Recently, the legendary Pandavani folk singer Teejan Bai who took Chhattisgarh's traditional storytelling art to audiences across the world passed away.
About Pandavani:
Pandavani is one of India's most distinctive oral storytelling traditions, originating in Chhattisgarh.
The name literally means "the story of the Pandavas" and refers to a musical narration of episodes from the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata.
Features:
Unlike classical theatre, Pandavani relies primarily on a single lead performer, who narrates the story while singing verses and acting out different characters.
The performance is accompanied by musicians playing traditional instruments such as the harmonium, tabla, manjira, and dholak.
The storyteller often carries a tambura or ektara, using it not just as a musical instrument but also as a prop that transforms into a weapon, chariot, mace, or bow depending on the scene being enacted.
There are two styles of narration in Pandavani:
Vedamati: In the Vedamati style, the lead artist narrates the story in a simple manner, sitting on thefloor throughout the performance.
Kapalik: In this narrator enacts the incidents and characters. Performers move around the stage, adopt different voices, enact battle scenes, and use dramatic gestures to bring the Mahabharata's characters to life.
Famous artists of Pandavani: Teejan Bai and Ritu Verma are renowned singers of Pandvani.
Dear Student,
You have still not entered your mailing address. Please enter the address where all the study materials will be sent to you. (If applicable).
