International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124
Pandava Theatre in the light of Brechtian Theories and Practices
Dr. Hemant Kumar Shukla Associate Professor in English, M.B. Govt. P.G. College Haldwani-Nainital-263139 e-Mail: [email protected] (Corresponding Auhour) & Dr. D.R. Purohit Retd. Prof., Department of English H.N.G. Garhwal University Srinagar-Garhwal
Abstract: The traditional theatres of Uttarakhand in general and Pandava Theatre in particular are essentially attendant events of the central rituals and they have comprehensive theatrical dimensions. The plays under this theatre are enacted on particular auspicious occasions based on the ‘Hindu’ almanac. The plots of the plays are mainly based on the religious scriptures like Mahabharat and Puranas. The main objective of organizing the enactment of such plays is to invoke the gods, the goddesses and the semi-gods for bringing about the prosperity in the society. It is supposed that the invoked super-natural powers, after coming down to the Earth, would keep away the society from the problems, difficulties, epidemics, natural calamities and the state of financial crunch more or less common to this world. But the artistic aspects, by no means are sub-ordinate to the ritual. German Dramatist Bertolt also wanted to keep particularly his poor and downtrodden audiences away from atrocities, problems and difficulties
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through his newly invented Epic Theatre by bringing about awareness among them about the causes of their miseries. The present paper tries to compare both.
Key Words: Swargarohan, Gandiva, Shraddha, Tarpan, Gestus, Amavasya, Mangalacharan, Bharat Vakyam
Pandava theatre is a part of the ritual of the same name. There are more than sixty theatrical events which are performed during the Pandava dance ritual lasting for fifteen to ninety days throughout the geographical tract of Garhwal Himalaya. Surprisingly enough, this ritual does not take place either in Kumaon divison of the state or in Himachal Pradesh, the territories adjoining Garhwal. The essential ingredient of the ritual is a long choreography of dance offered twice a day to please the Pandavas, in the afternoon and in the post dinner session. Other offerings like goat sacrifice, sweet meats, vintage fruits etc. are secondary to the dance.
The Kshetriyas, of the region consider themselves to be the descendents of Pandavas. They invite the spirit of the Pandavas to visit their kins every year. The Pandavas on their earthly sojourn, stay in a village, blesse their kins and devotees and depart. A prominent sub-ritual of the dance is ‘Gainda’ (Killing of Rhinoceros). As the myth goes, a strip of hide or a tuft of hair from the snout of a rhinoceros was required for offering tarpan (libation of water) to the spirit of dead Pandu. Arjun alone could go to Naaglok where the species of rhinoceros lived. He went there and killed rhinoceros from a flock reared by his own son Nakarjun. A war ensued, and Arjun was killed by the son. The discovery was made by the mother that the son had killed his own father. With the help of divine medicines, Arjun was revived. The father and the son joined together for the Shradha and
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eventually for the Kurukshetra war. The myth is enacted through the ritual called ‘Gainda’. The enactment is followed by a procession to the riverside--the same day or the following day. At the riverside, Nakul performs a ritual for Pandu, and through the agency of Nakula and shradha the villagers offer tarpan to all the Pandavas including Bhishm Pitamah.1
Symbolic weapons of Pandavas are worshipped as attributes of their respective holders, and no image stands for any Pandava character. The attributes themselves are considered to be the miraculous icons of the Pandavas. The myth associated with the attributes is:
At the last leg of Swargarohan, the Pandavas turned to take a last glimpse of the lush green, luxuriant terraced fields, rich with the plenteous corn of autumn. A desire to enjoy this beautiful earth again pricked their hearts. Arjun took out his Gandiva (a bow) and an arrow, pointed it at the valleys, slopes, and ridges, and commanded the arrow to receive future offerings of the folks on behalf of the Pandavas. Since then, the arrow and other weapons of the Pandavas as well as the Pandavas themselves, visit their earthly devotes every year to receive the offerings.2
Pandava theatre is available under two categories, the pure ritual and the added entertainments. It will also be an overstatement to say that the two categories are mutually exclusive. There is always an element of comic ur-drama in the ritual theatre, and strong pull of ritual in the added entertainments. German Dramatist Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) viewed theatre as part of an enlightenment project, not mere entertainment but theatre which forces judgment and leads to social action. He wanted the theatre in
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which the spectator does not forget for a moment that he/she is in the theatre. He was keenly aware of the role of entertainment plays in the theatrical event. The Brechtian elements are available at the deeper level of performative structure of Pandava Theatre. Anjala Maharshi’s comparative tools used for Indian Classical Theatre can help understand the Brechtian structure of the theatre under-study. The very substratum of Indian classical theatre has to be found in Pandava theatre as the pan-Indian influences are very strong in Garhwal too. Purohit reports that even the stylized devices like Yavanika (a curtain) are used in the Pandava performances of Kandai village in Nandakini valley. The Pandavas enter the arena half covered by the Yavanika. The beginning invocation Mangalacharan and epilogues (Bharat Vakyam) are also common.
