Harikatha

Harikatha (lit. "stories of the Lord"), otherwise called "Katha Kalakshepa" is a form of Hindu religious discourse in which the story teller explores a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from one of India’s epics.

Harikatha is a composite art form comprising of story telling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Any Hindu religious theme may be the subject for the "Harikatha". During its peak "Harikatha" was a popular medium of entertainment, which helped transmit cultural, educational and religious values to the masses.

History

South India has a long tradition of religious discourse. Religious scholars such as "oduvars" who were knowledgeable in religious scriptures used to render discourses in Temples and monasteries. "Villu Paatu", in which folk stories were told accompanied by a stringed instrument resembling a bow was also popular in Tamil Nadu. A form of "Kalakshepa", in which the story teller, usually proficient in Carnatic music, interspaced the main story with music, dance and sub-stories, was also prevalent. This artform was modified and refined during the Maratha rule. Marathas were great supporters of art and culture. Carnatic music flourished and grew during their reign. During the 17th and the 18th century CE, the Marathi "Harikatha" was introduced in Thanjavur. The "Harikatha" of Maharashtra was a specific form of spiritual teaching coupled with music, dance and theatrics. The growth of Harikatha was further helped by the Hindu saint Samartha Ramdas Swami established his "Matha" in 1663 at Thanjavur. His disciples such as Bhimaraja Swami conducted "keertans" and "bhajans" in the matha. During the late 17th century, many other Maratha saints established their mathas in Thanjavur, which helped popularise the Harikatha style. One of the early pioneers of Harikatha in Tamil Nadu was Thanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar (1847 – 1903), who wanted to improve the "Kalakhepa" style.

The Marathi "Keertan", or "Harikatha" was of two types: "Varkari" and "Narada". The "Varkari" style consists of singing various compositions of Marathi saints. These songs were accompanied by explanations of the songs. There was no story telling in this style. The "Narada" style, which became popular in the Thanjavur court, gave importance to stories from the epics. Thanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar adapted the Marathi metrical compositions used in the stories to highlight the mood and the characters. Krishna Bhagavatar also realised the importance of dramatic enactment of various aspects of the story.

tyle

"Harikatha" involves the narration of a story, intermingled with various songs relating to the story. Usually the narration involves numerous sub-plots and anecdotes, which are used to emphasise various aspects of the main story. The main story teller is usually assisted by one or more co-singers, who elaborate the songs and a Mridangam accompanist. The storyteller uses a pair of cymbals to keep beat.

Famous exponents

Following Krishna Bhagavatar, other great exponents of this art form such as Pandit Lakshmanachar, Tirupazhanam Panchapakesa Bhagavatar, Mangudi Chidambara Bhagavatar, Muthiah Bhagavatar, Tiruvaiyyar Annasami Bhagavatar, Embar Srirangachariyar, Konnoor Sitarama Shastry, Sulamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Sulamangalam Soundararaja Bhagavatar,Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu, Embar Vijayaraghavachariar, Saraswati Bai and Padmasini Bai popularied the "Harikatha" tradition.

Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri started out as a Harikatha exponent and then changed to Pravachan style. Recent practitioners of Harikatha include, Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar,Kota Sachchidananda Sastri, Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar, Banni Bai, Mysore Sreekantha Shastry, Kamala Murthy, Kalyanapuram Aravamudam, Vishaka Hari and T S Balakrishna Sastry.

ee also

* Carnatic music
* Kirtan
* Burra katha
* Pravachan
* Katha_-_The_Art_Of_Story_Telling_In_India

References

* [http://www.carnatica.net/harikatha-main.htm Article on Harikatha]

* Harikatha : Samartha Ramdas' Contribution to the Art of Spiritual Story-Telling by Meera Grimes. Indica Books, D40/18, Godowlia, VARANASI-221 001 U.P.