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Module 30 Bhagavat Mela Natakam

Every country in the world has its uniqueness and specialty. A subtle, diverse culture, universal values and spirituality have been India's gift to the world. Sadly, today most of our rich cultural heritage has been lost due to migration of people from their native places to cities and other countries. The remnant treasure also remains largely inaccessible due to lack of time, language constraints and more so because we are unaware of the worth of this legacy. Yet there are some thin fibers that still connect us to our ancient culture we should be proud of.

Indian theatre or Natya had its origin in expository dance. The first actor, Nata, was an actor-dancer who portrayed dramatic incidents by means of gesture and dance, with song and musical accompaniment. The Natyashastra states that must contain (expository dance), Geeta (song), and (instrumental accompaniment). Indian drama gives importance to gesture in place of the spoken word. It is meant to be seen by the spectator rather than heard. Very little of this glorious dramatic art is now to be seen. The theatre is a hereditary art of the Chakkiyars/चाकियार of temples, a source of dance drama in language. The vernacular drama also survives in in the dance drama of Bhagavatas/भागवत; the Natya/भागवत मेऱा ना絍य in the Tanjore district of , and the in on the West coast.

Bhagavata Mela is a form of dance-drama. It is graceful with, mellifluous vocal and instrumental music to add color in its overall performance. It also contains dialogues of high diction and suggestive abhinaya. There are other symbolical, descriptive actions. Whenever there is a violent scene of war and killing in drama, the scenes are not enacted but only narrated as an incident. The Bhagavata Mela is full of dramatic interest. It is enhanced by using classical music and dance. Dialogue of high diction and suggestive strained abhinaya and other symbolical action are its hall-marks. Every actor is well trained in Natyam.

Bhagavata Mela Natakam is popular throughout the Tamil Nadu State. It has originated from Mellatur/मेऱातुर in district, Tamil Naidu. The term Bhagavata Mela signifies the troupes, which perform the stories of the Bhagavata, i.e. the myths about the incarnations of Lord , from the famous . It is performed as a part of the annual जयꅍती in the month of ﴂfestival of Narsimha Jayanthi/नसृ सह May-June. A large flat canopy and a small stage are put up in the streets in front of the temple and the are performed on it. This is done to dedicate the deity installed in the front hall of the temple. Bhagavata mela is a form of dance drama. Dance drama or Natya, according to the Sahityadarpana/साहह配यदऩपण, is a "poem made visible". Indian Natya has a poetic form and is acted in a rhythmic manner. Just as poetry differs from natural speech, so Natya differs from natural actions. Lokadharma/ऱोिधमप refers to that which is realistic and popular Natyadharma/ना絍यधमप means that which is classical, conventional, and governed by codes and formalities.

In the history of Indian music three kinds of dramas are discernible. They are namely: nataka/नाटि, nrtya nataka/न配ृ य नाटि, and geya nataka/गेय नाटि. Nrtya natakas are earlier than geya natakas and adhere strictly to the Natya treatises. Even during the rule of Cholas in Tamil Nadu, especially Thanjavur, geya natakams and sadir were a regular feature in the temples and Royal Court during festivities. It is believed that these performances were mostly of grand operas. Such performances and the performers were patronized by the kings.

From the 9th century when marked development and growth of regional languages took place, the Sanskrit theatre tradition too was getting adopted to regional languages. An excellent example of one such work is 's "Gita Govindam". Came into being as a result of Movement to counter the milieu, it occupies a key position in the history of both music and dance that led to the flowering of a classical musical dance-dramas in the local languages, in different parts of the country. of Karnataka, Kuchipudi Bhagavata Mela natakams of Andhra Pradesh, of Kerala, Ariya /अररया िू थु, Bhagavata Mela and Kuravanji natakas of Tamil Nadu stand an axiom. Yakshaganas, Bhagavata Mela and Kuravanji natakams are nrtya natakas. The Yakshaganas and Kuravanji natakas happen to be popular varieties, while the Bhagavata Mela nataka is a refined classical dance drama.

The Maratha not only took to the but themselves acquired remarkable degree of proficiency in composing and became reputed authors of a large number of literatures in Telugu. Like Nayaks, Maratha Rajas too patronized poets and scholars in Telugu language by donating free gifts of land, property and founding colonies for establishing scholarly families. According to Madura kavita/मधुर िववता of , the language, meter and sentiment are "" and are characterized by music and dance elements, and are enacted before an audience from which developed, later on, the refined musical plays. And Bhagavata Mela falls in this form of plays.

