folk elements in hayavandana

The play “Hayavadana” written by Girish Karnad has many different folk elements and blends the traditional storytelling with modern theatre techniques. Following are some of the prominent folk elements in the play:

1) Narrative Style: The play often used the structure of a folk tale, where different characters directly interact or talk to the audience or to each other in a poetic or lyrical manner. This can be seen in the play in the starting of the play when during the prayer of Lord Ganesha, Bhagvata starts talking about the incompleteness of the Lord.

2) Symbolism and Mythology: The play incorporates many elements from Indian mythology like, in the beginning of the play Bhagavata prays to Lord Ganesha or when Devadatta promises his head to Lord Mahakaal and hands to Maa Kali in return of his marriage to Padmini. This the play there is also the mentioning of holy scriptures like Mahabharata and the story of King Yayati and the pursuit of perfection, which is the undertone of the story and the motivation of the characters like Hayavadana or Padmini.

3) Ritualistic Elements: There are many rituals and ceremonies performed in the play as Devdatta was a Brahmin. There are also many sacrificial rituals performed in the play like Devadatta sacrifice of his head to Maa Kali as he promised the goddess, then Kapila’s sacrificing his head for his friendship with Devadatta and to avoid being demeaned for the murder of Devadatta and so on.

4) Use of Music and Dance: Many traditional music and dance forms are used in the play like Yakshagana, to enhance the integrated structure of the paly and the dramatic and folkloric elements of the storytelling.

5) Character Types and Storyline: The characters are the archetypal figures which are generally found in common folklores, such as the two loyal friends (Devadatta and Kapila), a female protagonist (Padmini), and the fight between the friends sets the plays into a basic folklore structure.

These folk elements enhance the richness and depth of the play and make it a unique and astonishing mix of folk tradition and modern theatrical techniques.