Introduction
Oral communication has united people over the ages. Stories have been created by people to entertain, to educate and to record events. Before the introduction of the writing system, stories were transmitted orally from one generation to the next generation. Communities have depended on such exchanges and transfers. Even cultures and communities that are dominated by literacy, have large sections of non-literate people whose culture is largely oral. In India, several performing arts were used as an important resource to educate the masses from Vedic period to medieval period. In India, oral tradition was as sacrosanct as the transmission of texts and writings in the West. The teaching associated with Vedas and Upanishad was …show more content…
It is performed in Coastal Andhra region, Rayalaseema and Telangana. The term Burra refers to ‘tambura’, a musical instrument and Katha means a 'story’. Thus, Burra Katha is an art of storytelling in which narrator plays tambura while narrating the story. This art form is known with different names in each region of state. In Coastal Andhra region, it is known as ‘jangamkatha’ (story of Shiva) while in Rayalseema region, it is known by the name ‘tandanakatha’ or ‘suddulu’ and in Telangana, it is known as ‘tamboorakatha’ or ‘saradakatha’. During the performance, a group of Burra Katha performers that includes one chief performer and two or more co-performers, narrate, sing and play instruments together. Burrakatha narrators are called as ‘Saradagallu’. The chief storyteller is known as ‘Kathakudu’ who narrates the whole story while dancing and playing the tambura. He wears anklets while performing the Katha. The other performers help the narrator by playing instruments like small drums which is called ‘gummeta’. A team of two-three peoples of certain caste like ‘picchuguntla’ or ‘jangalu’ practice this form generation to
Oral communication has united people over the ages. Stories have been created by people to entertain, to educate and to record events. Before the introduction of the writing system, stories were transmitted orally from one generation to the next generation. Communities have depended on such exchanges and transfers. Even cultures and communities that are dominated by literacy, have large sections of non-literate people whose culture is largely oral. In India, several performing arts were used as an important resource to educate the masses from Vedic period to medieval period. In India, oral tradition was as sacrosanct as the transmission of texts and writings in the West. The teaching associated with Vedas and Upanishad was …show more content…
It is performed in Coastal Andhra region, Rayalaseema and Telangana. The term Burra refers to ‘tambura’, a musical instrument and Katha means a 'story’. Thus, Burra Katha is an art of storytelling in which narrator plays tambura while narrating the story. This art form is known with different names in each region of state. In Coastal Andhra region, it is known as ‘jangamkatha’ (story of Shiva) while in Rayalseema region, it is known by the name ‘tandanakatha’ or ‘suddulu’ and in Telangana, it is known as ‘tamboorakatha’ or ‘saradakatha’. During the performance, a group of Burra Katha performers that includes one chief performer and two or more co-performers, narrate, sing and play instruments together. Burrakatha narrators are called as ‘Saradagallu’. The chief storyteller is known as ‘Kathakudu’ who narrates the whole story while dancing and playing the tambura. He wears anklets while performing the Katha. The other performers help the narrator by playing instruments like small drums which is called ‘gummeta’. A team of two-three peoples of certain caste like ‘picchuguntla’ or ‘jangalu’ practice this form generation to