Bharata Lila is an Indian
performing
A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function.
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theater form of
Ganjam district of
Odisha. The plot is based on
characters of the
Mahabharata, thus the name of the form. Because of the importance of a central character ''Duari,'' Arjuna's sentry, it is also called ''Duari Nata'' or ''Duari Llla''.
The focal point of the plot is the story of Arjuna & Subhadra's romance, which is why it is also known as ''Subhadra Harana''.
Apart from Ganjam, it is also performed in some parts in western Odisha. The play is known for its effective use of humour within the traditional storyline.
A regular performance of Bharata Lila in the 21st century goes on for about 10–12 hours. In the last century performances used to last for a couple of days at a stretch. The ''badi'' is a performance method in Odisha's traditional artforms where opponents compete with each other. In urban settings, Bharata Lila performances are regularly condensed to just 2–3 hours owing to lack of time.
The plot is based on
Odia
Odia, also spelled Oriya or Odiya, may refer to:
* Odia people in Odisha, India
* Odia language, an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family
* Odia alphabet, a writing system used for the Odia languag ...
poetry written by the poet Dinabandhu Dasa, mostly in the ''chhanda'' form of
Odissi music. While Dinabandhu's version of the play was written only in the 19th century, older forms of the play used to be in vogue even before him. The subject matter has been dealt with extensively in
Sarala Dasa's 15th-century Odia ''Mahabharata'' as well as Upendra Bhanja's ornate epic-poem ''Subhadra Parinaya''. Dinabandhu's narrative greatly derives from these retellings of the Mahabharata episode. Medieval Odia literature, including the Odissi songs of poets
Dinakrusna Dasa,
Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja,
''Kabisurjya'' Baladeba Ratha,
Gopalakrusna Pattanayaka
Gopalakrusna Pattanayaka (1784–1862) (Alternatively spelled Gopalakrishna, Pattnaik; ) was an Odia poet & composer of Odissi music. His Odissi songs in various traditional ragas and talas are widely sung across the state, as well as other allie ...
are also employed in relevant situations. Classical
Odissi music is freely interspersed with folk music. The characters of Bharata Lila are
Arjuna
Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...
,
Subhadra
Subhadra ( sa, सुभद्रा, Subhadrā) is a Hindu goddess mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''. She is described as the favourite child of Vasudeva and the younger sister of de ...
,
Satyabhama from
Mahabharata, and a central character "''duari''" which is absent in the epic.
The ensemble of Bharata Lila comprises a
mardala, gini, jodinagara, ghuduki and harmonium.
Citations
External links
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{{Odia culture
Arts of Odisha
Odia culture