Presentation on folk theatre

1. Topic - JATRA, YAKSHAGANA,
POWADA, BHABAI: folk theatre as a
medium of communication
Presented by Ayshika Karmakar

2. Communication embodies an important human behaviour and helps in the
process of Social, Political and Cultural transformation of a society. Each
and every society around the world evolves its own appropriate systems
of Communication to perform the function of societal transformation
which ultimately gave birth to various performing arts. In this process,
tradition plays a vital role to create the artistic processes-the indigenous
tools of human communication. The Traditional forms of communication
constitute a potential source for conveying messages for economic and
social development. Communitiesand individuals have utilized a wide
range of media-folk music, folk dance, folk theatre etc.
 Definition of Folk:-
Folk means originating the traditional customs with the common people
of a country or region and typically reflecting their lifestyle, customs, arts
and crafts from generation to generation.
Jatra
 Jatra:-Jatra is a kind of Folk Theatre of Bengal and Odisha.
 Characteristics of Jatra:-
1) Dancing and Singing is a dramatic element of Jatra, so traditional
jatra theatre is a combination of music and dance.
2)Jatra is mainly based on mythological aspects.
3)Many types of folk songs are used in Jatra like,
Jhumur,Gagangaan,Baul gaan,Bhatiali etc.
Origin of Jatra :-
The roots of Jatra may be traced back in at least the 16th century, in
Bengal, where there was a famous form of singing called the Carya, which
were characterized by the distinct use of language. This was a kind of
musical drama, which was possibly prevalent during that time.
Even Chaitanya (social reformer) and his followers contributed to a
reawakening among the people and were responsible for bringing about a
national integration in various parts of India at the cultural level, since

3. Chaitanya himself played role of Rukmini in a drama. This drama was
perhaps the beginning of the "Krishna Jatra". So he is respected as the
predecessor of the contemporary Jatras of Bengal.
Jatra of Bengal and Odisa.
Famous Jatra artist- Chapal Rani.

4.  Famous Jatra artist Chapal Rani:- For years, Chapal
Bhaduri was the reigning star of the Bengali ‘jatra’ theatre—a man
who transformed himself into a beautiful woman before each
performance. This is his story.
YAKSHAGANA
• Yakshagana- dance-drama of South India, associated most
strongly with the state of Karnataka. It means “The song of the
Demons”.
• Characteristics of Characteristics of Yakshagana:-
1) Themes of Yakshagana:- Themes of Yakshagana mainly deal
with the mythological superhuman personalities, gods, demons
and dream lands. Ramayana, Mahabhatara and Bhagavata have
provided suitable themes in abundance for Yakshagana.
Moreover, they maintain a continuity of the Vedic influence by
simplifying into didactic stories, the lofty tenets and
philosophical teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads. Instruction
with entertainment made a lasting impression on the rural
audiences and thus, the lessons of the classics were inculcated.
It is in this sense that Yakshagana remained the Night School for
the masses, breathing the everlasting spirit of classical Sanskrit
literature.
2)Costumes and Make-up of
Yakshagana:- Costumes and make-
up of Yakshagana form an essential part
of the folk theatre of Karnataka
Yaksagana artist is himself an adept in
make-up and costume; he can use these
elements expertly so as to bring out the
innate character of the role he is
portraying. The leading role of the
performance is called Bannada Vesha
or, literally, the character in colour. The
name is a worthy compliment to the

5. imposing make-up and gorgeous costumes of the role. The artist
playing the Bannada Vesha spends in the normal course, four to
five busy hours in making up and getting into his imposing garb.
Make-up is a specialised art with Yakshagana and Kathakali and
is the mainstay in recreating the atmosphere in which the
Superman revelled. It is the imposing make-up and costumes that
recreate the Superman on the stage and drive the audience in to
a dreamland. The diffused dim light of the oil lamp called Panju or
Deevatige and the great distance between the last spectator and
the artist were obviously the considerations that conditioned the
art of make-up in Yakshagana in the olden days; and further, the
costumes were to be convenient for the vigorous dancing
performed almost at every stage of the performance.
3)Influence of Kathakali on
Yakshagana:- Influence of Kathakali
on Yakshagana has been immense.
The the pose play of kannada
theatre makes all the difference
between Yakshagana and its counter-
part in Kerala - the Kathakali. A
comparison between the two will reveal
the close relation between them and
hint at their possible common origin.
Kathaka-Kala, Kathaka Keli is the
extant Kathakali which portrays a
theme through the medium of dance
(Nritya), music (Gana) and gesture
(Mudra), without employing prose, and the mainstay of
Yakshagana is prose. But both Yakshagana and Kathakali draw
their themes from epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata; both of
them emphasise on rousing the sentiments of Raudra and Veera;
their costumes, ornaments, musical instruments and even the
make up and method of presentation are similar. Their settings
with an occasional single back curtain, the Bhagavata and his
accompaniments, the stage set in the middle of the surrounding
audience and the oil-torch are close to each other; both are
performed on significant occasions and festivals and both of
them beat Chande, a high pitched percussion instrument to invite
the neighbouring villagers to the performance.
4)Music and Instrument used in Yakshagana:-

