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RAVANA CHAYA OF ORISSA
Posted Date: 21 Jan 2008 Resource Type: Articles/Knowledge Sharing Category: General
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Posted By: SajithkumarS Member Level: Diamond
Rating:  Points: 5
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The Orissa shadow theatre is known as Ravanachhaya which literally means the
shadow of Ravana. It is interesting to note that although in this style of
shadow theatre the theme is exclusively based on the Rama-story, it is named
after Ravana. Forms of shadow theatre surviving in other parts of the country
are all named in such a way that each literally means `dance of the leather-
dolls' in the language of their respective region of prevalence. This manner
of naming the form has not been followed in Orissa. Ravanachhaya puppets are
made of deer skin and being opaque cast black and white shadows. The puppet
figures representing different dramatic personal are conceived in bold drama-
tic poses. They have no jointed limbs and to keep them straight, split bamboo
sticks are attached vertically, which provide the handle at the lower end.Many
props such as trees, mountains, chariots, etc., are also used for creating an
appropriate set-up. Of Ravanachhaya are the most abstract and simple in pre-
sentation. The deer skin is treated minimally, that is, not so elaborately as
especially in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. At times, even the fur is not
scrapped off the skin and there are many old figures having the spotted coat
of deer on one side. Stencilling is done apparently with great naivety, but
with amazing strength and vitality. The figures off the screen look neither
artistic nor attractive, but their shadows formed by the shimmering golden
light of the oil lamp acquire a breathtaking beauty. Although Ravanachhaya
puppets are small in size the largest being not more than 2 1/2 feet in height
and have no jointed limbs, they create very powerful yet lyrical shadows, es-
pecially when manipulated in a peculiar jerky movement. A bowl-shaped earthen
lamp filled with castor-oil and lighted with two thick wicks made of cotton
rags soaked in oil, forms the light source. This lamp is placed on a stand
made of a bamboo stick with small wooden plank fixed to one side of it. The
height of the stand is so adjusted that the lamp is about twelve to fifteen
inches from the bottom of the screen at the central line. The distance between
lamp and screen is at the most twelve inches.The puppeteers sit on the ground
and insert required puppet figures in between the lamp and the screen. The
leader of the group stands on the other side of the screen in full view of
the audience. He holds in his hands a Khanjani, a type of small tambourine,
and plays on it while singing. A vocalist often assists him from behind the
screen provide the impromptu prose dialogues for the puppets. The soul of a
Ravanachhaya performance is music. The style of singing blends both folk and
classical Odissi traditions and is similar to that of Pala Gaana and Daskathia
two forms of dramatic balladry, the former being highly sophisticated both
in form and content. In Ravanachhaya percussive accompaniment is provided by
Khanjani, the frame drum and Daskathi, a type of castanet. Since the puppets
have no jointed limbs there is little scope for gimmickry in Ravanachhaya.
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