificent representations of various deities. Most of
the statues engraved in stone, wood and bronzes are created by unnamed
Newar artists during the Lichhavi (c. 400-880 AD) and Malla (c. 1400-1825
AD) periods. Almost all those who have written on Newar Society found it
difficult to differentiate between Buddhists and Hindus among the Newar
population. The Newar people are fond of observing various Hindu and
Buddhist festivals together. In the observance of these festivals, their
spiritual motivation is distinctly visible. A blending of Hindu and Buddhist
features is apparent in their scenarios. We can cite examples such as
Avalokiteshvara/Matsyendranath, Manjushree/Saraswati, and many others
which throw light on the Hindu-Buddhist syncretic or integrative behavior
among the Newar population. The cultural harmony created through
syncretism is the lifeblood and cultural identity of Nepal, and a matter of
national pride. Unlike the Rama Janma Bhumi and Baba Mosque
controversies in India, in Nepal the two main religious groups never came
into conflict. Although most of the rulers in the Malla period were Hindus,
they never remained indifferent to the upliftment of Buddhists.

Among Patan’s various events or festivals, the dance of Astamatrika is a

unique cultural event. The uniqueness lies not so much in the dance itself,
but in its integrative character and its relationship with various aspects of
Newar culture. Today, the question of how such cultural harmony is possible
is receiving more attention in the scholarly community. How is it achieved?
Casual visitors may be surprised to see that the masked dance of the
Astamatrika, or Eight mother goddesses, who are tutelary deities of Hindus,
is performed by Buddhist Bajracharyas (tantric priests) and laymen. This
outwardly ‘Hindu’ veneer has led some Hindu elites to claim Buddhism is
merely an offshoot of Hinduism. Regrettably, this is a gross mistake.

It must be noted that what the Newar people profess here is the Buddhism of
the Vajrayana, which is the path of skillful Means and Wisdom. The use of
mantras, sadhanas, yogas and various disciplines have parallels in Hindu
Tantric methods, yet, although being apparently similar to Buddhism, in
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terms of their basis, path and result, they are dissimilar in nature. Apart from
Deity Yoga, there are innumerable skillful means in Vajrayana Buddhism
which are practices or used for the attainment of perfect enlightenment or
Buddhahood. The incorporation of Hindu deities in Buddhist pantheons is
said to be one of the foremost skill-in-means of Buddhism. In Vajrayana
Buddhism one aims to attain perfect enlightenment for the benefit of all
sentient beings, and as a result of that motivation, for the practitioner to
exclude any sentient being from one's domain of meditation is absurd. A
Buddhist practitioner utilizes these Astamatrika deities in meditation for the
purpose of averting obstacles and for the attainment of eight kinds of
mundane Siddhis or perfections. In Buddhist texts like the Abhidhanottara
Tantra, Kalachakra Tantra, methods of worship, meditation and practice are
set out at length.

II. Origin and History of Astamatrika dance

The dance of Astamatrika was introduced by King Sri Nivash Malla (1627-
1687 AD) who was said to be an emanation of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
Once he saw in his dream a congregation of mother goddesses dancing in his
royal court Mulachowk. To know the significance of his dream, he consulted
the Brahmin priest Madhusudan, of Gabahal Tole, and Sri Kulapad Acharya of
Nyakhachowk (near Patan Gate). The King inaugurated the dance of
Astamatrika by donating land for a fund (Guthi) used to financially support
the performance of the dance every year. The king, being himself a scholar
and tantric, composed charyagitas or songs of various deities. And the
Bajracharya Kulapada arranged all the ceremonial procedures for the song
and the dance according to his Buddhist Tantric tradition.

The musical instruments used for the dance are called Ponga and Pancabaja
(fivefold instruments). According to Kulapada, these instruments were used
by divine Kinnaras and Gandharvas in the heaven of Indra. These were
perceived by Lord Manjudeva, an emanation of Bodhisattva Manjushree. He
then narrated these events to his famous disciple Santikar Acharya who
founded the Stupa of Swayambhu. Later Santikar Acharya instructed his
disciple Bandhudatta Acharya who brought Lord Karunamaya
Avalokiteshvara from Kamarupa (Assam) to Kathmandu during the reign of
the King Narendradeva. As Kulapada Acharya was in the lineage of
Bandhudatta Acharya, he had heard all about them.

In the concluding ceremony of the Astamatrika dance, Acharya Kulapada

appended a drama called Belakha Huyekegu. In the drama, Guru Kulapada
Acharya tried to show the importance of the Sadhana of Astamatrika for the
attainment of eight mundane Siddhis, which facilitates the accumulation of
merit for the attainment of Buddhahood. The Sadhana of Astamatrika is
manifested in great detail through the Bhairabha chakra mandala and also in
Buddhist Tantric Texts. For a tantric Buddhist, the Kathmandu valley is said to
be a mandala of Heruka Cakra Samvara surrounded by Eight Matrika
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goddesses and eight cemeteries. Hence the name chosen by Mary Slusser
for her book on the Cultural History of the Kathmandu Valley, namely, "Nepal
Mandala."