6. Music and instruments used in Yakshagana helps to enhance the
art in a major way. This is a theatre form
where music and dance forms an integral part. Dance, the race
mode of the people of Karnataka is an inevitable aspect
of Yakshagana, and is the most effective medium for rousing the
sentiment of Raudra and Adbhuta.
5)Brahmavar Veerabhadra Naik, Yakshagana Dancer:- Brahmavar
Veerabhadra Naik was a Yakshagana artist as well as guru. He was born into a
family of Yakshagana artists in Matapadi village, near Brahmavar, Dakshin Kannad
district, Karnataka in 1906. He trained under his father, Narayana Naik, learnt
dance and music too. He first performed at the age of 15. He acted all categories
of roles including women, demons, and clowns with such versatility that he
became known as Dasavatari or 'One with ten avatars'. He worked with many
famous Yakshagana troupes, including the Kollur, Saligrama, Mandarti,
Maranakatte, Suratkal, and Amriteswari, and taught the traditional style to an
entire generation of performers. Brahmavar Veerabhadra Naik died in the year

7. 1982.
Powada
• Powada:- The Powada is a genre of Marathi Poetry, that emerged during
the late 17th century in India.
• Characteristics of Powada:-
‘Powada’ is a genre of Marathi poetry that
emerged during the late 17th century in India.
The Powadas are a kind of Marathi ballad
written in an exciting style, narrating
historical events in an inspiring manner. This
includes description of heroic deeds by great
kings. The composers-cum singers of these
Powadas are known as ‘Shahirs’. The earliest
Powadas have mostly been composed by the
eyewitnesses of the great events celebrated in these ballads.
ThePowada is essentially a narrative tale, composed in 4 to 40 ‘chauks’, i.e.,
stanzas of 3 or 4 lines. The presenter dresses in ‘angarakha’, a long and loose
upper garment and ‘salwar’ with a cummerbund. The presenter also wears a tall
‘kanganidar pagri’ or turban on his head and carries the ‘halgi’,
i.e., tambourine that he plays. He is the coordinating force, acts as the protagonist
and also narrates as the ‘sutradhara’. His companions, called ‘jhilkari’, play the
minor characters and provide musical, vocal and instrumental support. The
Powada begins with the ‘gana’, a prayer-song invoking the blessings of Lord
Ganesha. The narration proceeds in poetry and prose, and the Jhilkaris join in the
refrain or repeat certain lines, also offering appropriateresponses.
The language in a Powada is simple, sometimes uncouth, but the rhythms are very
fast and vigorous. The instruments that are used can be mentioned as ‘dholak’,
‘dimdi’ or small drum, ‘halgi’, and the stringed ‘tuntuna’ that they invariably excite.
Powadas evoke various ‘rasas’, namely heroic, erotic, pathetic and devotional.
These generally take place in a Lalit or Tamasha folk drama. Sometimes, the
Shahirs enact them independently at festivals. Various communities,
including Muslim, compose and perform them, though normally ‘Gondhalis’,
i.e.,Gondhal performers and ‘Vaghyas’, i.e., male worshippers of Khandoba, along

8. with Shahirs specialise in their singing. Social and political events are also now
included as subject matters in Powadas.
BHABAI
BHABAI:- The word Bhabai derives its meaning from a combination of two
words—bhav meaning emotion, and vahini meaning carrier—thus it is named as an
art form which is a carrier of emotions.
• Characteristics of Bhabai:-
Bhavai is a popular form of folk theatre of western
India, especially Gujrat. It is as much a dramatic
form of entertainment as it is a kind of ritual
offering made to the hindu goddess Amba. The
genesis of Bhavai is traced back to the 14th
century and a Brahmin priest, Asaita Thakar, is
traditionally credited for its origin.
• Etymology of Bhavai :-
According to scholars, the term ‘Bhavai’ is a
concoction of two words - ‘Bhava’ meaning
universe and ‘Aai’ meaning mother, literally
referring to the mother of the universe, Goddess
Amba. The term is also believed to have been
derived from the Sanskrit word ‘bhava’, which means expression of emotion
or feeling. Thus, Bhavai is considered as an art of expression through
emotions as much as homage devoted to Goddess Amba. Another
interesting definition of Bhavai comes from the term’s three letters of Bha-
va-I, symbolizing the Past, Present and Future. Thus, through Bhavai the
performers try to interpret the present based on learning from the past while
depicting future scenarios. The plays enacted in the Bhavai are also known
as ‘Vesha’ or ‘Swang’.
• Origin and History ofBhavai:- In the 14th century, the beautiful daughter of Unza
village’s headman Hemala Patel, Ganga, was kidnapped by
a Muslim Subhedar. Their family priest, Asaita Thakar, who was a Brahmin,
went to the Subhedar claiming Ganga as his daughter. To prove, the
Subhedar asked him to dine with Ganga as during those times, Brahmins did

