Harikatha
Encyclopedia
Harikatha otherwise called Katha Kalakshepa is a form of Hindu
religious discourse, also known as Katha
storytelling format, in which the story teller explores a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from an Indian epic
.
Harikatha is a composite art form composed of story telling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Any Hindu religious theme may be the subject for the Harikatha. During its peak Harikatha was a popular medium of entertainment, which helped transmit cultural, educational and religious values to the masses.
, the first Harikatha singer was sage Narada
who sang for Vishnu
, other prominent singers were Lava
and Kusha
twin sons of Rama
, who sang the Ramayana
in his court at Ayodhya.
has a long tradition of religious discourse. Religious scholars such as oduvars who were knowledgeable in religious scriptures used to render discourses in Temples and monasteries. Villu Paatu
, in which folk stories were told accompanied by a stringed instrument resembling a bow
was also popular in Tamil Nadu
. A form of Kalakshepa, in which the story teller, usually proficient in Carnatic music
, interspaced the main story with music, dance and sub-stories, was also prevalent. This artform was modified and refined during the Maratha
rule. Marathas were great supporters of art and culture, and Carnatic music
flourished and grew during their reign.
Harikatha is believed to have originated in Maharashtra
. It involves popular storytelling combined with dance and music, and is considered to be a specific form of spiritual teaching. During the 17th and the 18th century CE, the Marathi Harikatha was introduced in Thanjavur. The growth of Harikatha was further helped by the Hindu saint Samartha Ramdas Swami established his Matha in 1663 at Thanjavur. His disciples such as Bhimaraja Swami conducted keertans and bhajans in the matha. During the late 17th century, many other Maratha saints established their mathas in Thanjavur, which helped popularise the Harikatha style. One of the early pioneers of Harikatha in Tamil Nadu was Thanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar (1847–1903), who wanted to improve the Kalakhepa style.
The Marathi Keertan, or Harikatha was of two types: Varkari and Narada. The Varkari style consists of singing various compositions of Marathi saints. These songs were accompanied by explanations of the songs. There was no story telling in this style. The Narada style, which became popular in the Thanjavur court, gave importance to stories from the epics. Thanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar adapted the Marathi metrical compositions used in the stories to highlight the mood and the characters. Krishna Bhagavatar also realised the importance of dramatic enactment of various aspects of the story.
Harikatha came to Andhra Pradesh
in 20th century with Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu
(1864–1945), scholar and musician, who composed Puranic stories, and interspersed them with prose commentaries, a style adopted by numerous singers.
, Tiruvaiyyar Annasami Bhagavatar, Embar Srirangachariyar, Konnoor Sitarama Shastry, Sulamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Sulamangalam Soundararaja Bhagavatar, Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu
, Embar Vijayaraghavachariar, Saraswati Bai and Padmasini Bai popularied the Harikatha tradition.
Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri started out as a Harikatha exponent and then changed to Pravachan style. Recent practitioners of Harikatha include Veeragandham Venkata Subbarao, Kota Sachchidananda Sastri, Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar, Banni Bai, Mysore Sreekantha Shastry, Kamala Murthy, Embar Vijayaraghavachariar, Kalyanapuram Aravamudachariar, Gururajulu Naidu
, and T S Balakrishna Sastry.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
religious discourse, also known as Katha
Katha (storytelling format)
Katha is an Indian style of religious storytelling, whose performances are a ritual event in Hinduism, and often involves professional storytellers called kathavahchak or vyas, who recite the Hindu religious texts, such as the Puranas, Ramayana or Bhagavata Purana, often followed by a commentary,...
storytelling format, in which the story teller explores a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from an Indian epic
Indian epic poetry
Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya . The Ramayana and Mahabharata, originally composed in Sanskrit and translated thereafter into many other Indian languages, are some of the oldest surviving epic poems on earth and form part of...
.
Harikatha is a composite art form composed of story telling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Any Hindu religious theme may be the subject for the Harikatha. During its peak Harikatha was a popular medium of entertainment, which helped transmit cultural, educational and religious values to the masses.
In Hindu mythology
In Hindu mythologyHindu mythology
Hindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...
, the first Harikatha singer was sage Narada
Narada
Narada or Narada Muni is a divine sage from the Vaisnava tradition, who plays a prominent role in a number of the Puranic texts, especially in the Bhagavata Purana, and in the Ramayana...
who sang for Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, other prominent singers were Lava
Lava (Ramayana)
Lava or Luv and his twin brother Kusha, were the children of the Lord Rama and his wife Sita, whose story is recounted in the Ramayana. Per that text, he is known as the founder of Lavapuri,that is, the modern day city of Lahore,...
and Kusha
Kusha (Ramayana)
Kusha , in Hindu mythology, was one of the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita . Born in the Forest after Sita had been banished from Ayodhya, they were educated and trained in military skills and were under the care of Sage Valmiki....
twin sons of Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, who sang the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
in his court at Ayodhya.
