->Monkbot: Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 6 templates: del empty params (4×);

2020-12-12T15:50:48Z

Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 6 templates: del empty params (4×);

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'''''Pandav Lila''''' or '''''Pandav Nritya''''' ([[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]; literally "play of the Pandavas" and "dance of the [[Pandavas]]" respectively) is a ritual re-enactment of stories from the Hindu epic ''[[Mahabharata]]'', through singing, dancing and recitation, that is practised in the [[Garhwal division|Garhwal region]] of [[Uttarakhand]], India.<ref>{{harvnb|Sax|2002|p=21}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KnCxH85Vra4C&pg=PA282|title=Essays on the Mahābhārata|first=Arvind|last=Sharma|date=July 21, 2007|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publisher|isbn=9788120827387|via=Google Books}}</ref> Pandavas are the five protagonists in the epic and the village amateurs take on their roles and perform the ''lila'' outdoors, accompanied by the folk instruments [[dhol]], [[damau]] and two long trumpets called [[bhankore]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unesco-ichcap.org/eng/ek/sub2017_2/sub8.php|title=ICHCAP {{pipe}} e-Knowledge Center|website=www.unesco-ichcap.org}}</ref> The performances, which can last anywhere from three days to a month in different villages, draw large crowds and are an important cultural highlight of the year.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|title=Fathers, Sons, and Rhinoceroses: Masculinity and Violence in the Pāṇḍav Līlā|author=Sax, William S.|year=1997|journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society|volume=117|issue=2|pages=278–293|doi=10.2307/605490|jstor=605490}}</ref> The ritualistic drama features actors who often spontaneously become "possessed" by the spirits of their characters and begin to dance.<ref>{{harvnb|Sax|2002|p=23}}</ref>

==History and format==
The origins of the ''Pandav Lila'' are intermingled with [[Hindu mythology]] and therefore its inception cannot be dated. It has always been performed by village amateurs, and not professionals, and is usually sponsored by the [[Rajputs]] of Uttarakhand.<ref name="auto2"/> A performance is often called a [[Śrāddha]], which is a Hindu ritual of ancestor worship, and the ''lila'' is seen as a form of ancestor worship; today, many Garhwalis self-identify as the descendants of the Pandavas.<ref>{{harvnb|Sax|2002|p=57}}</ref> The performances are usually held between November and February, and a particular village may not host it every year.<ref name="auto1"/> People may travel to a nearby village to witness the ''lila''.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite journal|title=Controlling Time in Epic Performances: An Examination of Mahābhārata Performance in the Central Himalayas and Indonesia|first=Andrew|last=Alter|date=April 1, 2011|journal=Ethnomusicology Forum|volume=20|issue=1|pages=57–78|doi=10.1080/17411912.2011.549362|s2cid = 193246028}}</ref> Sax writes that "most villagers in Garhwal are probably within walking distance of a ''pandav lila'' in any given year".<ref>{{harvnb|Sax|2002|p=52}}</ref>

Every village can have its own variation, and some may place a greater emphasis on singing or drama.<ref name="auto1"/> The performances begin at night and last till early mornings. The episodes from the epic are not necessarily performed in a linear order, as the intention is not to convey the epic's story but dance out or enact specific scenes that the artists or villagers are familiar with.<ref name="auto1"/> As the story progresses and the action intensifies, they begin to start earlier in the day and continue till morning next day. The most-awaited episode is often a battle between a father and a son, [[Arjuna]] and Nagarjuna, which is known by the name ''gainda'' (Hindi for rhinoceros), as it involves Arjuna killing the rhinoceros that belongs to his son.<ref name="auto"/>
The weapons used in the drama are worshipped and are never allowed to touch the ground, so they can retain their power, and are taken care of till the next ''lila''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ncMPfjLn_M0C&pg=PA173|title=Epic Traditions in the Contemporary World: The Poetics of Community|first1=Margaret|last1=Beissinger|first2=Jane|last2=Tylus|first3=Susanne|last3=Wofford|first4=Susanne Lindgren|last4=Wofford|date=March 31, 1999|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520210387|via=Google Books}}</ref> As it is practically impossible to enact the whole of ''Mahabharata'', the longest epic poem in existence, the performers can choose their own episodes for enactment.<ref>{{harvnb|Sax|2002|p=32}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last=Sax |first=William Sturman |date=2002 |title=Dancing the Self: Personhood and Performance in the Pāṇḍava Līlā of Garhwal
|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn= 9780195139150}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0yBHLgeoss A performance of ''Pandav Nritya'' in Sutol village, Uttarakhand]
*[https://www.unesco-ichcap.org/eng/ek/sub2017_2/sub8.php UNESCO ICHCAP Project - Archival Recordings]

[[Category:Hindu traditions]]
[[Category:Culture of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Culture of Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Works based on the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Theatre in India]]
[[Category:Musical theatre]]
[[Category:Religious vernacular drama]]
[[Category:Cultural heritage of India]]
[[Category:Dances of India]]
[[Category:Indian folk dances]]
[[Category:Indian folk culture]]

Pandav Lila - Revision history

->Monkbot: Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 6 templates: del empty params (4×);