9. not dine with the lower castes. He dined with her to save her but upon
return, was outcaste by the Brahmins. To earn his living, Asaita Thakar
started performing plays which later developed into specific dramatic form
that came to be known as Bhavai. He was a ‘kathakara’, i.e., narrator
of puranic stories familiar with dance and music. He began writing plays
with prose dialogue. He was perhaps inspired by one of the medieval
Sanskrit Uparupaka forms, enacted in the open. It is believed that Asaita
Thakar wrote about 360 plays or Veshas, but only about 60 have survived
including some with his own names. In one of his plays, Asaita had dated his
composition as AD 1360. It thus seems that Bhavai as a dramatic art form
emerged in the late 14th century. Out of gratitude, Hemala Patel also gave
him a plot of land and financial support. This marked the start of the
patronage of Bhavaiya, the performers of Bhavai, by villages.
Folk theatre a medium of
communication
 Definition of Folk:- Folk means originating the traditional customs
with the common people of a country or region and typically reflecting their
lifestyle, customs, arts and crafts from generation to generation.
 Characteristics of Folk Theatre:- 1)Folk theatre in India is by no
means always “vulgar “or “low” in its style. Sometimes intricate classical
music is employed. Folk theatres adapt stories from the Puranas, the
epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, old Sanskrit dramas, and legends. Folk
theatre, however, is more flexible in character, and so are modern love
stories, and even the plots of popular movies have found their way into its
repertoire.
2) While performing, the actor establishes direct rapport with the audience.
Folk theatre has been used as a channel of communication especially for
development purposes.
3)Despites of its origin in different regional cultures and languages, it has
many common features and continues to retain its distinctive features
because of its inbuilt capacity to adjust in the society.
5)It was used to mobilize public opinion on social and political affairs.

10. Satirical comments are also made on current affairs.
6)In present days, government used folk theatre to educate people on
different issues like family planning, AIDS awareness, literacy, health,
etc. It also exposed and ridiculed the social and political evils existing in
the society.
7)Folk music is also considered to e an effective medium of
communication. Music has played a crucial part in everyday life
from time immemorial. „Some of the predominant folk musical
forms are Baul and Bhatiali of Bengal, Duha and Garba of Gujarat,
Powada and Lavani of Maharashtra, Chaiti and Kjari of Uttar
Pradesh, Kolkali Pattus of Kerela, Bihu of Assam, Mand and
Panihari of Rajasthan, Rauf and Chakri of Kashmir, Sua and Dandari
of Madhya Pradesh and Mando and Dhalo of Goa.‟ (Parmer, 1994).
Every community has a fondness of music and it is the part of their
culture. It has been an integral part of marriages, festivals and
celebrations. No religious ceremony is complete without music or
song. Traditional music of India is the most natural representation
of the emotions of the masses. Songs are associated with every
event of life like festivals, new seasons, marriages, births, admiring
nature or love ones, etc. During the British rule, many folk music
and songs were composed by poets and singers to motivate the
people against the foreign domination. Till today, we get to hear
about the heroic deeds of the past hero in the folk songs. Folk
music or songs are used to spread the messages of development
as well as for exposing the social evils that exist in the society.
Through folk songs and music messages are communicated with a
blend of entertainment and education. Folk songs are transmitted
through oral tradition and so are familiar to audiences and have
positive feeling about what they hear. The music and songs are
often related to national culture and was culturally particular from
a particular region or culture. Indigenous Australian like Australian
Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders incorporates a variety of
distinctive traditional music styles of the indigenous Australian
people.
8)Dance is among the oldest forms of classical arts with a tradition
that dates back to several centuries. Dance is a feature of every
significant occasion and event crucial to tribal existence as part of
ritual. Early dance exists as a ritual element. Dance puts the

11. rhythm and movement in the play and captures audience attention.
Dancing is a way of expressing what cannot be expressed in any
other way. It is intimately interwoven with the life of people. Hand
gestures, eye movement, posture and steps coordination 64 with
music and posture affect and audience comprehension of the
narrative and its meaning. Through history, in all early cultures and
societies, dance has been one of the foremost elements of ritual. It
was the means of perceiving the gods, of invoking them, recounting
their exploits, placating them, appealing to them or communicating
with them. Fork art, music and dance also derived from the
elements of nature. For instance, Sri Lankan dances Mayana
Wannama (dance of peacock), Hanuman Wannama (the dance of
monkey), etc.
Conclusion:-
Folk Theatre forms in India are traditional way of Communication
and enriched cultural heritage. It constitutes a potential source for
conveying messages for Social, Economic and Cultural
Development which ultimately helps in overall National
Development. Henceforth, it is our soul duty on the part of the
Communication Researchers, Policy Makers, Government and the
participants the People to shoulder the responsibility of preserving
and propagating the forms of Folk Theatre.