The tradition of Bhagavata Mela natakams of Tamil Nadu employed the art of music and dance in rich flavor using themes from "Srimad Bhagavatam/श्रीमद भागवतम" and other "Puranams" to extol the principle of Bhakti. To maintain the purity of purpose, only men called "Bhagavatulu/भागवतुऱू", Bhagavatar", participated in this art and thus the tradition came to be known as "Bhagavata Mela". Obviously, the Bhagavata Mela Natakams are considered a cult and therefore, are performed only within the precinct of temples, even today.

Thus the Bhagavata Mela tradition took roots in the Tamil ,डऱमﴂcountry, especially in the then Cholamandalam/चोऱाम during the early part of the 16th century. But no vestiges are found to establish that the tradition of Bhagavata Mela of Tamil country is of Andhra origin. Once popular throughout the Tamil Nadu, Bhagavata Mela, is now confined to a single village, Melattur in Thanjavur district. It is held as a part of the annual Jayanthi festival in May-June. A large flat thatched canopy and a small stage are put up in the streets in front of the temple and the dramas are enacted to dedicate the deity installed in the front hall of the temple.

PLAY PRESENTATION

Firstly, the performance starts with the appearance of the गी or buffoon. Konangi for a few minutesﴂKonangi/िोना and requests the audience to see the forthcoming play patiently. The play is followed by a group of musicians who sing गऱम, which is an invocationﴂthe Todaya-mangalam/तोड़ाय-म song. After that, an introduction of the drama to be enacted is told in short. A performer in the dress of Lord then appears in front of audience to bless the play. A young boy wearing the mask of Ganesha dances to the accompaniment of background music to give the feel of Lord Ganesha. The arrival of the Lord Ganapati sets the stage for an auspicious start to the performance.

Each actor or character is then introduced. After this elaborate introduction, the actual drama begins. The drama contains mainly dialogues of Prahlad/प्रहऱाद, Hiranakashapu/हहराꅍयक्श्यऩ ू (father of Prahlad) and Narsimha. The story places its own demands on the actor portraying Narsimha. The actor prays and fasts before donning the mask of the god, and at the close of the performance, all the performers (Bhagavatars or Bhagavatulus) circumambulate the deity within the temple and the street. The musicians follow them, singing devotional songs. Next to be honored, with flowers and sandal paste, are the teachers of this dance-drama. This festival is celebrated to signify the victory of Prahlad over his evil father, the king through the intervention of Vishnu in his man- lion (incarnation). The drama is characterized by natural, flowing movements that enhance the body- language used to convey the main theme. The actors are always male.

The performance commences with the appearance of the Konangi or buffoon. He dances for a few minutes and requests the audience to witness the play patiently. A group of musicians then sing the todaya-mangalam or invocation song followed by the introduction to the drama that is to be enacted. Lord Ganesha then appears to bless the play. A young boy is usually made to wear the mask of Ganesha and dance to the accompaniment of background music. Each actor or character is then introduced. After this elaborate introduction, the drama begins. MELATTUR BHAGAVATMELA NATAKAM

The little village of Melattur, 18 kms from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, is considered to be the cradle of . It gets enveloped in a spurt of feverish activity every mid-summer during the Bhagavata Mela Nataka Utsav organized in the sannidhi/सन्ꅍनधध of Lord Sri Varadaraja/श्री वरदराज , the presiding deity of the village, on the occasion of Sri Narsimha Jayanti.

Indian performing art forms born in a land teeming with gods and legends is intimately connected with religious, literary and mythological traditions. A valid study of any form of - be it music, dance, painting or folklore - could be undertaken only through learning (perhaps one should say experiencing) the innumerable sources and concepts of Indian culture, its rituals, legends, metaphors, its epochs, dynasties, styles and the kaleidoscopic media through which the art expresses itself. But when demonstrated in the form of natya/natakam, as in the case of Bhagavata Mela at Melattur, the entire complexity and differences between the various forms of art vanish, and the lay man and the connoisseur alike are transported to a new world, where there is no distinction between the lover of art for its mere entertainment value and the devout one yearning for spiritual solace. The viewers and the actors lose their identity and all are converted to devotees surcharged with emotion praying for the blessings of Lord Narsimha. The Bhagavata Mela tradition, is believed to be in existence since the 11th Century. The unique features of Melattur Bhagavata Mela natakams are:

