Ritual theatre, put simply, is the performance of a myth or archetypal tale with the goal of promoting healing—typically to solve a problem, cope with a challenging experience, replenish depleted energies, or smooth over a transition.
| Theatre | Features |
| Ankia Nat (Bhaona) (Assam) | It is a classic one-act play. It portrays events from Lord Krishna’s life and is done in operatic style. It was created in the 15th–16th centuries AD by the revered Vaishnava Saint Sankardev and his student Madhavdev |
| Ramlila (Uttar Pradesh) | It is a portrayal of the Ramayana with music, dances and speech, usually performed just before Dussehra. It is typically performed by male actors, who also play Sita. |
| Raslila (Gujarat) | This traditional Indian dance performance celebrates the everlasting union of Lord Krishna and Radha. |
| Bhuta Aradhana (Karnataka) | Bhoota aradhana or spirit worship is a religio-cultural ritual practised on the west coast of Karnataka. The ritual is prevalent mainly among the Tulu speaking people of this state. The bhootas are considered to be benevolent Gods or guardian spirits by the people. The bhootas can also be manifestations of animals like the five-faced Nandigona, the bull spirit or the mother goddess-like Ullalthi. Kol is the main form of Bhuta Aradhana Worship is a ritual theatre. |
| Ramman (Uttarakhand) | The Ramman celebration is mostly observed during the Baisakh festival in April. Ramman is known for its celebration of local deity worship and obscene offerings to “Bhumiyal Devta.” Inscribed in the UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. |
Theatre of Entertainment
The purpose of this type of folk dance was to amuse the general public. It features secular issues including romance, love, bravery, and cultural and social customs.
| Theatre | Features |
| Oja-Pali (Assam) | It is an Assamese tale theatre and is linked to the snake goddess Manasa. A chorus of singers and dancers perform Ojapali, in which they dance, play tiny cymbals (Khutitals), and recite tales from Hindu epics and Puranas. |
| Jatra (West Bengal) | Introduced by Sri Chaitanya when he himself played the role of Rukmini. Jatra is a type of folk play that combines singing, dancing, and acting. Jatra is thought to have originated from ritual events done before to embarking on a journey. It evolved from processions held in worship of various gods and goddesses. |
| Villu Pattu (Deccan Region) | Vilpattu, a.k.a Villu Paatu, Bow Song, is a traditional type of musical story-telling in which music and narrative are intermingled. Villu means bow and Pattu means song in Malayalam. The Nadar and Ezhava castes of the former Travancore Kingdom are big fans of this art style. |
| Garodas (Gujarat) | The ‘Garoda’ Brahmin group in Gujarat is known for this well-known art style. This type of theatre tells the tale through painted images. To make the paintings more vibrant, they were divided into sections using black, bold lines and various watercolour hues. |
| Bhavai (Gujarat and Rajasthan) | Gujarat’s Bhavai is a well-known kind of folk theatre with a 700-year history. The term “Bhavai” refers to a type of art that carries feelings since it combines the terms “bhav,” which means “emotion,” and “vahini,” “carrier.” |
| Kariyila (Himachal Pradesh ) | Kariyila is one of the most appealing and popular folk drama forms of Himachal Pradesh, portraying social satire with the accompaniment of folk dance and music. The Kariyala performance is actually a fun collection of short plays, farces, skits, revues, and burlesques rather than the staging of a single play in the order of introduction, plot, and conclusion. |
| Bhand Pather (Kashmir) | Bhand Pather is a sarcastic and realistic drama that mixes mythical stories and present social criticism; a typical blend of art forms. The term bhand means “jester,” and the word pather means “drama.” It is based on the events of daily life and it has an element of satire. |
| Dashavatar (Konkan and Goa) | Dashavatar is the most established theatre form in Konkan and Goa. A classic religious drama based on the Hindu mythology notion of Lord Vishnu’s 10 rebirths. |
| Tamasha (Maharashtra) | Tamasha is a type of traditional Marathi folk art which encompasses both singing and dance. It is a mobile theatre that travels around Maharashtra. Tamasha is a Persian term that means “to have fun or to play.” Tamasha implies ‘a blend of specialised acts such as dance, music, varied enactments or roles by women or girls, involvement of women, and singing lavanis’ in Marathi. |
| Powada (Maharashtra) | The Powadas are a type of Marathi song composed in an exciting style that tells inspiring stories about historical events. This comprises descriptions of renowned kings heroic actions. The first famous Powada, “Afzal Khanacha Vadh” (The Killing of Afzal Khan), was written in 1659 by Agnidas and described Shivaji’s conflict with Afzal Khan. The following famous Powada was “Tanaji Malusare” by Tulsidas, which described how Maratha military leader Tanaji Malusare took control of the Sinhagad Fort. |
| Swang (Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana) | Swang is a traditional dance theatre that includes the appropriate amount of impersonation, song, and speech, as well as theatrics. Instead of being movement-oriented, it is dialogue-oriented. The theme relies on a variety of sources, including morality tales, folklore, the lives of role models, tales from Indian mythology and more modern subjects like health and cleanliness, literacy, etc. The two main types of Swang come from Hathras (Lang - Brajbhasha) and Rohtak (Lang - Bangru). |
| Nautanki (Uttar Pradesh) | Nautanki is primarily a form of entertainment, with stories and themes drawn primarily from secular sources. These include well-known North Indian legends and stories, Arabic and Persian romances, folk epics from Rajasthan, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, tales of saints, kings, heroes, and modern events, as well as themes of social inequality and gender violence. |
South Indian Theatre
In contrast to north Indian theatre, which emphasises music, south Indian theatre places a greater emphasis on dance as a result of the demise of sanskrit classical theatre in North India.
