Melattur is a dot on the map. A village tucked 18 km away from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, it is remote and quiet, except during the Narasimha Jayanthi Festival when it is decked up colourfully. During this time in May, the theatre tradition, Bhagavata Mela, believed to be over five centuries old, comes alive.
Mahalingam R, a retired village administrative officer, has led the Melattur Bhagavata Mela Natya Vidya Sangam for the past four decades. “In a Bhagavata Mela, Bhagavatars sing, dance and enact mythological stories of devotion, which are often culled from the Shaivite and Vaishnavite religious movements,” says the 62-year-old. “Performed by male Brahmin priests, Melattur Bhagavata Mela was also performed in Oothukkadu, Thepperumanallur, Nallur, Saliamangalam, Mannargudi and Soolamangalam in the state. However, many of today’s artists have migrated in search of work.”
History refers to Bharatham Natesa Iyer (1855-1931) as the father of the Bhagavata Mela. After his death, the art form was taken forward by Telugu Brahmins of Melattur under the leadership of T K Subramania Iyer and the guidance of Nallur Narayanaswami Iyer and others. In 1941, Telugu Brahmins stopped performing, for reasons unknown. The following year, Kunnam Srinivasa Iyer Mirasdar advised and encouraged the Smartha Brahmins to take up the charge of the performance of Prahlada Charitram and to stage it outside the Varadaraja Temple.
In 1964, industrialist V D Swamy—who is from Melattur—formed a banner organisation for the festival. Within a year of its formation, the Melattur Bhagavata Mela Natya Vidya Sangam fell apart due to a dispute among its members, who formed splinter groups.
“Every dance drama begins with a Melaprapthi, which acts as an overture to the drama. This is followed by the Konangi Patra Pravesham, which refers to the appearance of the first character of the drama. Then follows the Thodaya Mangalam, Sabdam, Ganapathy Pravesam, and finally the Kattiakran or the character that announces the arrival of the king. The play begins after this,” explains Arvind Subramanian, a dentist who is a member of the Sangam and participates in the plays.
Bhagavata Mela Natakams are known for their musical richness. Murali Rangarajan, a singer in the troupe, is an IIT alumnus and did his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Florida. He is an associate professor at Amritha University, Coimbatore. “Many rare ragas are employed in a unique fashion in these dramas, such as Ananda Bhairavi, Devagandhari, Ghanta and Manji,” he says.
Other members include Mahalingam’s nephew Nagarajan S, a chief manager of Canara Bank, and Mahalingam’s son Swaminathan M, a HDFC Bank manager, both in Chennai. Nagarajan plays female roles. “Bhagavata Mela Natakams are spontaneous. We do not rehearse like professional troupes. Our entire act is one of dedication and service to our Lord. He makes us do what we do,” says Nagarajan.