
Vishaka Hari introduced the concept of Harikatha,
which essentially is a one-person theatre art form, where the performer assumes
the nature of the katha patram (character) and becomes one with his or
her art. The topic for a Harikatha
is chosen according to the occasion, the story can be developed on any plane, and
the themes are endless, she said. Providing more insights she said that a
learner of this art has to focus on the right mix of singing, narration,
philosophy and humour while building a story. All assertions made during the katha are based on dharma.
Vishaka Hari took the
participants through the various styles of Harikatha across the country. Just
like any other art form, what is practiced in the northeast to Tanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar’s style, Harikatha is like a potpourri of
cultures infused with knowledge and aesthetics. Following this, youngsters
explored the eightfold structure of a Harikatha,
such as panchapati, prathamapada, poorvapeetika, tillana,
tani avartana, katha nirupanam and mangalam. To present
these features, Vishaka Hari stressed that the performer must be well qualified
and have knowledge of at least five languages, and a strong hold over the itihasas,
puranas and other relevant texts. She pointed out that a good memory,
creativity, eloquence, knowledge in music and other fine arts, and above all dedication
to ones guru, are some of the
prerequisites for a Harikatha artist.
The workshop was more
an interactive session rather than a regular instructive workshop. That the
participants were encouraged to discuss and exchange ideas, made it even more
interesting. As a resource, Vishaka Hari
was easily approachable and made even the complex subjects, simple to
understand. Her subtle sense of humour combined
with her ‘bottom-up’ approach for visualising a story, was refreshing.
The following sessions
included a practical exercise. The participants were asked to perform Harikatha
on various topics. “We learnt how to present a Harikatha on Krishna Leela, with the aid of Sanskrit
verses/slokas from the Govinda
Kathamritam. It was interesting to
see how each set of verses conveyed a different story or leela of Lord Krishna. From the tales
of Gokula to Brindavana leela, every stanza came
to life through Visakha Hari’s explanation.”
She also pointed out how the voice has to be modulated, be aligned with sruti even while speaking, at times, and how the performer has to be eloquent yet calm at the same time. The tone of the voice during narration would be changed according to the bhava of the katha under exposition.
She also pointed out how the voice has to be modulated, be aligned with sruti even while speaking, at times, and how the performer has to be eloquent yet calm at the same time. The tone of the voice during narration would be changed according to the bhava of the katha under exposition.
She also kindled the
interest of the students to explore this art form through different approaches—like
Nritya katha, where one could
showcase her talent to dance while performing Harikatha.; or Chitra katha, where one could combine
painting and Harikatha.
During the second
session, students were given handouts on slokas from Sri Sri Anna’s work Govinda Kathamritam, which describes the
divine pastimes of Lord Krishna, in
different metrical forms. Students were taught to sing the slokas, the word-for-word
meanings and story were narrated in detail, and suitable songs of different
composers were sung for each episode.
The evening was
reserved for performances by the students, based on what they had assimilated in
the morning. On day one, Prahlada Charitram
was presented by Varun, followed by Janani’s part one of Seeta Kalyanam. Snigdha Desiraju expounded on Bhavas in Tyagaraja Kritis, and Aradhana Anand performed Govardhana Leelai through Vishnu Shatpadi. On the second evening, Janani performed the
second part of Seeta Kalyanam, which
was followed by Srinidhi’s Prahlada Charitram, and Vignesh
performing Ayyaval Charitram. The
display of Harikatha by
children, as small as 7-8 years, was a treat to watch; their coherence of thought
and command over speech were beyond words. The audience thronged on both days
to support the artists and the children. This two-day event was indeed a great
initiative and an enriching experience for all the students who participated.
With
inputs from
N.
Bhairavi, S. Srinidhi, Snigdha Desiraju and Vignesh Chandrasekharan
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