On this device Anjala Maharishi writes:
The character…enters behind a squarish half curtain called Yavanika or Rangpatti which is held little above the ground by two stage-assistants (Parparshwiks). Streching it straight vertically, they completely hide the character standing behind. Rangpatti is decorated with appropriate design and colour to suit the Sthayibhava (basic emotion) of the character behind the screen. The character takes the sitting position while hidden by the half-curtain. When…(the character) completes here action, the two stage-assistants leave the stage in rhythmic movements. The whole action completely negates realism.3
Pandava theatre has vast potentials of being analyzed as schechnarian environmental theatre, Grotowskian body theatre, Jean Gennet’s ritual theatre or of course as Peter Brooks’ Holly theatre. Purohit has analyzed it as environmental theatre
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while Sax has put it in the category of ritual theatre. But the present study aims at exploring the Brechtian elements in it. In the search for Brechtian, we will have to avoid the temptation of straight-jacketing the Pandava Theatre into the frame of forcible alienation effects. Only the second part of Brecht’s theory is applicable to this theatre, the part which talks about the verisimilitude in costume, gesture, speech-patterns and attitude
. Brecht was of the view that the isolated episodes of the play should retain their individual significance, even if taken out of the context of the play as a whole. In the same way, the non- literary elements of the production like decor, music and choreography should also retain their independence. Music was utilized by Brecht to create alienation effect. Brecht suggests that “words, music and setting must become more independent of one another.”4
His concept of heightened and musical speech is also applicable here. However, the major difference all through the paradigmatic comparison lies in the fact that while Brecht searched for deliberate disruption in empathy building process, Pandava theatre instinctively never ever attempts either to build empathy or to break it. Disruptions in empathy are organic to the entire folk theatre system of the region including the Pandava.
For the better understanding of the readers, the major forms of the Pandava theatre are listed4 below5:
1. Gainda
2. Garurvyooh
3. Chakravyooh
4. Kamalvyooh
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5. Makarvyooh
6. Suchivyooh
7. Lakshagrih
8. Moru: Daa:r
9. Hathi-Duryodhan
10. Kalangiri Danu
11. Tondi Raagas
12. Gujari Maryon
13. Kutneti
14. Chor Banya
15. Na:thu Pande
16. Kangra ka Jogi
17. Poisoning Bhim
18. Fight of Bulls
19. Kashi Gaman
20. Kedar Yatra
21. Geeta Upadesh
22. Swargarohan
23. Rajsuya Yagya
24. Dropadi Bugdha (The list borrowed from Purohit and Sax.)
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One of the forms, Chakravyooh (Circular-array) has been experimented upon by Purohit and his amateur group. The play is considered a crowd-puller all over Uttarakhand. It draws an average audience numbering from 5000 to 10000. During the last Assembly elections, the prospective candidates invited the group to perform in their constituencies to draw a large number of audiences which candidates wanted to transform into voters. But Purohit has killed the Brechtian spirit which was so beautifully present in the original version. He has introduced strong empathetic music and fast-pace into the play which doesn’t allow the audiences to do free intellection. In one of his shows, a female audience burst into sobs while seeing the assassination of Abhimanyu. An audience sitting next to her tried to convince her that it was just a play; therefore, she should not weep. And still the woman kept sobbing.
In the original, scenes of Chakravyooh are divided into three stages and each stage has further sub-stages. In the first stage, the processions of Kauravas and Abhimanyu enter the arena from different directions. In the second stage, the encounter between Abhimanyu and Kauravas takes place and Abhimanyu is slain. In the last stage, the sad Pandavas return with the body of Abhimanyu.
