It is said of the Mahabharata:
"Young (English) officers or civil servants arriving for the first time in their new home among the palm fronds and rice fields, or in the heat and dust of a desert cantonment, would commonly be told by some well-meaning old India hand that if they wished to grasp the essence of the place and its people they should read one book: the Mahabharata, the world’s oldest epic by far, and, with 90000 verses exceeding the Bible and all of Shakespeare’s plays bundled together, by far the world’s longest and greatest epic poem."
-Myths of Mankind, The Mahabharata
Below is a video presentation of the MAHABHARATA. It was dramatized on an outdoor stage on August 26, 2011, by High School Students in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India.
I had been living in Tiruvannamalai at the time and was asked to participate because of my extensive study and knowledge of the Mahabharata, which spanned several decades. We decided to dramatize a part of the Bhagavad Gita, which forms a very small yet tremendously important part of the epic story.
Over several months, I met with the children every day and discussed, considered, and coached them on the subtle, interconnecting aspects, issues, dilemmas, and paradoxes of this vast story. We explored the different characters, focusing on their particular struggles and interrelationships. It was fascinating to see how effortlessly the students took to the story, as if they had been born to it—and they had.
Seeing the ancient Purana-Itihasa brought to life on stage was thrilling for me, filling a warm South Indian evening with local artists, beautiful costumes, and live music.
I had only expected about 30-50 people to show up, but the play was performed on a stage in front of hundreds of appreciative parents and people, all of whom knew the story.
The pictures bloom with color and beauty. The story is ancient and full of paradox, dilemma, and meaning. I appreciated again the saying: 'If it isn’t in the Mahabharata, it isn’t.’
The MAHABHARATA
Below is a slideshow/movie presentation of the Mahabharata. The video begins with the preparation of the children/actors, including the application of their makeup and costumes, as well as our preparations for the epic.
The slideshow/video was created for the students, so that each of them would have a personal record of their participation. I presented it to each of them a week after the performance in the form of a DVD.
Music: Hey Krishna Gopala Hari, by Jagjit Singh
Photography: Govinda Raj, Tiruvannamalai
MAHABHARATA the MOVIE
Peter, flanked by two teachers at the school, speaking to the students who were to put on the play.
I had no idea that the play would feature costumes, makeup, and jewelry. This was all done the afternoon of the performance, as the stage was set up and several men from the villages arrived to ‘costume’ the various characters.
The pictures bloom with color and beauty, and the story is ancient and full of meaning. It helped me appreciate the saying: “If it isn't in the Mahabharata, it isn't.”
Above you see the mother of the girl who played the role of Bhima, the powerful Pandava, being blessed by her proud mother.
Share this post