Pandavani
Encyclopedia
Padavani is a folk singing style of musical narration of tales from ancient epic Mahabharata
with musical accompaniment and Bhima as hero.
This form of folk theatre is popular in the India
n state of Chhattisgarh
and in the neighbouring tribal areas of Orissa
and Andhra Pradesh
Teejan Bai
is most renowned singer to this style, followed by Ritu Verma. .
It is part of the tradition of the tellers-of-tales present in every culture or tradition (like Baul
singers of Bengal and Kathak
performers), where ancient epics, anecdotes and stories are recounted, or re-enacted to educated and entertain the masses. Without the use of any stage props or settings, just by the use to mimicry and rousing theatrical movements, and in between the singer-narrator break into an impromptu dance, at the completion of an episode or to celebrate a victory with the story being retold, yet in its truest sense Pandavani remains an accomplished theatre form.
During a performance, as the story builds, the tambura
becomes a prop, sometimes it becomes to personify a gada, mace of Arjun, or at times his bow or a chariot, while others it becomes the hair of queen Draupadi or Dushshan thus helping the narrator-singer play all the characters of story.
The singer is usually supported by a group of performers on Harmonium, Tabla, Dholka, Majira and two or three singers who sing the refrain and provide backing vocals .
Each singer adds his or her unique style to the singing, sometimes adding local words, improvising and offering critique on current happenings and an insights through the story. Gradually as the story progresses the performance becomes more intense and experiential with added dance movements, an element of surprise often used.
The lead singer continuously interacts with the accompanying singers, who ask questions, give commetary, interject thus enhancing the dramatic effect of the performance, which can last for several hours on a single episode of Mahabharata. Eventually what starts out as a simple story narration turns into full-flegded ballad.
, who has been using folk singers of Chattisgarh in his plays, creating a free-style story narration format, typical of Pandavani.
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
with musical accompaniment and Bhima as hero.
This form of folk theatre is popular in the India
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 state of Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
and in the neighbouring tribal areas of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and 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...
Teejan Bai
Teejan Bai
Teejan Bai is an exponent of Pandavani, a traditional performing art form, from Chhattisgarh, in which she enacts tales from the Mahabharata, with musical accompaniments.- Early life :...
is most renowned singer to this style, followed by Ritu Verma. .
Origins
The origins of this singing style are not known, and according to its foremost singer Teejan Bai, it might be as old as the Mahabharata itself, as few people could read in those times, and that is how perhaps they passed on their stories, generation after generation.Overview
Pandavani, literally means stories or songs of Pandavas, the legendary brothers of Mahabharat, and involves the lead singer, enacting and singing with an ektara or a tambura (stringed musical instrument), decorated with small bells and peacock feathers in one hand and sometimes kartal (a pair of cymbals) on another .It is part of the tradition of the tellers-of-tales present in every culture or tradition (like Baul
Baul
Baul .Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.-Etymology:The origin of the word...
singers of Bengal and Kathak
Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
performers), where ancient epics, anecdotes and stories are recounted, or re-enacted to educated and entertain the masses. Without the use of any stage props or settings, just by the use to mimicry and rousing theatrical movements, and in between the singer-narrator break into an impromptu dance, at the completion of an episode or to celebrate a victory with the story being retold, yet in its truest sense Pandavani remains an accomplished theatre form.
During a performance, as the story builds, the tambura
Tambura
The tambura, tanpura, or tambora is a long-necked plucked lute . The body shape of the tambura somewhat resembles that of the sitar, but it has no frets – only the open strings are played to accompany other musicians...
becomes a prop, sometimes it becomes to personify a gada, mace of Arjun, or at times his bow or a chariot, while others it becomes the hair of queen Draupadi or Dushshan thus helping the narrator-singer play all the characters of story.
The singer is usually supported by a group of performers on Harmonium, Tabla, Dholka, Majira and two or three singers who sing the refrain and provide backing vocals .
Each singer adds his or her unique style to the singing, sometimes adding local words, improvising and offering critique on current happenings and an insights through the story. Gradually as the story progresses the performance becomes more intense and experiential with added dance movements, an element of surprise often used.
The lead singer continuously interacts with the accompanying singers, who ask questions, give commetary, interject thus enhancing the dramatic effect of the performance, which can last for several hours on a single episode of Mahabharata. Eventually what starts out as a simple story narration turns into full-flegded ballad.
Variations (Shaili)
- Vedamati – the sitting style, mainly used by women, basically invented by Jhaduram Devangan.
- Kapalik – the traditional form, the standing style, where the performer depicts scenes from the epic and improvises consistently .(Teejan Bai’s style)
Impact on popular culture
Influences of Pandanavi can been clearly seen in the plays of Habib TanvirHabib Tanvir
Habib Tanvir was one of the most popular Indian Urdu, Hindi playwrights, a theatre director, poet and actor. He is the writer of plays such as, Agra Bazar and Charandas Chor...
, who has been using folk singers of Chattisgarh in his plays, creating a free-style story narration format, typical of Pandavani.
Exponents of Pandavani
- Jhaduram Devagan
- Puneram Nishad
- Teejan BaiTeejan BaiTeejan Bai is an exponent of Pandavani, a traditional performing art form, from Chhattisgarh, in which she enacts tales from the Mahabharata, with musical accompaniments.- Early life :...
- Ritu Verma
External links
- Pandavi at indiaheritage
- Detailed info on Pandavani at Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO
- Mahabharata as Theatre
- Teejan Bai performance, The Tribune, November 16, 2002