Katha (storytelling format)
Encyclopedia
Katha is an India
n 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, Pravachan
. Sometimes such events take place in households when it involves smaller stories related to the Vrat
Katha genre, for example, the Shri Satyanarayan Katha, and all are didactic
in nature and used to instill moralistic values through the revelation of the consequences of human action (Karma
).
, each region has developed its own style and tradition of storytelling in local languages. Epics and puranas
, ancient stories of wisdom in Sanskrit
, are the common story material for all or most of the regions of India. Such performances are held in temples, weddings and other religious or social functions. These are one-person performances, where the performer has to be versatile in the aspects of exposition and be able to interestingly narrate humorous anecdotes. The storyteller is looked upon as a teacher who is a scholar in ancient texts in Sanskrit and other vernaculars. They interpret the religious and mythological texts of the past to the present and future generations.
South India has a long tradition of story telling and religious discourse. Religious scholars such as Oduvars who were knowledgeable in religious scriptures used to render discourses in temples and monasteries
. In Tamil Nadu
, this was known as Kathaprasangam. Arunachala
Kavi (17th century), Gopalakrishna Bharathi
, Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer, Ramalinga Swami (all 19th century), Nellai Sundaramurty Oduvar, Kripananda Variar, and Pulavar Keeran (all 20th century) were Kathaprasangam experts. Even today there are scholars like Suki Sivam and Trichy Kalyanaraman who perform in this style. One important factor is that the element of Prasangam is the extent of Sloka interpretation and music in these expositions depends solely on the musical ability of the individual. The ones who were adept in music used that skill, whereas the experts in literature
used their knowledge in that area more. Some had a good command over both, which reflected in their performances and popularity. Pravachan
, Patakam, Upanyasam, Harikatha
, Kalakshepa, Harikeerthan, Villupattu are all similar in the sense they are interpretations and storytelling on religious theme, yet they have different styles.
”. Pravachan
is a form of Hindu
religious discourse, which are lectures about scriptures. The Pauranika or the Pravachan pandit becomes a spiritual interpreter of these scriptures. Pravachans usually have a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from one of India’s epics. These discourses seem to have a soothing effect on people's anxious nerves and serve as a security fallback for them. Pravachans sometimes become very emotional. People who listen to Pravachans have become more tolerant of their brethren; a sense of giving has been inculcated in them. In the olden days Pravanchan pundits were often well versed in the Sanskrit language and educated and well-trained in Veda Sastras and Vedanta.
It is easier to listen to a pandit or purohit who is conducting a Pravachan to understand some of the scriptures. Basically a pundit like Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri elaborates on the significance of the sloka or scripture he reads and gives several bhavas and angles to look at a single verse or even a single word. Upanyasa or Pravachanas concentrated mainly on Sanskrit
and Tamil
texts. Music was kept to a minimum and was used sparingly to recite the slokas. Reading the original sloka and presenting the meaning was the methodology followed by Pravachan pundits. Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri was the first exponent who gave interpretations and commentary to each verse and created a new style; he was considered the ‘Father of Pravachans’. Pundits Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri, Andamin Sivarama Bhagavatar, Pandit Lakshmanacharyar and Tiruppazhanam Panchapekesa Sastri (19th century) were well-known Pauranikas. Mukkur Lakshminarasimhacharyar, Toopil and Velukkudi Krishnan (20th century) are continuing this tradition. Pravachan, Patakam, and Upanyasam, can be synonymous and mean narrating stories from epics and puranas and interpreting scriptures. Famous scholar and Vedantha Shiromani with the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt Kumbakonam, Rishiyur Sri N. Santhanam Aiyar (1887–1945), who translated Krishna Sastris Rasanishyandini in 1943, best describes Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri in his book. He quotes
, Tamil
, Marathi
, Telugu
, Kannada and Hindi
, which is a peculiarity in the Tamil Nadu-style of storytelling. A form of Kalakshepa, in which the storyteller, usually proficient in classical music, interspaced the main story with music, dance and sub-stories, was also prevalent.
Harikatha is a composite art form with storytelling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Harikatha involves the narration of a story, intermingled with related songs. The compositions used are common to the Bhajana Sampradaya — congregational singing like the Ashtapadis of Jayadeva
, Tarangas of Narayana Teertha
, compositions like Tevaram
, Divyaprabandam, Thiruppugazh
, keertanas of Annamacharya
, Bhadrachala Ramadas
, Tyagaraja
, Padas of Purandaradasa and other dasas and the Bhajans of Tulsidas, Kabir, Meera and Surdas. This is the style of Katha, which was modified by Tanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar who is considered the ‘Father of the Tanjavur style of Kalakshepa’. The Tanjavur Katha tradition adopted certain fine elements from the Maharashtra
keertan. Harikatha, Harikeertan and Kathakalakshepa can be synonymous and mean, narrating stories from epics and puranas
, interspersed with musical compositions.
