Prahlada Charitam comes back to Thanjai

TIRUCHY: Traditional dance-drama, Hiranya Natakam or commonly known as Iraniyan Drama and Prahlada Charitam, was performed in Thanjavur’s Saliyamangalam on Friday. The performance was held as part of the 378th year Sri Narashimma Jayanthi festival by the Sri Lakshmi Narashimma Bhagavata Mela Baktha Samajam.

The art form portrays the avatar of Narasimha which slays the demon king Hiranya Kasibu. The drama used to be performed in a cluster of villages near Thanjavur including Archuttipattu, Mela Tirupuvanam, Vadakkumnathan, Narthevankudikadu, Sarukkai, Ammaiyappan, Tirupuvanam, Ayyampettai, Kumbakonam-Thuvarankurichi, Saliyamangalam (Telugu), Tepperumanallur (Telugu) and Melattur (Telugu) during of Narsinmha Jayanthi.

Though Hiranya Natakam has been the main dance drama of the community theatre of the area, many other dance dramas including Usha Parinayam, Rukmini Kalyanam, Harichandra would also be performed.

In Melattur, the dance dramas flourished under the patronage of Nayaks and Marathas who ruled Thanjavur. The present day Bhagavata Melams of Melattur traces its lineage to Melattur Venkatrama Sastri (1743-1809), who composed 12 dance dramas.

But, all the dance dramas of this area are an all-male affair. Even the female characters like “Leelavati,” were enacted by the male artists. According to the organisers, the “Prahlada” dance drama used to be performed under the traditional oil and wick lamps instead of electrical lights. The ambiance transports the audience back to the earlier age when there were no electrical lights. There is belief among the villagers that the Narasimha mask used for the God character in the drama is invested with special powers.