Usha Parinayam is presented in the Kuchipudi style as a Yakshagaanam. Yakshagaanam is a form of dance drama which narrates a storyline using an animated combination of dance, music and dialogue. Originally yakshagaanams were very dependent on vocal recitals with little to no dance to accompany the vocals but eventually they evolved into their present form with the addition of dance to accompany the music and songs and add flair to the storytelling.
Bhakta Prahlada was the first such yakshagaanam to capture the imagination of audiences and has been at the top of the popularity list over the years. Usha Parinayam stands next only to Bhakta Prahlada in its popularity with worldwide audiences. It is a story of how Aniruddha, the grandson of Lord Krishna and Usha, the daughter of Banasura, the most powerful demon of the time get married.
The yakshagaana starts with the entry of Banasura, the king of demons. He puts his kingdom in charge of his ministers and undertakes severe penance to solicit Lord Shiva’s grace. Pleased with his penance, Lord Shiva appears to Banasura and bids him to reveal his heart’s desire.
Banasura asks for Shiva, Parvati and their entire family to guard the entrance to his city Sonapuri. Shiva accepts this and goes to Sonapuri with his entire family including the pramadhaganas to guard the city. Shiva’s protection provides the arrogant Banasura with over confidence and he wages war against the devas. The devas are no match for the mighty Banasura who is under the protection of Shiva. They are defeated in the ensuing battle which further increases Banasura’s arrogance and he believes himself to be invincible.
Blinded by his success and arrogance, Banasura challenges Shiva, the very power under whose allegiance he defeated the devas. Infuriated by Banasura’s arrogance, Shiva curses him and says- when the mighty flag of your chariot falls without a reason, Sri Krishna who is equal to me in strength and might will fight you and humble your pride.
At this point the main protagonist Usha enters the stage. Usha, the talented and beautiful daughter of Banasura is one of the sixteen bharatakartas or the sixteen people who established the art of dance on bhuloka (earth). She prays to Lord Shiva and Parvati who are posted at the entrance to her father’s fort and learns the art of dance from Parvati.
One day, Usha falls asleep and in her dreams she experiences an intimate and romantic love play with a handsome young man. The dream transcends into reality and when she wakes up, she is unable to discern if it was a dream or reality. She is scared and confused by all this. She recollects her experience with the young man of her dreams and unable to bear the ensuing erotic pain, she faints.
Usha’s companions are aghast at her condition and call upon her dearest friend Chitralekha for help. Chitralekha enters the stage and seeks to understand the situation through a conversation with Usha. She persuades Usha to draw a picture of the young man from her dreams in order to help find him and put Usha out of her lovelorn misery. Chitralekha sees the picture and immediately identifies him as Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna.
With the help of her magic, Chitralekha summons a sleeping Aniruddha to Usha’s chambers. Usha is overjoyed to see him. When Aniruddha wakes up and finds himself in a strange place with Usha in front of him, he asks her who she was. Usha confesses her love to him and tells him that he had been brought to her chambers by Chitralekha.
Anirudhha is initially infuriated at being kidnapped and brought to Usha but eventually he understands her love for him and agrees to get married to her. The story of Usha Parinayam ends with Aniruddha and Usha getting married in the presence of her companions.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Kuchipudi Bhagavatha Melam Members
The members of the troupe learn the traditional art form of Kuchipudi and have started touring within India for recitals. Here is a picture of some of the members of the troupe.
Brief introduction of Bhagavatha Melam Dance Dramas
Bhagavatha Melam is a form of dance drama that originated about 500 years ago. It is a composite art that explores all aspects of dance, drama and music. Its specialty lies in a minimal use of stage props and a strong dependence on the portrayal of emotion by the artists.
Traditionally these dance dramas are performed at temples during festivals. A large flat canopy and a small stage are erected in the streets outside the temple. The audience is seated under the canopy and the drama is performed on the makeshift stage. The purpose of performing at the temple is to dedicate the recital to the deity of the temple.
The performance starts with the entrance of the ‘Sutradhara’ or the narrator. The ‘Sutradhara’ is not part of the main story line but is the one who guides the audience through the story and beads together the various ‘acts’ of the dance drama. In a Kuchipudi dance drama recital, the ‘Sutradhara’ is referred to as the ‘Bhagavatha’. The ‘Sutradhara’ or ‘Bhagavatha’ starts by performing a small introductory piece, informs the audience that the main play is about to begin and requests them to watch the entire show patiently.