III. Ritual Procedure

To start with, the participating dancers must go to a temple of Vajrasattva
and take Refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. They bow to their
Guru's feet and make some offerings. Then, to the accompaniment of
elaborate music, the guru instructs them in the art of dancing before the
temple of Nrityeshvara, the Lord of Dancing. Then, on New Moon Day, the
participants must observe the Uposadha fasting ceremony for a full day and
then, treating them as eight mother goddesses and other deities numbering
thirteen in total, the guru performs his Sadhana and rituals in the temple.
Each participant must visualize themselves as one of the deities of
Astamatrika and engage themselves in meditation. According to Kulapada
Acharya, the participants who play the role of Astamatrika must purify their
body, speech and mind and must refrain from talking impure foods, and the
rituals should contain cereals and vegetarian items. So there should be no
killing of animals for sacrificial purposes.

a. Musical instruments and Charyagita

The use of Charyagita is another exceptional feature of this dance. Unlike
other secular songs, the Charyagitas have a spiritual significance which is
esoteric in nature and cannot be fully comprehended by the uninitiated. The
charya dance and charyagita have to be performed and sung simultaneously.
As stated earlier, the musical instruments used in this dance are called
"Ponga" and are supposed to be heavenly instruments, and the sound they
produce thus has a spiritual significance. Visitors are often astounded and
delighted to see such a spiritual heritage in living form. But unfortunately
such heritages in these days are really endangered.

b. Mask Creation
The Astamatrika dance is also a ceremony that is ritually marked by a set of
masks, which on this occasion are worn and danced with. These masks have
a continual life-force or energy. They are focal points of the Astamatrika
dance ceremonies performed during the Dashain festival.
　
The 13 deities represented during these Astamatrika dances are as follows:
1. Simhini - White
2. Bhairava - Blue
3. Ganesh - White
4. Kumara - Red
5. Brahmayani - Yellow
6. Rudrayani - White
7. Kaumari - Red

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 8. Vaishanavi - Green
9. Varahi - Red
10. Indrayani - Orange
11. Mahakali/Chamunda - Red
12.Mahalaxmi - Red +Yellow
13. Vyaghrini - Yellow

It is to be noted that each of these Astamatrika deities has a special temple

in Patan dedicated to them, and they have a long relationship with the local
people who worship them on different occasions.

IV. Purpose of Astamatrika Dance

The Astamatrika performances render these deities visible, in an immediate
and dramatic form loaded with spiritual significance, which brings a sense of
order and meaning to the Newars’ culture in their socio-religious life. In
Newar Buddhist society, all Chitrakars are Hindu-Buddhists who are makers
of the masks and painters of Hindu-Buddhist themes. They are artists who
work within a relatively strict iconographic tradition. They cannot manipulate
or change the canonical iconographic details. It should be noted that with the
preservation of the dance, the artistic traditions of making masks and
paintings are also conserved.

The dance of Astamatrika is performed for the removal of obstacles in the

city caused by unknown evil spirits and ghosts and for the removal of the
eight great fears. Furthermore, a tantric practitioner worships the
Astamatrika for the attainment of eight great Siddhis, well-being, peace, the
prosperity of the country and the people.

V. The Need for Preserving the Astamatrika dance

As discussed earlier, the religious cooperation and tolerance that exists
among the Newar people is a primary asset of our cultural heritage. The
preservation of the Astamatrika dance not only maintains this pan-religious
integration but also specific cultural traditions of music, art and performance.

We earlier mentioned that the Astamatrika dance had continued to function

since it was founded with grants made by King Sri Nivas Malla himself. It is
known from local sources that there are as many as 39 guthis (= 13*3) in
each of these localities viz. Nakabahil, Bubahal and Okubahal, who in those
days held responsibility for performing the Astamatrika Dance every year. In
the course of time, the Guthi Sansthan, a government undertaking, usurped
all these Guthis, paralyzing the Astamatrika dance. Bubahal and Okubahal
Tole ceased to take responsibility and only one locality, 'Nakabahil' Tole,
continues to take on this heavy responsibility. It is our solemn request to the
concerned authorities of Guthi Sansthan that if they can locate some of the

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existing guthis or lands it would be a great source for the sustenance of
Astamatrika dance financially.

Although the Astamatrika dance has both a profound spiritual significance,

and is a special example of religious integration in Nepal, the Nepalese
authorities have little interest in fostering in its development. Changes of
government have brought no change at all in the attitude towards preserving
this outstanding tradition. No one in authority seems to be interested in this
precious heritage. Who is going to take care of it? Our cultural heritage is not
only the property of Nepal, but of the whole world. Is it not necessary to act
responsibly towards these spiritual traditions?

For the preservation of these traditions, three suggestions are put forward
here:
i) One should explore the essential features of Newar cultural heritage in a
historical perspective, and conduct thorough research which should be
presented to the public to create awareness.
ii) One should analyze the basic conditions of the present structure of these
vanishing cultural heritages.
iii) Concrete steps to preserve these traditions are absolutely vital. The inter-
religious harmony manifest in these traditions shows that they have
global as well as local significance.

Conclusion:
The purpose of this paper is to present a specific example of the religious
integration found in Newar society. The Astamatrika dance also has special
properties that distinguish it from other dances. Nowadays, in our changing
modern society, people are losing faith in these Astamatrika deities and even
in the practice of their religion. The general loss of interest in the study and
practice of religion is one of the major obstacles to its survival. There also
seems to be no authority who will take serious interest in preserving our
heritage, irrespective of whether it is Hindu or Buddhist.

Another objective of this paper is to show that by preserving one cultural

tradition, many other facets of this cultural heritage will also be preserved.
These days, due to the advancement of science and technology, our world
has grown smaller. Heritage and ideology are not confined to one particular
locality or country. Culture has become not only “Nepalese” or “Indian”, but
the property of the whole world. It is therefore now the duty of all concerned
bodies, whether national or international, to look after these socially
significant traditions for the betterment of humanity.
　

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