Natya Parva 2005
Symposium and Festival of Sanskrit Theatre

The search for the identity of Indian theatre began in the 6th decade of the last century with the exploration of traditional Indian theatre in order to evolve our idiom for contemporary urban theatre. Though many traditional theatre forms survived all over the country, especially in the small towns and villages, and remained a true creative force in our formative traditions, yet they could occupy their rightful place in the contemporary theatre activities in the seventies only. Sangeet Natak Akademi has been working towards preservation and propagation of the creative performance traditions including Kudiyattam.

The Akademi decided to hold a national festival of Sanskrit theatre in Varanasi in order to strengthen the existing traditions as well as contemporary experimentations in Sanskrit theatre. This programme was conceived as an ongoing process for, at least, five years, with the objective of strengthening the existing traditions of Sanskrit theatre and assisting the individuals engaged in this creative activity, and to evolve some systems of training also in the realm of Sanskrit theatre which would help develop a centre for training for theatre as well as a forum for play production. Natya Parva's objective was firstly to present all available representative trends of Sanskrit theatre existing today all over the country and, secondly, to explore the possibilities of evolving a programme of training. In order to attain its goals, the festival was given two dimensions: a symposium on Vacika and performances of Sanskrit plays in original and the plays translated into Indian languages

The symposium on Vacika

The age-old highly accomplished tradition of Kudiyattam in Kerala, Sanskrit plays are being performed in different regions of the country in original and in translations, drawing the strength from the narrative tradition of Bharata's Natyasastra as well as exploiting the different folk theatre-forms. There has always been a great challenge to discover a 'Vacika' suited to performances taking place in different regions of the country. Theoretically, Natyasastra offers a deep insight into the general principles of the Vacika', as it folds the brilliant semiotics in the form of codification of 'Angika' and analyses the principles of 'Sattvika' as well as symbolism of the 'Aharya'.
Besides the 'Vacika' of different traditional folk forms spread all over India, like ‘Ankia Nat', Ramlila, Bhavai and Yakshagana, to name a few, the traditions of Vedic recitation still exists in different parts of India. The concentration has been on some of the Vedic recitative traditions of south as well as north together with a few selected folk traditions of ‘Vacika’ in the Seminar on 'Vacika'.
The Performances

Varanasi is a great centre of Sanskrit and has a very sensitive and large Sanskrit knowing audience. Thus Natya Parva 2005 was organised in collaboration with Jnana Pravaha and Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi from 21-25 December 2005.

Five Sanskrit plays in original and translated versions were selected from the country. The plays were chosen carefully in order to cover almost all the representative trends of the Sanskrit theatre movement today.

Identified scholars and artists were invited to participate.

The festival programme is given below

SANGEET NATAK Akademi, NEW DELHI
in association with Jnana-Pravaha, Varanasi

NATYA PARVA
Symposium and Festival of Sanskrit Theatre
21-25 December 2005, Varanasi

Festival Symposium

Presentation of plays Vacika: Shastra, Prayoga evam Parampara
Swatantrata Bhavan Jnana-Pravaha, South of Samne Ghat
Banaras Hindu University 10.30 a.m daily
6.30 p.m daily

Programme

Wednesday 21 December
Jnana-Pravaha

Inaugural Session
11 a.m Inauguration (1 hr)
Mangalacharan and lighting of lamp

Address by Shri Kavalam Narayana Panikkar,
Vice-Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi
Vote of thanks: Smt Vimala Poddar,
Chairman, Jnana-Pravaha, Varanasi

Session I Keynote address by Shri Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi (1 hr)
‘Vacika in Natyasastric Tradition'

Vacika in Vedic Traditions
Vedic Recitative Tradition of Kerala (1.00 hr)
Lecture: Shri K. P. C. Anujan Bhattathiripad, Thrissur
Demonstration: Shri Jatha Vedan Nambootiri (Rgvedam)

Lunch Break (2.00 p.m)

Session II
3.30 p.m Vedic Recitative Tradition of Kerala (continued) (1.00 hr)
Shri Vaidikan Krishnan Nambootiri (Yajurvedam)
Shri N Vasudevan Nambootiri (Samavedam)