. Burra is a drum
that is shaped like a human skull
(burra means skull). In this tradition, gypsies narrate stories beating this drum; in Tamil Nadu the folk story tradition is called Villu Paatu
, viz., the bow-song. The folk stories were told accompanied by a stringed instrument resembling a bow. The stories chosen are heroic ballads commonly known in the villages and urban areas. This medium is, in fact, used to propagate social welfare programmes like AIDS awareness, family planning and election propaganda
. Kanian koottu and Udukkadipattu, prevalent in the villages of South India, are also folk storytelling traditions. Stories like Sudalai Madan kathai, Draupadi Amman Kathai, Kovalan Kathai, Muttuppattan Kathai, Marudu Sahodarar kathai, etc. are narrated.
There is a rich literary tradition of published and unpublished written material called Nirupana, where the stories and the songs are written in languages like Marathi, Tamil and Telugu.
Krteyadhyayato vishnum Tretayam yajoto maghaihi
Dvapare paricaryayam Kalautatu Kathanena
in Krta, Treta and Dvapara yugas (eras in Hindu mythology), one had to do yajnas (sacrificial rites), tapa (penance
) and other severe austerities to obtain the grace of God. But in the Kali yuga there is a very easy method to attain God or receive His blessings and that is by listening to Harikeetan and Pravachans.
Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bagavathar (1866–1943), Mangudi Chidambara Bagavathar (1880–1938), Chitrakavi Sivarama Bagavathar (1869–1951), Soolamangalam Soundararaja Bagavathar (1890–1925), C Saraswathi Bai (1894–1974), N S Krishna Bagavathar (1892–1984) were all inspired by the style and technique of Thanjavur Krishna Bagavathar. They were all carnatic music singers. Pandit Lakshmanacharya, Tiruppazhanam Panchapakesa Sastri, Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar, Tanjavur T.N. Subramanya Bhagavatar and T.S. Balakrishna Sastrigal were Harikatha experts. Andamin Sivarama Bhagavatar, Pandit Lakshmanacharyar and Tiruppazhanam Panchapekesa Sastri, Kalakkad Muthuswami Sastrigal, Sengalipuram Muthanna
Vaidhyanatha Dikshithar, Samartha Ramadas Swamigal, Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri, Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar, were great Pravachan and Upanyasam experts of this Golden Age. After this period, storytelling also became popular in north India.
In later years Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda gave excellent discourses. Afterwards, Keeran, Krubananda Variyar, and Krishnapremy gave captivating lectures. In the recent years Swami Dayananda Saraswati
, Baba Ramdev
, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sathya Sai Baba
, Mata Amritanandamayi
, Muralidara Swamigal, Swami Suddhananda, Aniruddha Bapu, Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu are some of the many spiritual gurus who draw huge crowds. Of late Prema Pandurang, Jaya Raw, Vishaka Hari, Sundara Kumar, Hema and Santhanaraman are popular. They cut across age, caste, creed, etc. with their soul-inspiring discourses. They are even able to reach western audiences. Present day storytellers include satire and humor and music and are able to convey the message in several languages.
As long as one wants to hear a story and another narrate, storytelling will continue to be an interesting way to spend time, to increase Bakthi and make people wiser and better human beings.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n style of religious storytelling, whose performances are a ritual event in Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, and often involves professional storytellers called kathavahchak or vyas, who recite the Hindu religious texts, such as the Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
, 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...
or Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
, often followed by a commentary, Pravachan
Pravachan
Pravachan is a form of Hindu religious discourse, which are lectures on scriptures. A Pravachana Pandit becomes a religious and spiritual interpreter of these Scriptures....
. Sometimes such events take place in households when it involves smaller stories related to the Vrat
Vrata
In the context of Hinduism and Hindu mythology, the term vrata denotes a religious practice to carry out certain obligations with a view to achieve divine blessing for fulfillment of one or several desires. Etymologically, vrata, a Sanskrit word , means to vow or to promise...
Katha genre, for example, the Shri Satyanarayan Katha, and all are didactic
Didacticism
Didacticism is an artistic philosophy that emphasizes instructional and informative qualities in literature and other types of art. The term has its origin in the Ancient Greek word διδακτικός , "related to education/teaching." Originally, signifying learning in a fascinating and intriguing...
in nature and used to instill moralistic values through the revelation of the consequences of human action (Karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
).