| Theatre | Features |
| Burra Katha (Andhra Pradesh) | The percussion instrument “burra” is employed throughout the story and gives the play the name “Burra Katha.” Burra Katha was initially created to spread modern themes that would raise social consciousness, but over time it started to be used for political ends. Three narrators make up the Burra Katha team. ‘Bobbilli Katha’ and ‘Palnati Yuddham’ are two classical tales spoken by the Burra Katha team. |
| Bayalata (Karnataka) | Karnataka residents, particularly those who reside in the south, practise bayalata. The dance is also seen as a religious ritual performed in deference to the gods. The region’s harvest season comes to a conclusion with the Bayalta dance performance. |
| Tal Maddale (Karnataka) | The performers evaluate their oratory abilities based on the selected episode while seated across from one another in the “talamaddale,” which is devoid of costumes. There are no dances or costumes; simply spoken words are present. It is therefore Yakshagana without the dance, costumes, and stage traditions. |
| Yakshagana (Karnataka) | Yakshagana is a form of Karnataka traditional theatre. It is a type of temple artwork that illustrates myths and Puranas. Massive headgear, intricate facial makeup, and vivid costumes and accessories are used throughout performance. It is mostly performed in Kannada, however it is also done in Malayalam and Tulu (a south Karnataka dialect). Cymbals such the chenda, maddalam, jagatta, or chengila as well as smaller cymbals like the chakratala or elathalam are used to execute it. |
| Koodiyattam/Kutiyattam (Kerala) | One of Kerala’s most ancient kinds of traditional theatre is kutiyattam. It is based on the customs of Sanskrit theatre. In Malayalam, the words “kuti” and “attam” both basically imply “combined” or “together,” hence the phrase “kutiyattam” translates to “combined acting.” Hasta abhinaya (the language of gestures) and netra abhinaya (eye expression) are significant in this stylised and codified dramatic language. They emphasise the main character’s feelings and ideas. In Hindu temples, there are theatres called Kuttampalams where it is customarily played. Male actors known as Chakyars and female actresses known as Nangiars perform Kutiyattam, with the help of drummers known as Nambiars. A component of Kutiyattam called Pakarnattam is taking on and emoting the roles of both men and women. The solo portion of a woman’s Kutiyattam performance is called Nangiar Koothu. UNESCO has designated Kutiyattam as one of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. |
| Krishna Attam (Kerala) | The narrative of Krishna is told in a series of eight plays and was written by Manaveda (1585-1658 AD), the then Zamorin Raja of Calicut in northern Kerala. The performance is a dance-drama. Avataram, Kaliyamardanam, Rasakrida, Kamsavadham, Swayamvaram, Banayuddham, Vividavadham, and Swargarohanam are the eight dramas. |
| Mudiyettu (Kerala) | The mythical narrative of a conflict between the goddess Kali and the demon Darika serves as the basis for the Keralan ceremonial dance drama known as Mudiyettu. On a designated day, the villagers travel to the temple early in the morning after harvesting the summer crops. Performers of the Mudiyettu ritual purify themselves through fasting and prayer before invoking the goddess’ spirit by using coloured powders to create the enormous picture of Kali, known as the kalam, on the temple floor. Every year, the goddess temples known as “Bhagavati Kavus” in various Keralan villages host the festival known as Mudiyettu. The players don elaborate make-up, spectacular clothing, traditional facial painting, tall headgear, and other props to give the performance a supernatural sense. It is inscribed in 2010 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Theyyam (Kerala) | In Kerala and Karnataka, India, theyyam is a popular ritualised dance style of devotion. It was made up of a thousand-year-old set of traditions, rites, and practises. Each Theyyam is a man or woman who achieved celestial rank by engaging in valiant actions or living a moral life. The majority of Theyyams are said to represent Shiva or Shakti (Shiva’s spouse) in human form. Or they are closely related to these Hinduism’s main deities. More than 400 theyyams exist. |
| Kuravanji (Tamil Nadu) | A lady born into a “kuravar” (gipsy) family is referred to as a “Kuravanji”. The Kurati lady has a significant part in Kuravanji dramas. Human love for God and other people is Kuravanji’s central concept. In some stories, the Kuruvanji, appears as a fortune-teller or soothsayer who predicts whether the heroine will succeed in winning her love. |
| Therukoothu (Tamil Nadu) | It literally translates to “street play” and is the most well-known type of Tamil Nadu folk theatre. To ensure a bountiful crop, it is typically carried out at Mariamman’s (the rain goddess) yearly temple ceremonies. A cycle of eight plays based on Draupadi’s life makes up the bulk of Therukoothu’s wide repertory. Therukoothu performance’s Sutradhara, Kattiakaran, provides the audience a summary of the play, while Komali amuses them with his antics. In Therukoothu, clothes and makeup are regarded as being of utmost significance. They perform while sporting intimidating moustaches, plenty of makeup, vibrant outfits, and a few males costumed as women from mythology. |