Bertolt Brecht wanted his audiences to have boxing-ring attitude of ‘smoking and observing’. Songs and sub-titles alike are presented as a deliberate means of interrupting the play: of taking the wind out of the actors’ sails and showing the actual mechanics of the work. Visible musicians, visible lights, have to be accompanied by a deliberate breaking of the tension and disillusionment of the actor. He must ‘use quite different means to draw attention to events which had previously been announced in the sub-titles, so that their substance held no element of surprise’; he ‘must not just sing but show a
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man singing’. The new principle was that der Zeigende gezeigt wird: that the process of showing must itself be shown.6
Now this interesting Brechtian element in the second stage is seen in the announcement of the cash prizes which is done each time Abhimanyu vanquishes one of the seven gates of Chakravyooh. During the announcement, the actors relax, smoke, and even drink alcohol. A villager is appointed to serve water to the actors during all these unforeseen intervals. An interval also takes place for the speech of the chief-guest and other guests of honor. The fights between characters are symbolic, played to the beats of the drum. When the drum beat ends the character decides to fall down.
The dialogue delivery is also Brechtian. Most of the characters do not learn by heart their parts. They read out from small pocket diaries. Purohit reminisces that once the character of Arjun was to read a dialogue from a piece of a paper. There were suggestions for the sound to be produced by the actor but the text overflowed to the reverse side of the paper. As a result, the actor spoke in the following style:
I /will /kill /Jaidrath/ before/ sun-set/tomorrow. If /I /fail/ I/will/ burn/ myself/into/ fire/Ha: Ha: Ha: (Turns the page and reads from the reverse side) Ha: Ha: Ha:
The play begins with the narration of the drummer who informs the audience of the theme and action of the play:
Today we relate to you the Saga of Dwaper,
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We relate to you the Saga of Dwaper, the Saga of Dwaper In Dwaper incarnated Krishna, Krishna incarnated, O, brothers, Krishna incarnated Krishna incarnation occurred (with him appeared) Kauravas and Pandavas Kauravas and Pandavas were kith and kin Grandfather of theirs was Shantanu, Grandmother was Satyawaty, Once was their family stock, and one was their family For the throne grew disaffection among them They became blood thirsty and ate (fresh) hot human flesh. For the throne of Kurukshetra, war was waged, Akshaounnis regiments were raised And millions of them perished. Drona, Bhishma, Karna died, died Dushasana, And also were killed Lakshaman, Jayadratha, and Dyrodhana Kaurava family was “completely” rooted out, Pandava family survived by the grace of Krishna, On the thirteenth day “of war” Chakravyooh fortification was laid out, Guru Dronacharya laid out the Chakravyooh fortification. That day Arjuna was battling the San-Saptakas, Krishna was driving the chariot through the ethereal sky. Now there came a written challenge from the Kaurava camp, An invitation to fight in Chakravyooh has been sent (by Kaurava camp) What a deep crisis has set in, in the Pandava Camp! “Which Warrior will go to pierce the Chadravyooh fortification?”
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Boy Abhimanyu knew the art of piercing Chakravyhooh, had learnt the art when in the womb of Subhandra, Vanquishing six gates (of Chakravyooh), he reached the seventh, (but at the seventh gate) was his Youth cut short That story we narrate today, face to face, Be attentive, brothers, and toss sacred rice (at the place of the performance).7
The play is performed at a found space:
A level patch of ground (normally a terraced field) is cleared, and dozens of small stakes are driven into the ground in the shape of the Circular Array, which is a kind of Maze. Saris are collected from village women, then draped over and secured to the stakes to make the walls of the maze. The result is a very attractive and colorful theatrical ‘set’.8
Another play which tilts towards Brechtian is “Moru Daa:r”. The play is the depiction of Bhima’s joiurney to Khandava forest where a long and massive, and carved and pre-cast column for the front gate of Pandava’s palace is lying but the same is under the strict guard of two weird looking keepers called Pothliyas. Bhima is dead-scared of their faces and is not willing to go there. He is placated and motivated by other Pandavas to go to the place. The enactment begins with the journey of Bhima accompanied by other pandavas to the fields below or above the village where Moru Daa:r has been placed and where the Pothliyas are standing. When the procession of the pandavas enters the periphery of the new arena, the Pothliyas cause commotion among the audience scaring them away by throwing dust upon them. Bhima runs away from the scene and is stopped by his fellow pandavas who sing songs and give Bhima sweet meats and other
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eatables to support his drooping spirits. The procession stops here and there to drink water, to smoke and to take stock of the arena. Pothliyas scare everyone present but when a photographer requests them, they also pose for a photograph. Except for the songs sung for encouragement, there are no musical dialogues. Only the drums and trumpets play all through. The pandava procession rushes forward from the upper terrace to the lower terrace and then suddenly stops. This process is repeated till the end. The pandavas are often heard to say, “Please! Wait for a moment, we are feeling thirsty.” Abundant Brechtian elements.