The history of Katha
In IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, each region has developed its own style and tradition of storytelling in local languages. Epics and puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
, ancient stories of wisdom in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, are the common story material for all or most of the regions of India. Such performances are held in temples, weddings and other religious or social functions. These are one-person performances, where the performer has to be versatile in the aspects of exposition and be able to interestingly narrate humorous anecdotes. The storyteller is looked upon as a teacher who is a scholar in ancient texts in Sanskrit and other vernaculars. They interpret the religious and mythological texts of the past to the present and future generations.
South India has a long tradition of story telling and religious discourse. Religious scholars such as Oduvars who were knowledgeable in religious scriptures used to render discourses in temples and monasteries
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. 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...
, this was known as Kathaprasangam. Arunachala
Arunachala
Arunachala refers to the holy hill at Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, where the Annamalaiyar Temple, a temple of Lord Shiva is located. Every year in the Tamil month of Karthigai , the Karthigai Deepam is lit atop the hill...
Kavi (17th century), Gopalakrishna Bharathi
Gopalakrishna Bharathi
Gopalakrishna Bharati was a Tamil poet and a composer of Carnatic music. He wrote a katAkALatcEpam , NantanAr Carittiram , two other works in this genre, and many independent kritis....
, Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer, Ramalinga Swami (all 19th century), Nellai Sundaramurty Oduvar, Kripananda Variar, and Pulavar Keeran (all 20th century) were Kathaprasangam experts. Even today there are scholars like Suki Sivam and Trichy Kalyanaraman who perform in this style. One important factor is that the element of Prasangam is the extent of Sloka interpretation and music in these expositions depends solely on the musical ability of the individual. The ones who were adept in music used that skill, whereas the experts in literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
used their knowledge in that area more. Some had a good command over both, which reflected in their performances and popularity. Pravachan
Pravachan
Pravachan is a form of Hindu religious discourse, which are lectures on scriptures. A Pravachana Pandit becomes a religious and spiritual interpreter of these Scriptures....
, Patakam, Upanyasam, Harikatha
Harikatha
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...
, Kalakshepa, Harikeerthan, Villupattu are all similar in the sense they are interpretations and storytelling on religious theme, yet they have different styles.
Katha traditions
In the states of India there are three main traditions of discourses and storytelling.Purana-Pravachana
The first is the Purana-Pravachana, which literally means, “expounding the PuranaPuranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
”. Pravachan
Pravachan
Pravachan is a form of Hindu religious discourse, which are lectures on scriptures. A Pravachana Pandit becomes a religious and spiritual interpreter of these Scriptures....
is a form of Hindu
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, which are lectures about scriptures. The Pauranika or the Pravachan pandit becomes a spiritual interpreter of these scriptures. Pravachans usually have a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from one of India’s epics. These discourses seem to have a soothing effect on people's anxious nerves and serve as a security fallback for them. Pravachans sometimes become very emotional. People who listen to Pravachans have become more tolerant of their brethren; a sense of giving has been inculcated in them. In the olden days Pravanchan pundits were often well versed in the Sanskrit language and educated and well-trained in Veda Sastras and Vedanta.
It is easier to listen to a pandit or purohit who is conducting a Pravachan to understand some of the scriptures. Basically a pundit like Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri elaborates on the significance of the sloka or scripture he reads and gives several bhavas and angles to look at a single verse or even a single word. Upanyasa or Pravachanas concentrated mainly on Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
texts. Music was kept to a minimum and was used sparingly to recite the slokas. Reading the original sloka and presenting the meaning was the methodology followed by Pravachan pundits. Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri was the first exponent who gave interpretations and commentary to each verse and created a new style; he was considered the ‘Father of Pravachans’. Pundits Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri, Andamin Sivarama Bhagavatar, Pandit Lakshmanacharyar and Tiruppazhanam Panchapekesa Sastri (19th century) were well-known Pauranikas. Mukkur Lakshminarasimhacharyar, Toopil and Velukkudi Krishnan (20th century) are continuing this tradition. Pravachan, Patakam, and Upanyasam, can be synonymous and mean narrating stories from epics and puranas and interpreting scriptures. Famous scholar and Vedantha Shiromani with the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt Kumbakonam, Rishiyur Sri N. Santhanam Aiyar (1887–1945), who translated Krishna Sastris Rasanishyandini in 1943, best describes Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri in his book. He quotes
“Paruthiyur and Krishna Sastri are synonymous, and in the Kaliyuga only Krishna Sastri is equal to Maharishi Valmiki in Rama bhakthi and capable of extolling the Virtues of Lord Rama. No Katha of Ramayana is complete without prayers to ValmikiValmikiValmiki is celebrated as the poet harbinger in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Ramayana, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Adi Kavi, which means First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e...
and Krishna Sastri.”
