‘Pampa Katha’, which has been integral part of the village life in Prakasam district for centuries, is on the verge of extinction with the present generation disinclined to don the greasepaint due to inadequate patronage in the era of globalisation.
In yesteryears, no village festival used to end without ‘Pampa Katha’ by the artistes who narrate the stories of village goddesses like Ankamma talli, Sakthipuranam, Ahalyapuranam and Renukadevi in the drought-prone district for a week at a stretch.
The artistes used to get about Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 per day for performing in villages for a week at a stretch at the invitation of the villagers at times of severe drought or when many people succumb to epidemic. They also perform during marriages, birth of a child and even at the death at the invitation of villagers. The main artiste dressed like a warrior with a mock sword moves backward and forward narrating 10 to 12 stories of the village mother goddess even as his associates play ‘Pampa Dhol.’
“It requires enormous stamina to perform non-stop for hours together till late in the night,” says Ubba Mastan Rao after a captivating performance at a village festival at Keerthipadu, near Madipadu.
Today, none in Mastan Rao’s family is pursuing the art of his ancestors. “My 25-year-old son, Haribabu, prefers to drive car for a living than continue the traditional folk art,” he laments in a conversation with The Hindu .
U. Koteswara Rao, U. Kottilingam, S. Seshaiah, U Chinna Ankaiah and M. Venkatasubbaiah are among the noted practitioners of the traditional art form in yesteryears.
Janapada Kala Vedike president U. Devapalana feels “it is not enough to provide pension to indigent folk artistes. The government should set up an academy to kindle interest in youth to take to the traditional art form and preserve oral narratives for posterity.”
Praja Natya Mandali, an affiliate of the Indian People Theatre Association (IPTA), planned to come out with a book shortly to document the dying art forms of the district, said PNM activist Dasaratha.
The present generation is disinclined to don the greasepaint due to inadequate patronage in the era of globalisation
