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Revisiting traditional tales

The Harikatha and Burrakatha fest brought alive the tradition.



LISTEN UP One of the Burrakatha troupes performing at the show.

Harikatha and Burrakatha are considered to be the most dominant art forms in the folk literature and are still in vogue.

Kinnera Art Theatres is holding a month-long festival at Thyagaraya Gana Sabha to promote these two art forms. This also marks the theatres’ three decade existence. This ‘Harikatha and Burrakatha Mahotsav’ is being conducted at Thyagaraya Gana Sabha in collaboration with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam and State Department of Culture. Seasoned artistes from across the State were invited to participate Among the programmes that were presented in the festival was Sri Kanakadurga Burrakatha Brindam’s Naladamayantula Kalyanam, followed by Harikatha by B. Jayalakshmi Bhagavatarini on Prameelarjuneeyam. Bapuji Brindam narrated Abhimanyu’s heroics in breaking his path through Padmavyuham, in Burrakatha format on another day. Then Kamala Bhagavatarini came out with a Harikatha on popular subject of Rukmini Kalyanam. A Burrakatha on the first freedom fighter of Andhra Pradesh Alluri Sitararama Raju was presented by Miriyala Sekhar and party. This was followed by Harikatha by N.Venkataramana Sarma on the biographical story of Thyagaraja. Kanakarao and Party presented in Burrakatha format the popular theme ’Bobbili Yuddham’. The humour element was well managed by T.V.S.Raju and Rowthu Venkateswara Rao as Vantalu was hilarious. Then there was a Harikatha show by Mandpaka Balasundaram Bhagavatar on the subject of ’Nartana Sala’ which was part of ’Virata Parvam’ of Mahabharata. G. Subbarayudu of Kurnool district presented ’Samanthakopakhyanam’ narrating how Lord Krishna gets back the diamond of Satrajit and marries his daughter Satyabhama. Krishnamurthy and Subbaiah Sarma were his ’Vantalu’. P. Raviprasad Raju Bhagavatar of Kalluru, narrated the story of Bhookailas in his Harikatha.