Vedic Recitative Tradition of Varanasi (1.00 hrs)
Lecture and demonstration: Shri Yugal Kishore Mishra, Varanasi

Performance
6.30 p.m VIKRAMOVARSIYAM in Sanskrit
Swatantrata Directed by Shri Krishnakanta Sharma
Bhavan Auditorium Presented by Jnana-Pravaha, Varanasi

Thursday 22 December
Jnana-Pravaha


Session III Vacika in Rituals of Poorvaranga (1 hr)
10.30 a.m (Preliminaries to Sanskrit Drama Performance)
Rediscovery made by the late Dr Prem Lata Sharma
Shri Krishnakanta Sharma, Varanasi

Session IV Vacika Theory and Practice in Kuttiyattam (0.45 hr)
Lecture and demonstration: Shri K. P. C. Anujan Bhattathiripad
(Demonstration with recorded cassettes)

Lecture: Shri Kavalam Narayana Panikkar (1.00 hr)
Demonstration: Shri Margi Narayana Chakyar

Lunch Break (1.30 p.m)

Session V Dhruva in Sanskrit Theatre: Theory & Practice (1 hr)
3.30 p.m Lecture: Shri Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi, Ujjain
Demonstration of Vikramovarsiyam by Kalidas Akademi, Ujjain
Directed by Shri Rajendra Awasthi, Shri Om Prakash Sharma


Discussion on play presented the previous evening
(Vikramovarsiyam)

Performance
6.30 p.m DOOT GHATOTKACHHAM in Hindi
Swatantrata Bhavan Directed by Shri Bhumikeshwar Singh
Auditorium Presented by Pratibha Sanskritik Sansthan, Delhi

Friday 23 December
Jnana-Pravaha

Session VI Vacika Theory and Practice in Ankia Nat of Assam (1.30 hr)
10.30 a.m Lecture and demonstration: Shri Jatin Goswami and group, Guwahati

Vacika Theory and Practice in Ramlila of Ram Nagar (1.30 hrs)

Lecture and demonstration: Smt Anuradha Kapoor, Delhi; Shri Bhanu Shankar Mehta, Varanasi

Lunch Break (1.30 p.m)

Session VII Vacika Abhinaya in Sanskrit Theatre in the context of Asian Theatre Traditions (1 hr)
3.30 p.m Smt Nadira Zaheer Babbar, Mumbai

Discussion on play presented the previous evening
(Doot Ghatotkachham)

Performance
6.30 p.m BHAGVATJJUKIYAM in Hindi
Swatantrata Bhavan Directed by Shri Surya Mohan Kulshrestha,
Auditorium Presented by Nipa Rang Mandali, Lucknow

Saturday 24 December
Jnana-Pravaha

Session VIII Vacika Theory and Practice in Raas of Mathura (1.30 hr)
10.30 a.m Lecture and demonstration: Swami Hargovind Sharma, Mathura

Vacika Abhinaya: A Holistic approach in Sanskrit Theatre
(1.30 hr)
Lecture: Shri Kavalam Narayana Panikkar
Demonstration: Sopanam, Thiruvananthapuram

Lunch Break (1.30 p.m)

Session IX Vacika in Music, Nada and Swara in Sanskrit Theatre (1.30 hr)
3.30 p.m Lecture: Shri Bhaskar Chandavarkar, Pune

Discussion on play presented the previous evening -
(Bhagvatjjukiyam)

Performance
6.30 p.m RITUSAMHARAM in Manipuri
Swatantrata Bhavan Directed by Ratan Thiyam
Auditorium Presented by Chorus Repertory Theatre, Imphal

Saturday 25 December
Jnana-Pravaha

10.30 a.m Discussion on play presented the previous evening - (Ritusamharam)

Concluding session
Lunch Break

Performance
6.30 p.m VIKRAMOVARSIYAM in Sanskrit
Swatantrata Bhavan Directed by Shri Kavalam Narayana Panikkar
Auditorium Presented by Sopanam, Thiruvananthapuram

Note: Transport will be available at B.H.U Gate to take participants and audience
to Swatantrata Bhavan and to drop them back at the Gate.