Harikatha, a compendium of verse, music and dance is a highly demanding art form. Apart from erudition and mastery over diverse disciplines, a sharp sense of humour and ingenuity form indispensable aspects for any Bhagavatar’s skill set. However, this great art form has fallen on hard days and it is hard for it to find patronage. In a bid to provide a helping hand to this waning art form, Visakha Music Dance Academy hosted a three-day Harikatha Utsavam at Kalabharati in Visakhapatnam.
Each of the three narrators performed well narrating the chosen katha with aplomb. The narratives being taken from Bhagavatam, Bharatam and Ramayanam, the three-day event sought to present different strands from the epics and each excelled in its distinct appeal. Interspersed with bubbly one-liners and parables, the narrations stood remarkable for their lucid presentations, making the audience enjoy every session thoroughly.
Puranam Vijayalakshmi
The event opened with the Harikatha of Rukmini Kalyanam, an episode in Bhagavatam. Harikatha Pithamaha Adibhatla Narayana Dasu composed it in the template of Harikatha and it has all the trappings of an artistic piece. Rajahmundry-based Bhagavatarini Puranam Vijaya Lakshmi narrated this katha well. In a warm up the main theme, she elaborated the events of how Parikshit, while hunting, gets thirsty and reaches the Ashrama of sage Shamika where the sage is in deep meditation and therefore doesn't answer to his request for water. Infuriated, Parikshit drapes a dead snake around the sage’s neck and leaves. On noticing this, the sage's son Shringi, curses that the King be killed by the Snake King Takshaka within seven days. That’s when a repentant and doomed Parikshit choses to listen to Bhagavatham from sage Sukha. From there, artiste Vijayalakshmi picked up the theme of princess Rukmini, the daughter of Bhishmaka, the ruler of Vidarbha.
She narrated each episode with passion. The details of how Rukmini fell in love with Lord Krishna, her inveterate yearning to reach her Lord, her communication to Lord Krishna to take her away from home, Krishna’s arrival and his heroic act of taking her away and their celestial wedding stood well narrated in a gripping manner.
Bhagavatar VVenkateswarlu
On the second day, Tirupati-based V Venkateswarulu Bhagavatar told the katha of Sikrishna Rayabaram recounting Lord Krishna’s diplomatic mission to Kuru court in a bid to avoid war at Kurukshetra.
Padala Kalyani performs at the Harikatha Utsavam
Finally on the third day Hyderabad-based Bhagavatarini Padala Kalyani narrated Sita Kalyanam Harikatha well.
M Ramagopla on violin and Padala Ramadas on mridangam lent good support to all.
