Synopsis: : Ancient Indian and Indo-Greek Theatre 1st Edition |
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Musical Instruments . a Play 'Agen' was staged in the Military camp of Alexander the Great on the Bank of River Jhelum in Upper Punjab. A fragment of a vase, with the Painting depicting a scene from the play 'Antigone', was found near Peshawar.
An amphitheatre, which betrays Greco-Roman influence was excavated at Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh.
A Papyrus manuscript of a farce written in Greek and Kannada languages was found in Egypt in the year 1899 by the team of archaeologists deployed by the Biblical Archaeological Association.
Early Greek records speak of export of flute girls and singing boys to India. A Sanskrit farce of Gupta period mentions a Yavana Ganika Karpoorturishtha settled in Ujjayani in central India.
Striking similarities are found in the Theories of Aristotle and Bharata about the origin and Nature of dramatic arts.
In this Book M.L. Varadpande, a distinguished scholar and theatre historian, analyses the data to explore the probable Relationship between theatrical Arts of Ancient India and Greece.
He starts this fascinating Study by giving historical Account of early Indian theatre. He studies dancing figures on the Walls of Mesolithic Cave shelters of Bhimbetka, Musical Instruments and figurines of Dancers and jesters excavated at the sites connected with ancient Indus Valley Civilization and Vedic rituals, dialogue hymns.
Here is a brilliant work, which focuses attention on the unexplored areas of Indian theatrical Tradition and speaks about the contact between theatrical arts of two great ancient civilizations of the world.
As a serious Student of Indian art, literature and culture Shri M.L. Varadpande's contribution to Indological studies is quite significant. He is a scholar with a rare capacity to see historical facts in new perspective and offer original interpretation.
Born in 1936 he is an M.A of the Nagpur University. For many years past he is associated with Alochana, a journal devoted to art and literature, as its associate editor. One of his books has been published by India's National Akademi of Letters - Sahitya Akademi. It is now being translated into various Indian languages.
His well known works are Traditions of Indian Theatre', 'Krishna Theatre in India', The Critique of Indian Theatre' (Edited), 'Ras Opera of Vraj'.
He has widely travelled across the country with the view to reach original source material and study different forms of traditional theatre in their own settings.
He has been awarded a research fellowship by the Indian Council of Historical Research to work on the project TEMPLE THEATRE IN INDIA'.
Prologue
1. Indian Theatre : Early Phase
2. Indo-Greek Theatre
1. Wizard's Masked Dance, Bhimbetka :
a. Dancers in Majestic Stance-Ritual Dance
2. Phallic Dancer, Ahiraura
3. Ras Dance, Simla Hill, Bhopal
4-9. Dancing Figures Painted in Different Caves
10. Muria Gond Dancers of Madhya Pradesh
11. a-b. Horned Tribal Dancers of Madhya Pradesh
12. Ritualistic Worship with Dance and Music : Kherai Puja, Bodo Tribe, Assam
13. Naga Dancers
14. Nataraja, Harappa
15. Danseuse, Mohenjo-Daro
16. Dancing Figures, Indus Seal
17. Horned Mask, Mohenjo-Daro
18. Ras Dance
19. Yaksha
20. Indra, God of Thunder, Clouds and Rain
21. Surasundari Urvashi, Rajrani Temple, Bhuvaneshvar
22. Bali's Yaga, Gwalior Museum
23. Krishna Attam Play-Avataram
24. Samajja
25. Vidushaka, Mathura Museum :
a. Vidushaka : Ajanta Painting
26. Prasenjit Pillar, Barhut, Musical Opera
27. Danseuse with Damaru, Bulandibaugh
28. Danseuse, Bulandibaugh
29. Actor's Mask, Chirand
30. Ratha Yatra
31. Yakshi, Sanchi Stupa Gateway
32. Inscription mentioning Lenashobhika, Mathura Museum
33. Bhopa : Picture Showman of Rajasthan
34. Musical Opera, Rani Gumpha, Bhuvaneshvar
35. Early Theatre, Lucknow Museum
36. Tribal Dancer, Channakeshaveshvara Temple, Belur
37. Drunk Woman, National Museum
38. Chakyar Kuttu :
a. Kuttambalam
39. a. Dionysus, Gandhara Finds
40. Indian Dionysus: Shiva
41. Indian Heracles: Krishna
42. Ithyphallic Pashupati Shiva, Indus Seal
43. Ithyphallic Nataraja, Vetala Temple, Bhuvaneshvar :
a. Greek Herm, Ithyphallic Pillar of God Hermes
b. Nataraja
44. Yakshi Chamardharini
45. Kubera with Yakshis, Mathura Museum
46. Bacchanal Ritual with Music and Dancing
47. Ras Dance
48. Garuda Pillar of Heliodorus
49. Yavana Dancer
50. Ganika Vasantasena, National Museum
51. Flute Girl
52. Chorus, Ankia Nat
53. Oja-Pali Performance
54. Yakshagana Performance
55. Rani Gumpha Cave Theatre
56. Ancient Indian Amphitheatre mentioned in Jatakas (Artist's Impression)
57. Circular Dancing Floor, Channakeshaveshvara Temple, Belur
58. Seating Arrangement, Channakeshaveshvara Temple, Belur
59. Ajanta Cave Painting Showing Theatre
60. Nata Mandir, Konarak Temple
61. Nata Mandir, Sun Temple, Modhera
62. Nagarjunakonda Amphitheatre :
a. Dionysus Found at Nagarjunakonda
63. Indian Ivory Yakshi found at Pompeii, early 1st century
64. Theatre of Pompey the Great
65. Theatre of Epidauros
66. a-g. Tribal Masks
67. Narasimha Mask
68. Sankasur in Full Cloth Mask
69. a-b. String Puppet
c. Shadow Play
70. Panchalanuyanam (Mallika Sarabhai with Shadow Puppet)
71. Greek Shadow Theatre-Karagiosis
Colour Illustrations : -
1. Holi
2. Ratha Yatra
3. Yakshagana
4. Ras