Kathakalakshepa
The second tradition is Kathakalakshepa. Any story with Sangeetabhinaya coupled with anecdotes is called Kathakalakshepa. Kathakalakshepa is unique because the story is carried through songs and compositions in languages like SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
, Kannada and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, which is a peculiarity in the Tamil Nadu-style of storytelling. A form of Kalakshepa, in which the storyteller, usually proficient in classical music, interspaced the main story with music, dance and sub-stories, was also prevalent.
Harikatha is a composite art form with storytelling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Harikatha involves the narration of a story, intermingled with related songs. The compositions used are common to the Bhajana Sampradaya — congregational singing like the Ashtapadis of Jayadeva
Jayadeva
Jayadeva was a Sanskrit poet circa 1200 AD. He is most known for his composition, the epic poem Gita Govinda, which depicts the divine love of Krishna-an avatar of Vishnu and his consort, Radha, and it is mentioned that Radha is greater than Hari, and is considered an important text in the...
, Tarangas of Narayana Teertha
Narayana Teertha
Sri Narayana Teertha was a composer of Carnatic music.-Brief lifesketch:Narayana was born in South India in the region covered by the present-day Andhra Pradesh. He lived in Kaja near Mangalagiri in Guntur district. They belonged to Tallavajhula family. His birth name was Govinda Sastrulu...
, compositions like Tevaram
Tevaram
The Tevaram denotes the first seven volumes of the Tirumurai, the twelve-volume collection of Tamil Saivite devotional poetry. All seven volumes are dedicated to the works of the three most prominent Tamil poets - Campantar , Appar and Cuntarar...
, Divyaprabandam, Thiruppugazh
Thiruppugazh
Thiruppugazh is a 15th century anthology of Tamil religious songs dedicated to Murugan, the son of Shiva, written by the poet-saint Arunagirinathar...
, keertanas of Annamacharya
Annamacharya
Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya was the official songmaster of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, and a Telugu composer who composed around 36000 keertana songs, many of which were in praise of Venkateswara, the presiding deity of the temple...
, Bhadrachala Ramadas
Kancherla Gopanna
Kancherla Gopanna , popularly known as Bhadradri Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu, was a 17th century Indian devotee of Rama and a composer of Carnatic music. He is one among the famous vaggeyakaras in the Telugu language, the others being Tyagaraja, Annamayya, Kshetryya...
, Tyagaraja
Tyagaraja
Kakarla Tyagabrahmam , colloquially known as Tyāgarājar and Tyagayya was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or classical South Indian music. He, along with his contemporaries Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastry, forms the Trinity of Carnatic music...
, Padas of Purandaradasa and other dasas and the Bhajans of Tulsidas, Kabir, Meera and Surdas. This is the style of Katha, which was modified by Tanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar who is considered the ‘Father of the Tanjavur style of Kalakshepa’. The Tanjavur Katha tradition adopted certain fine elements from the 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...
keertan. Harikatha, Harikeertan and Kathakalakshepa can be synonymous and mean, narrating stories from epics and puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
, interspersed with musical compositions.
Folk traditions
The third style is a folk narrative. In Andhra Pradesh it was called Burra kathaBurra katha
Burra 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...
. Burra is a drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
that is shaped like a human skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
(burra means skull). In this tradition, gypsies narrate stories beating this drum; in Tamil Nadu the folk story tradition is called 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...
, viz., the bow-song. The folk stories were told accompanied by a stringed instrument resembling a bow. The stories chosen are heroic ballads commonly known in the villages and urban areas. This medium is, in fact, used to propagate social welfare programmes like AIDS awareness, family planning and election propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
. Kanian koottu and Udukkadipattu, prevalent in the villages of South India, are also folk storytelling traditions. Stories like Sudalai Madan kathai, Draupadi Amman Kathai, Kovalan Kathai, Muttuppattan Kathai, Marudu Sahodarar kathai, etc. are narrated.
There is a rich literary tradition of published and unpublished written material called Nirupana, where the stories and the songs are written in languages like Marathi, Tamil and Telugu.