1. It is a pious art. 2. This day, it is the only surviving link in Tamil Nadu that connects us with our ancient Sanskrit theatre. 3. It came into being as result of about 450 years ago. The tradition is still preserved in its pristine purity as a true temple art, in the worship Lord Vishnu. 4. The natakams, dedicated to Lord Sri Vishnu, are performed annually with religious fervor in the sannidhi of Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple at Melattur on the occasion of Nrusimha Jayanti, as has been the practice for centuries. 5. The sentiments of the natakams are expressed in classical music of high-class Carnatic tradition and, the dance and abhinaya in Bharata Natya technique and, occasionally with poetic speeches, dialogues and appropriate dramatic action too. Abhinaya are more elaborate and incisive. Such a remarkable synchronization of music, speech, dance and abhinaya produces a high aesthetic appeal leading to realization according to the conception of natya in the ancient treatises. 6. The natakams are taken seriously and not as a pleasant pass time. No libertinism or low sensuousness is allowed in the name of "art for art's sake." At the same time, in the name of religious devotion no allowance is made for a slip-shod art, because what art is exhibited as devotional offering had to be of high aesthetic value without which no God of Pantheon would be pleased. Hence high technique and good mastery thereof have been made a "sine-quo-non" in the exposition of this temple- art. Thus this art is a unique blend of Bhakti, music, dance and drama. 7. The utsav is a balance between true/pure devotion and aesthetic display of traditional art. 8. Visit to Melattur to witness the Bhagavata Mela natakams in the sannidhi of Lord Sri Varadaraja Perumal is considered a pilgrimage. 9. Only male artists portray the female roles. 10. All the dance-actors and the musicians are amateurs engaged in different professions in different parts of India including abroad who assemble at Melattur at their expense. Trained systematically in the art, these amateurs raise the level of their performance to that comparable with any professional troupe.

The astounding splendor, exuberance and purity of purpose of this tradition maintained intact today has to be seen and experienced to be believed. Ordained by HH Sri Paramacharya of Kanchi, Sri Narasimha Jayanti Bhagavata Mela Natya Nataka Sangam had the unique opportunity of performing at the "Vidvath Sadha/वव饍वत सधा " convened by the sage at

Ilayathangudi/इऱयाथाꅍगुडी (Tamil Nadu) in the year 1962. The troupe was blessed by the sage for a repeat performance on the concluding day of the "sadhas". Again, the troupe was ordained by HH Sri Jayendra Swamigal to perform at the "Paramacharya's Athishtanam" in Kanchi on the 104th Jayanti of HH Paramacharya.

According to scholars, connoisseurs of music and dance, and the press in India and abroad, the present day is acclaimed as the "Golden Era" for Bhagavata Mela tradition. Top-notch artists of Bhagavata Mela, namely, (late) Balu Bhagavatar, (late) K. Ramani , (late) G. Swaminathan, (late) G. Krishnamoorthy Sarma, the living legend S. Natarajan and his younger brother, S. Kumar are rightly honored by Paramacharya of Kanchi, the Cultural Dept. of State and Central Govt. and a few cultural bodies.

Actors of Bhagavata Mela

In a small village called Kuchipudi on the River in Andhra Pradesh, the Kuchipudi Bhagavatars, Brahmin actors, have handed down their classical dances and dance dramas for generations, and are well versed in the classical gesture language and dramatic dance modes of Kuchipudi Natya, in Telugu language. Their dramas are staged at night in the open air, some of the favorite plays being Usha Kalyanam/उषा ि쥍याणम, Prahalad/प्रहऱाद, and Bhama-kalapam/भामा िऱाऩम. Preliminary invocation prayers describe the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu in verses, which are beautifully acted in abhinaya and danced with vivid postures and gestures. A stage curtain is held up in front of the actors and lighting is provided by torches. All roles are acted by men, who take both male and female parts. Each actor introduces himself with a draw, a special elaborate entrance dance, containing postures, steps and gestures, and various dance patterns. There are feminine and masculine types, accompanied by song and rhythmic syllables.

