Folk Theatre In India

 

Folk theatre in India has a rich legacy. In the ancient Vedic culture and even in Buddhist literature folk theatre first made its presence felt as an art form to illustrate the unedited realities of life. However, it is only in the medieval period folk theatre gradually became an integral part of Indian drama. Historically folk theatre in India did emerge back in the 15th or 16th century as illustrations from puranas, eposes, historical epics, myths and biographies of the celestial heroes. It is right after the colossal success of Indian traditional theatre as an art form, the distinct style of Indian Natya changed and thus developed a whole new theatre form where Indian myth, dance, history, song, culture, mores, traditions, and beliefs all gained a matchless dimension.

Although much later this particular theatre form was named as the Indian folk theatre, yet it is indeed not an overstatement to say that the very basic rudiments of folk theatre in establishing itself as an artform was there in the mores, heritage and tradition of India. In rural society which is still regarded as the base of folk theatre the activity which displayed the first rudiment of drama are the rituals. Quite ideally therefore rituals, their varied facets and their colossal impact on Indian culture and life formed the very base of the folk theatre in India. Folk theatre therefore boasts the rich history of Indian folk culture that dates back to the age-old antiquity.

Folk theatre in India is mainly narrative in its form. This indeed point towards the origin and the age-old sagas of the sutradhara in Indian natya. The narrator or the sutradhara in order to make his visual art lot more inventive slowly involved acting into his narrative description which in an intimate manner later gave rise to the tradition of narratives in Indian folk theatre. Folk theatre in India still has retained its age old narrative form while echoing a highly dramatic narrative style. There is a long tradition of folk entertainers who either move alone or in groups in rural India. They are the entertainers as well as the preachers of value, philosophical tenets and indeed of religious cult. Folk theatre has adopted their mode of expression amidst dance, music and songs. Thus the spirited, dynamic and ingenious in forms and rich in variety, Indian folk theatre has established itself as the powerful medium of communication in folk cultures. With its timber and colour, dash and élan folk theatre in India is more than entertainment; rather an emotional experience and an effort of creating "an environment of receptivity in which communication of ideas is an effortless process".

For more visit the page:

https://www.indianetzone.com/5/indian_folk_theatre.htm

Characters in Ramayana

The characters in are instrumental in narrating the entire Sanskrit epic. Most of the characters like Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman and others are considered as deities according to Hindu mythology.

Characters in Ramayana
Following are the different characters in Ramayana:

Lord Rama: He was the son of King Dasaratha and Queen Kausalya. He was the prince of Ayodya. He is an ‘avatara’ of Lord Vishnu and was married to Sita.

Sita: She was the daughter of Mother Earth adopted by King Janaka. Sita married Lord Rama, and she is also regarded as an ‘avatara’ of the Goddess Lakshmi.

Ravana: Ravana was a devil who performed penance for a long time until Lord Brahma appeared before him and granted him a boon.

Lakshmana: He was the son of King Dasaratha and Queen Sumitra. He was dedicated to his brother and followed him throughout many adventures and hunts.  He is ascribed as the incarnation of ‘Ananta Sesha’, the 1000 headed Naga.

King Dasaratha: Dasaratha was the emperor of Ayodhya, father of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna.

Kaushalya: She was the first queen of King Dasaratha and the mother of Lord Rama. She had a wonderful and liberal character.

Bharata: He is famous for his love and devotion towards his elder brother Lord Rama.

Lord Hanuman: He was the advisor of Sugriva. He was the son of Anjana and Kesari and he is believed to be an avatar of the supreme Lord Shiva. He was a guardian spirit, the offspring of a nymph and the Wind God.

Surpanakha: She was the sister of Ravana who was a powerful demon. She tried to seduce Lord Rama and kill Sita, but Lakshmana attacked her.

Jatayu: Jatayu was a powerful golden eagle who spoke in the voice of a human being. He died protecting Sita from Ravana.

Shravan Kumar: He was as a dedicated son who carried his blind parents on his shoulders for a pilgrimage tour.

Kumbhakarna: He was Ravana's brother. He had a huge physique with unlimited strength. He used to sleep for six months at a time before waking up and eating everything he could see.

Lava: Along with Kusha, Lava was one of the student to whom Valmiki taught the Ramayana which he received from Narada.  Lava was the king of Sriwasti, in northern Kosala. He was the founder of the city of Lahore, which is named after him.

Kusha: Kusha was one of the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita. The other son is the Lava. He was born in a forest after Sita had been banished from Ayodhya.

and many more characters are their in ramayana

To know in detail read here : Characters in Ramayana

 

Forms of Indian theatre

Forms of Indian theatre are numerous and the rich account of Indian drama unveils the verity that Indian theatre has a deep rooted relation with Indian epics and Indian mythologies. This later not only structured the rich forms of Indian theatre but also aided in making Indian 'Natya ' to stand apart as a whole new form of expression.

History of Indian Theatre
The history of Indian theatre that goes back to the mythological era. Sanskrit Dramas which were once the aristocratic way of reflecting the unedited realities of life . The  six different genres like :

 Classical Indian Dance Drama
The aristocratic and religious fervour of the Sanskrit dramas which ruled the Indian drama and art forms during the ancient era. Classical Indian dance drama forms of Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Mohinittam and Yakshagana gained a rather cohesive and consistent dimension.


Traditional Indian Theatre
The forms of Indian theatre acquired a rather a whole new facet with the emergence of the traditional Indian theatres.

Folk Theatre In India
Gone are the days of traditional aspects which ruled the Indian theatre during the medieval period.

Indian Puppet theatre
The Indian puppet theatre during the fag end of the medieval period. Shadow puppetry , 'Natyashastra' by Bharata etc popular as the classical forms of the Indian theatre.

Modern Indian theatre
Contemporary Indian theatre can be traced back to the British era.

Read more : Forms of Indian theatre