Krteyadhyayato vishnum Tretayam yajoto maghaihi
Dvapare paricaryayam Kalautatu Kathanena
in Krta, Treta and Dvapara yugas (eras in Hindu mythology), one had to do yajnas (sacrificial rites), tapa (penance
Penance
Penance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Anglican Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. It also plays a part in non-sacramental confession among Lutherans and other Protestants...
) and other severe austerities to obtain the grace of God. But in the Kali yuga there is a very easy method to attain God or receive His blessings and that is by listening to Harikeetan and Pravachans.
Performers
The period from 1870 to 1940 could be described as the Golden Age of the art of storytelling in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala and the art was considered as a jewel in the treasure chest of Indian culture. Tanjavur Krishna Bagavathar (1841–1903) sang with Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri (1855–1911) during his early Katha performances. Krishna Sastri later did only Pravachans with minimum music. Krishna Bagavathar, however, continued his Kathakalakshepam and introduced Marathi metrical forms like Saki, Dindi, Ovi, Arya, Abhanga pada, etc., into the art of Kathakalakshepa and started his own new style, which became the standard for all other great Bagavathars in this field for the next 50 years. Thanjavur Krishna Bagavathar was not to be mistaken for Parithiyur Krishna Sastri, though they were contemporaries with the name Krishna, living around the same area; they performed together initially and each were famous in what they were doing.Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bagavathar (1866–1943), Mangudi Chidambara Bagavathar (1880–1938), Chitrakavi Sivarama Bagavathar (1869–1951), Soolamangalam Soundararaja Bagavathar (1890–1925), C Saraswathi Bai (1894–1974), N S Krishna Bagavathar (1892–1984) were all inspired by the style and technique of Thanjavur Krishna Bagavathar. They were all carnatic music singers. Pandit Lakshmanacharya, Tiruppazhanam Panchapakesa Sastri, Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar, Tanjavur T.N. Subramanya Bhagavatar and T.S. Balakrishna Sastrigal were Harikatha experts. Andamin Sivarama Bhagavatar, Pandit Lakshmanacharyar and Tiruppazhanam Panchapekesa Sastri, Kalakkad Muthuswami Sastrigal, Sengalipuram Muthanna
Sengalipuram Muthanna
Sengalipuram Vaidhyanatha Deekshithar or Sengalipuram Muthannaval Muthannaval the great guru from the family of Dikshitars was from Sengalipuram near Paruthiyur, on the northern banks of Kudamuruti River, in Thiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu. Sengalipuram was "Shivakalipuram" as it is known in...
Vaidhyanatha Dikshithar, Samartha Ramadas Swamigal, Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri, Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar, were great Pravachan and Upanyasam experts of this Golden Age. After this period, storytelling also became popular in north India.
In later years Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda gave excellent discourses. Afterwards, Keeran, Krubananda Variyar, and Krishnapremy gave captivating lectures. In the recent years Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati was an important Hindu religious scholar, reformer, and founder of the Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement. He was the first to give the call for Swarajya – "India for Indians" – in 1876, later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak...
, Baba Ramdev
Swami Ramdev
Swami Ramdev is popularly known as Baba Ramdev. This young monk has attained immence popularity in a very short span of time. His yog-camps are attended by a large number of people in India and abroad...
, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba
Śri Sathya Sai Baba , born as Sathyanarayana Raju was an Indian guru, spiritual figure, mystic, philanthropist, and educator. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi, a spiritual saint and miracle worker who died in 1918 and whose teachings were an eclectic blend of Hindu and...
, Mata Amritanandamayi
Mata Amritanandamayi
Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī , primarily known simply as Amma ["Mother"], is a Hindu spiritual leader and guru, who is revered as a saint by her followers. She is widely respected for her humanitarian activities...
, Muralidara Swamigal, Swami Suddhananda, Aniruddha Bapu, Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu are some of the many spiritual gurus who draw huge crowds. Of late Prema Pandurang, Jaya Raw, Vishaka Hari, Sundara Kumar, Hema and Santhanaraman are popular. They cut across age, caste, creed, etc. with their soul-inspiring discourses. They are even able to reach western audiences. Present day storytellers include satire and humor and music and are able to convey the message in several languages.
As long as one wants to hear a story and another narrate, storytelling will continue to be an interesting way to spend time, to increase Bakthi and make people wiser and better human beings.
External links
- Hindu Vrat Katha in Hindi
- Kalakshepam
- Harikatha
- Sikh Katha
- http://dinman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=7&id=16&Itemid=73( all katha in Hindi)
- http://www.hinduculture.info/