If you belong to Gen Z, and you glanced at the title, don’t dismiss this!
Undoubtedly you rule the roost when it comes to telling stories within a minute; but these stories being referred to are not like the ones on Instagram. In this edition, Arty Affairs is exploring stories passed on as oral traditions that have stood the test of time. What is the relevance of oral traditions? How have these traditions survived? What lasting impression can they create?
To answer the questions, let us observe a phenomenon — world over the indigenous tribes in various geographies have had their own oral traditions wherein stories have played a key role for passing on knowledge. In fact, UNESCO has committed itself in a big way to support transdisciplinary approaches for recognising and safe-guarding indigenous knowledge traditions and communities. The wisdom of the oral traditions are valued in academic circles and are presented as indigenous worldviews. Their knowledge is studied to find solutions to contemporary global problems in the field of mental health, and also for teaching social-emotional learning and culturally responsible behaviours.
India, being a civilisational nation, every region here has a long continuity of its own oral traditions. Among them, the art of storytelling has played a significant role in preserving the cultural history and collected consciousness of the entire subcontinent across eras. Interestingly, the craft of story-telling in India takes many regional forms but are classified as the ‘katha’ traditions.
Although kathas are usually presented and performed, they cannot be isolated from our daily living too. They are woven as the weft and warp into the socio-cultural aspects of an entire region so much so that, even celebrations of many annual festivals in various geographies are integrated with epics and mythologies. In Tamil Nadu, the kathas are presented as Harikatha, Kalakshepam, Upanyasam and even as Villupaattu.
Vishaka Hari, the most sought-after Harikatha exponent explains how an audience can take back the historical, social and sacred aspects of a region using one temple in Tamil Nadu as an example. In her words, “Every temple in India traces its historical origin and geographical context to a puranic story. Srirangam (Thiruvarangam in Tamizh) temple’s sthala puranam (regional legend) can be traced to both the Skanda puranam as well as the Agni puranam.”
She also explains how the historical significance of the main deity at Srirangam, Sri Ranganathar (Vishnu in reclining position) was worshipped by Sri Rama at Ayodhya, but gifted to the Lanka king, Vibhishana. The legend of how the idol chose the current destination as its resting place must be fresh in the mind of the readers, thanks to PM Modi’s visit to Srirangam before the prana pratishtha of the Ram Lalla.
After establishing the puranic connection and historical significance of the temple, the Harikatha performers then move on to the poetic expressions of Bhakti saints and poets to build on their repertoire. Vishaka continues, “Indian vernacular literature being so vast, we are spoilt with choices when it comes to poetries and regional literary references. This segment is usually very intense as the emotional outpourings of the Bhakti saints and poets will touch and move the audience. To transition them from their elevated, ecstatic state, we usually use the iconographical and artistic aspects of the temple. This also helps to bring out the temple’s aesthetic value.”
From her account, it is evident that being a Harikatha exponent requires a great deal of rigour including the ability to read and interpret a classical wisdom text. It is their rigour while engaging with the texts that has sustained and safe-gaurded the civilisational continuity. Training also requires a language proficiency in at least five different languages (Sanskrit, Tamizh, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi or Hindi). Apart from these, the exponents are expected to undergo training in an appropriate musical discipline. Beyond doubt, their dedication for the tradition and adherence to the rigour that has preserved the history, still keeping regional cultures connected together.
To appreciate their rich intellectual skill and content, what would it take?!
If culture is a tree, then oral traditions are like the fruits. To be able to relish the taste of the fruit, one first requires some amount of enthusiasm, open-mindedness and willingness to sit through the length of a concert presentation. To fully immerse into the devotional sentiments of the saints and poets, or absorb the hidden symbols behind the idol worshipped as a form, one will need more than enthusiasm. The rasikas have to elevate themselves to become a connoisseur.
Connoisseurs are those who are culturally sensitive; their willingness to experience nativity and traditions will push them to cross perceived boundaries. As connoisseurs, seeing happens! When seeing happens, the form reclining on the snake and the snake intertwining together as form will reveal to a highly perceptive and receptive intellectual mind as one or the same. For this reason, Stella Kramrisch, the renowned American art historian, has commented that India thinks visually.