450 BENGALI LITERATURE in the vata ; on the other hand, it cherished its musical pecu- liarities, developed its melodramatic The yatra in the Baisnab era; influence . রর of Baisnab ideas. predilections. Indeed, we find the tendency, and emphasised its religious Baisnabs utilising the popular yatra asa means of representing krsna-/7la and diffusing its novel ideas. The earliest ya/va of which we have any mention’ relate to such themes and was known technically and universally as the Avsna-yatva. In early Bengali literature prior to Chaitanya, no doubt, there pre- vailed songs relating to Saiba and Sakta eults and it is pro- bable that with these prevailed also Sida-yatra and Chandi- yatra, traces of which we find even in 18th century, and pro- bably also Ram-yatra which had, however, no kinship with the spectacular Ram-lila prevalent in the upper provinces. It is extremely difficult, in the absence of data, to speak confidently on the subject : but it seems that in course of time with the advent of Baisnab ideas, Arsna-yatra overshadowed all other kinds and became absolutely supreme. The generic name of this ya/ra was Ka/iya-daman_ yatra which, however, in spite of its name, related not only to this parti- cular feat of Krsna Lut included also din, min, mathur and other well-known /7/as. These yatr@s were preceded, as the Kirtan of the Baisuabs were (faduchita gaurachandra), by the recitation or singing of a gouvra-chandri—a term which unmistakably connects it with Gaurachandra or Chaitanya. In Chaitanya-maigal and Chattanya-bhagabat } mention is made of a ya/ra-festivity organised by Chaitanya himself in the house of Chandrasekhar Acharyya. The history of
1 Chaitanya-bhagabat, ed. Atulkrsna Gosvami, pp.283-291. The ex- pression used is @tfS @fatie Foy Bera বিধানে, 1070 which as well as from the account given, it is not clear whether it was a yatra which was performed on this occasion or whether it was a regular sanscrit drama (such as the Baisnab plays like Jagannatha-ballabha, Danakeli-kawmudt or Vidagdha-madhava in Bengali version) which was enacted on this occasion,
