Ravana Chhaya
JIWAN PANI

Ravana Chhaya is the traditional shadow-puppet theatre of Orissa, dealing with the Rama story as told by Viswanath Khuntia, a medieval Oriya poet, in his Vichitra Ramayana. While the lyrics are borrowed from the latter epic, the play itself exists only in the oral tradition. Ravana Chhaya is unique for its striking puppets — made of deerskin — and engrossing in its presentation: traditionally on seven consecutive nights according to the seven kandas of the Ramayana. This monograph has a detailed note on the origin of the form and its nomenclature besides a description of the performance — with stage, lighting, music and manipulation. The presentation is detailed Kanda-wise in tabular format with synopsis, song
sources, and the puppets employed.

Size 185 X 235 mm / 36 page / 14 halftones
Published 1978 / Rs 12