This is followed by an invocation ritual where a group of musicians start off with ‘Agajanana Padmarkham’ in Natta raaga to invoke Lord Ganesha. A dancer in a mask of Lord Ganesha enters at this point and blesses the play by dancing to the accompaniment of the background music. The arrival of Lord Ganesha sets the stage for an auspicious start to the recital.
The invocation of Ganesha is followed by the traditional Kuchipudi prayer ‘Ambaa Paraku, Devi Paraaku’ to invoke the residing deity of Kuchipudi village before the play begins.
The final part of the invocation is the ‘Rangapooja’. A male dancer moves across the stage, sprinkles holy water on the stage and surrounding areas and lights incense. The ‘Indra Dhwaja’ or the flagstaff of Lord Indra is planted on the stage to guard the performance against outside interference. Women sing and dance with lamps in their hands and once again Lord Ganesha is invoked to bless the performance.
The ‘Bhagavatha’ or ‘Sutradhara’ then sings an invocation song praising Saraswati (goddess of Knowledge), Lakshmi (goddess of Wealth) and Parashakthi (goddess of Parent Energy). After the invocation song, the ‘Bhagavatha’ gives a brief introduction of the story being enacted and introduces all the characters of the drama. This brings the introductory sequence of the dance drama to an end and after this elaborate introduction, the actual drama begins.
Bhagavatha Melam is a graceful dance drama accompanied by instrumental music and smooth vocals which add flavor to the overall performance. Dialogues, with stress on pronunciation and suggestive ‘abhinaya’ or expression are the distinctive features of this art form. Violent parts of the story are not enacted; rather they are narrated as incident. The Bhagavatha Melam is rich with dramatic interest which is enhanced by using classical music and dance.
Traditionally these dance dramas are performed at temples during festivals. A large flat canopy and a small stage are erected in the streets outside the temple. The audience is seated under the canopy and the drama is performed on the makeshift stage. The purpose of performing at the temple is to dedicate the recital to the deity of the temple.
The performance starts with the entrance of the ‘Sutradhara’ or the narrator. The ‘Sutradhara’ is not part of the main story line but is the one who guides the audience through the story and beads together the various ‘acts’ of the dance drama. In a Kuchipudi dance drama recital, the ‘Sutradhara’ is referred to as the ‘Bhagavatha’. The ‘Sutradhara’ or ‘Bhagavatha’ starts by performing a small introductory piece, informs the audience that the main play is about to begin and requests them to watch the entire show patiently.
This is followed by an invocation ritual where a group of musicians start off with ‘Agajanana Padmarkham’ in Natta raaga to invoke Lord Ganesha. A dancer in a mask of Lord Ganesha enters at this point and blesses the play by dancing to the accompaniment of the background music. The arrival of Lord Ganesha sets the stage for an auspicious start to the recital.
The invocation of Ganesha is followed by the traditional Kuchipudi prayer ‘Ambaa Paraku, Devi Paraaku’ to invoke the residing deity of Kuchipudi village before the play begins.
The final part of the invocation is the ‘Rangapooja’. A male dancer moves across the stage, sprinkles holy water on the stage and surrounding areas and lights incense. The ‘Indra Dhwaja’ or the flagstaff of Lord Indra is planted on the stage to guard the performance against outside interference. Women sing and dance with lamps in their hands and once again Lord Ganesha is invoked to bless the performance.
The ‘Bhagavatha’ or ‘Sutradhara’ then sings an invocation song praising Saraswati (goddess of Knowledge), Lakshmi (goddess of Wealth) and Parashakthi (goddess of Parent Energy). After the invocation song, the ‘Bhagavatha’ gives a brief introduction of the story being enacted and introduces all the characters of the drama. This brings the introductory sequence of the dance drama to an end and after this elaborate introduction, the actual drama begins.
Bhagavatha Melam is a graceful dance drama accompanied by instrumental music and smooth vocals which add flavor to the overall performance. Dialogues, with stress on pronunciation and suggestive ‘abhinaya’ or expression are the distinctive features of this art form. Violent parts of the story are not enacted; rather they are narrated as incident. The Bhagavatha Melam is rich with dramatic interest which is enhanced by using classical music and dance.
Some of the dance dramas in Kuchipudi are ‘Bhakta Prahalada’, ‘Usha Parinayam’, ‘Sasirekha Parinayam’, ‘Raama Naatakam’, ‘Harishchandra’ etc.
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