The of Jayadeva is one of the masterpieces of Kuchipudi abhinaya in classical style. Kuchipudi dance is related to Nritya in fundamental technique and gestures, and is one of several parallel traditions of the art in . Vachika abhinaya (speech) has a place in South Indian Natya though the balance between speech, gesture, songs, and dance is well established in Kuchipudi Natya. In the Tanjore district of Lord ﴂत उ配सवﴂNatya is performed at the Vasanta Utsavam/वस

गऱम. About 160ﴂVishnu in Melatur and Soolamangalam/सूऱम years ago, a sage, Venkatrama swamigal/वᴂिटराम वासमगऱ of Melattur in Tanjore composed a number of religious dramas -- Usha Kalyanam, Prahlad, Bhama-kalapam, Kalyanam/셁न्क्शमणी ि쥍याणम, /मािंडेय and others, in Telugu, the art language of South India. They were dramatic poems set to music, for dancing and acting in the traditional manner. Bhagavata Mela Natyam, as the art is called, is performed by Brahmin actors who are experts in singing, dancing and gestures. The entrance dance of each principal actor is elaborate in rhythmic style and rendered with grace and elegance. Dances similar to alarippu, , and padam, स (finalﴂwith adavujatis (dance patterns) and Uramanas/उरम sequences) are fundamentally related to Bharatnatyam of the . But there are both masculine and feminine dance patterns which are significant for further development of Bharatnatyam into a dramatic form. Fundamental similarities are noticeable in the Melattur and Kuchipudi dance drama which suggest a common origin. What the Devadasis have learned from the non-Brahmin Nattuvans/नट्टूवन is only a part of a great dance art current among several groups of hereditary experts.

The Vasanta Utsava was not celebrated with Natya for nine years due to financial difficulties in staging the plays. There are very few of the actors left to maintain the art, though the dramas have lately been performed. Within ten years, both Kuchipudi and Bhagavata Mela Natyam will be lost arts in India, since the practice of Natya Kala will end with the present old masters. Their sons will not learn an art for which there is little appreciation and no economic security. On the West coast in South Karnataka there are seasonal performances of Yakshagana dance-dramas. The actors are very clever in improvised speech, and the various intonations and inflections are derived from the Natyashastra traditions.

Bhagavatamela natakas were enacted in temple precincts and villages were donated to the bhagavatas for this purpose from the time of Nayaks. Like his predecessors, king Tulaja also donated liberally towards the enactment of the traditional Bhagavatamela. The format was kept intact although many natakas were composed. For example, in the dance drama the todayamangalam, a song of invocation in the form of

sloka/्ऱोि is narrated with pieces of sollukattus/सो쥍ऱुिट्टू . The synopsis of the play is narrated to the audience through the kattiyakaran/िट्टीयािारन. The characters go through their parts interpreting every piece of song and speech through abhinaya. These dance dramas were also known as nritya natana natakas since they consisted of nritta, nritya and natya characters. Melattur Veerabadrayya/ववभपद्र뵍या. Kasinatha/िाशीनाथ and other eminent names in the music world were associated with the village Melattur. Melattur Venkatrama Sastry was a celebrated name who enacted Bhagavatamela natakas as part of the annual Narasimha jayanthi celebrations.

King Sahaji and Giriraja Kavi together have created 32 Bhagavatamela natakam. Sahaji has composed one Vinayaka song in three languages all set in mayamalavagowla /मायामाऱवगोव्ऱ राग. Venkatarama Sastri and his father, the Bhagavatas who enacted bhagavata mela composed their own dance drama script, music and dance choreography, improving the tradition to suit their own times. The object of playing these dramas was devotion to God, and hence presenting them in the temple premises came into vogue. Concepts like art for art sake or art for earning a livelihood or art as a pleasant pastime had no place in this tradition and it is so even today. Nonetheless, this art which was exhibited before God had to be of a high aesthetic value, without which no God will be pleased was the basic idea. Hence technique of high quality and perfect mastery over the art were of the prime importance (a sine quo non). Even in present times the aesthetic value and appeal are still intact. The traditions of solo dancing flourished simultaneously in Tamilnadu, particularly during Nayak and Maratha rule over Tanjore. The compositions of the bhagavatas (the conductors of the Bhagavatamela) were presented by the devadasis too in the temples. In turn the bhagavatars adopted the dance techniques of the devadasis. In this manner there had been a great deal of mutual exchange of ideas between two parallel traditions till the sadir finally emerged in its present form as Bharathanatyam. Even now the dancers in these natakams train themselves under the to enhance their abhinaya and nritya skills.

In the Yakshagana plays, the characters not only wore heavy make-up and glittering costumes pertaining to the role, but also wore masks while dancing. Similarly, in Bhagavatamela the Ganesha and Narasimha characters wear masks. Since only male dancers participated, the person portraying female characters wore the female costumes and jewelry.