Information on Various Forms of Indian Theater Arts

India is a mother country, which has given birth to various kinds of Theater Arts like Yakshagana, puppetry and dance. Yakshagana is a different type of play where it depicts religious stories along with the help of dialogue delivery, music, song and dance. A puppeteer used painted figures made out of deer or goatskin, generally, which are moved by the threads and chain bonded to them. Dances have players conveying a situation with facial gesture in synchronize with a singer telling the story along with music applying musical instruments such as veena and tabla. Since facial expressions play a critical function, eyes are being highlighted, because they're the fundamental in this case of theater art.

Yakshagana” is a Sanskritic language word for Celebration of the celestials. The theater art includes drama, song and dance. It fundamentally originated as a folk art. The actors generally lead a nomadic life, traveling from one village to some other with their luggage. They used to stay in temples at nighttime and adjusting their stage for the next day. Villagers gather the next day to watch this group of 15-20 male actors acting. Epics of Hindu mythology are enacted applying make-up and colorful dresses up. As no females are a part of this pack, the male dress up wearing female attire, too enacts womanly characters. The performing artists are required to execute throughout the day and some times throughout the nighttime also, for which they should need loads of staying power for the preceding of the play through the night. The mythological figures are known as “Kimpurushas”, lead actor called “Kattu-veshas” and the so-called villains are known as “Kiratas”. The audiences aren’t expected to pay anything for this entertainment; the actors are offered money with the temple funds for a living.T

he people to puppetry were introduced by the yakshagana artists. Colored figures created by leather were made to act with sticks and strings. The stage was made with a white translucent cloth on which the dancing images of the puppets were projected with the help of lighted kerosene lamps. Tales from the sacred Hindu scriptures, Ramayan and Mahabharatam are demonstrated to the audience. The puppeteer generally gives the voice; his wife and children to put up voice for additional characters of the puppet. Background music is jumbled with the story of Indian musical instruments such as harmonium or a Mukha-veena. Puppeteers are also called to execute on particular occasions like birth, wedding and death. The storyline of their play depends upon the occasion, like on birthdays they enact “Krishna Leela” or the antics of Krishna, on weddings they perform “Girija Kalyana” or the wedding of Girija and on funerals they execute “Swargarohana” or ascent to paradise.

These performances not only have an entertainment value but also have ritualistic significance. A few actors take a vow of acting these plays to get a return privilege from their deities like good crop, abundant rain, or end to their miseries.

There are varieties of dances in India alone. Every state of this country has its own specific fashion in expression, gestures, makeup style and dress up. In fact, they've a god named Nataraja, who's considered to be one of the forms of Lord Shiva, as the superior creator of Indian dancing. The notable dancing forms of Indian peninsula are Odissi, Bharatnatiyam, Katthakali, Kuchipudi, and Mohini Attam that are executed in different parts of the country.