Although the character of Bhima is in ritual costume and the part of the ritual, he tries his best to produce the humor by interacting with the pandavas, the audience, and the Pothliyas. The costume of Pothliyas is grotesque because they have to not only chase away the audience from the acting area but also to produce laughter. The most interesting Brechtian situation emerges when these two weird characters stop for taking a glass of water or listening to a call on the cell-phones.
Even in ‘Gainda’ ritual performance, the acting area shifts to the pant roof and the central ridge of a house standing in front of the acting area. There Arjuna tries to give all the temptations to the watchman of the rhinoceros.
Yet another Brechtian example of the plays is ‘Kangraa ka Jogi’. The story is based on the event of a separation of Bhima from other Pandavas when the former was sent to kill a demon called Kalangiri. Hurt by the choice of his brothers and mother, Bhima thou successful in killing the demon turns to become an ascetic, Kangra ka Jogi. Pandavas tadke him to have been killed by the demon but he is accidently spotted while going to Kedar and by his habit of eating cooked rice. The play ends with this
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identification. The performance is so Brechtian that the characters take to actual cooking of rice and its distribution to the Jogis.
Such Brechtian examples galore in plays like Lakshagrih, Hathi-Duryodhan, Kalangiri Danu, Tondi Raagas, Gujari Maryom, ,Kutneti, Chor Banya, Na:thu Pande, Poisoning Bhim, Fight of Bulls, Kashi Gaman,, Kedar Yatra, Geeta Upadesh, Swargarohan, Rajsuya Yagya, and Dropadi Budha.
The play ‘Na:thu Pandey’ is heavily loaded with message. It is a comic ridiculing of the charlatan Na:thu Pandey who pretends to be a learned pandit of Kashi. When asked to fix the date for wedding, he advises the day of Amavasya (The most inauspicious day). To solve the problem caused by a shock of earthquake, he prescribes the performance of Garur Puran (a post-funerary ritual). He requests the villagers to give him seeds of salt because his wife wanted them. Through his utter ignorance, he turns the world upside- down. He is a symbol of the inverted order of the things. Na:thu Pandey comes alone and renders his comic strip a play with the help of the members of the audience. He sings the most jarring kind of songs to chase away the audience. His world has no scope either for empathy or hypnotic tension—it is a just a composition of Brecht’s Gestus of speech, costumes, and movements.
In a play called ‘Hathi-Duryodhan’, empathy and sympathy grow for the epic villain Duryodhan when the narrator sings:
Cows depend on grass; there is no dependence for Duryodhana now.
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Pandavas depend on Krishna; there is no dependence for Duryodhana now.
The earth rests on tortoise; there is no dependence for Duryodhana now.
Brecht would have been amused at the idea that in the folk world even the villains are given sympathy.
Notes and References
1William S.Sax, Dancing the Self: Personhood and Performance in the Pandav Lila of Garhwal (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), pp.67-73,100-101. 2D.R.Purohit, “Satire and Civil Society in the Mask Theatre of Garhwal”, Folklore, Public Sphere and Civil Society, ed. M.D.Muthukumaraswamy and Molly Kaushal (Kathmandu: Gurukul, 2004), p.36-37. 3Anjala Maharishi, A comparative Study of Brechtian and Classical Indian Theatre (New-Delhi: National School of Drama, 2000), p.150-51. 4Bertolt Brecht, Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic, ed. John Willet (London: Methuen, 1964), p.38. 5The list borrowed from D.R. Purohit and William S. Sax. 6John Willet, The Theatre of Bertolt Brecht (London: Methuen & Co., 1977), p. 40.
7D.R. Purohit and Lokesh Ohri, Manuscript ‘Chakravyooh’, pp. 1-2 8William S.Sax, Dancing the Self: Personhood and Performance in the Pandav Lila of Garhwal, pp. 81-82
Mobile No.: 7500784114, 9897438142 (Dr. Hemant Kumar Shukla)
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(Dr. Hemant Kumar Shukla)
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