History
South IndiaSouth India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
has a long tradition of religious discourse. Religious scholars such as oduvars who were knowledgeable in religious scriptures used to render discourses in Temples and monasteries. Villu Paatu
Villu Paatu
Villu Paatu also known as Villadichampattu and Villuppattu is an ancient form of musical story-telling where narration is interspersed with music, art of South Kerala and Kanyakumari district and in Thovalai of Tamil Nadu. This art form is poular among Nadar and Ezhava caste of erstwhile...
, in which folk stories were told accompanied by a stringed instrument resembling a bow
Bow (music)
In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....
was also popular in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. A form of Kalakshepa, in which the story teller, usually proficient in Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
, interspaced the main story with music, dance and sub-stories, was also prevalent. This artform was modified and refined during the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
rule. Marathas were great supporters of art and culture, and Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
flourished and grew during their reign.
Harikatha is believed to have originated in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. It involves popular storytelling combined with dance and music, and is considered to be a specific form of spiritual teaching. During the 17th and the 18th century CE, the Marathi Harikatha was introduced in Thanjavur. The growth of Harikatha was further helped by the Hindu saint Samartha Ramdas Swami established his Matha in 1663 at Thanjavur. His disciples such as Bhimaraja Swami conducted keertans and bhajans in the matha. During the late 17th century, many other Maratha saints established their mathas in Thanjavur, which helped popularise the Harikatha style. One of the early pioneers of Harikatha in Tamil Nadu was Thanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar (1847–1903), who wanted to improve the Kalakhepa style.
The Marathi Keertan, or Harikatha was of two types: Varkari and Narada. The Varkari style consists of singing various compositions of Marathi saints. These songs were accompanied by explanations of the songs. There was no story telling in this style. The Narada style, which became popular in the Thanjavur court, gave importance to stories from the epics. Thanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar adapted the Marathi metrical compositions used in the stories to highlight the mood and the characters. Krishna Bhagavatar also realised the importance of dramatic enactment of various aspects of the story.
Harikatha came to Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
in 20th century with Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu
Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu
Pandit Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Das is known as the versatile genius of Andhra Pradesh. He was a poet, musician, dancer, linguist and philosopher...
(1864–1945), scholar and musician, who composed Puranic stories, and interspersed them with prose commentaries, a style adopted by numerous singers.
Style
Harikatha involves the narration of a story, intermingled with various songs relating to the story. Usually the narration involves numerous sub-plots and anecdotes, which are used to emphasise various aspects of the main story. The main story teller is usually assisted by one or more co-singers, who elaborate the songs and a Mridangam accompanist. The storyteller uses a pair of cymbals to keep beat.Famous exponents
Following Krishna Bhagavatar, other great exponents of this art form such as Pandit Lakshmanachar, Tirupazhanam Panchapakesa Bhagavatar, Mangudi Chidambara Bhagavatar, Muthiah BhagavatarMuthiah Bhagavatar
Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar , commonly known as Muthiah Bhagavatar, is one of Carnatic classical music's famous twentieth century composers. He also created about 20 ragas.-Early life:...
, Tiruvaiyyar Annasami Bhagavatar, Embar Srirangachariyar, Konnoor Sitarama Shastry, Sulamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Sulamangalam Soundararaja Bhagavatar, Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu
Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu
Pandit Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Das is known as the versatile genius of Andhra Pradesh. He was a poet, musician, dancer, linguist and philosopher...
, Embar Vijayaraghavachariar, Saraswati Bai and Padmasini Bai popularied the Harikatha tradition.
Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri started out as a Harikatha exponent and then changed to Pravachan style. Recent practitioners of Harikatha include Veeragandham Venkata Subbarao, Kota Sachchidananda Sastri, Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar, Banni Bai, Mysore Sreekantha Shastry, Kamala Murthy, Embar Vijayaraghavachariar, Kalyanapuram Aravamudachariar, Gururajulu Naidu
Gururajulu naidu
Shri Gururajulu Naidu was one of the greatest proponents of the art of Harikathe story telling. He is known as Harikathe pitamaha of Karnataka. Along with Achyuta Dasa and Keshava Dasa he formed the trinity of Harikatha Vidwans. Gururajulu Naidu popularised Harikathe in Karnataka by bringing out...
, and T S Balakrishna Sastry.
See also
- Carnatic musicCarnatic musicCarnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
- KirtanKirtanKirtan or Kirtana is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed...
- Burra kathaBurra kathaBurra katha, also spelled burrakatha, is a storytelling technique used in villages of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in India. The troupe consists of one main performer and two co-performers. It is a narrative entertainment that consists of prayers, solo drama, dance, songs, poems and jokes...
- PravachanPravachanPravachan is a form of Hindu religious discourse, which are lectures on scriptures. A Pravachana Pandit becomes a religious and spiritual interpreter of these Scriptures....
- Katha - The Art Of Story Telling In India
External links
- Article on Harikatha
- Art of rendering Harikatha at The HinduThe HinduThe Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...