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Author's Note
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Natyasastra of Bharata Muni, the most ancient treatise on Indian dramaturgy has devoted one complete chapter (the second chapter) for the construction of a play
house. This chapter, besides giving details of
decorations, propitiatory ceremonies and the different types of theatre designs,
clearly prescribes their specifications i.e. dimensions, number of
pillars, height of the plinth etc, for all sections of the playhouse.
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Shri Manmohan Ghosh,who has translated the Natyasastra into English, in his
introductions page ii) under caption 'The Playhouse or the Theatre' states,
"The N.S. describes various types of playhouse, and their different parts have been mentioned to some extent in
detail, but in the absence of evidence of evidence the like of which has
been copiously availble in case of the Greek theatre, it can not be said how far
the ancient Indian plays were performed in specially constructed theatres"
etc.
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Greek Theatre 5th c. B.C. Acropolis, Athens
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Again he wites in the notes on page ii,10,"Except the cave (C. 200 B.C)in Ramgarh hill suspected by Bloch to have been the remains of a theatre,there is no other evidence of the existenceof a playhouse in ancient
India,"etc.
Mr.A.B. Keith in the book' The Sankrit Drama,'writes in page 358:
"...............But we have from second century B.C., the remains of a cave which seems to bave been used, if not for the performance of plays, at any rate for the purpose of recitation of poems of some similar end. It is found in the Ramgarh hills in Chota Nagpur and
although it is quite impossible to prove that it had anything to do with
plays"etc.
Dr.C.B. Gupta in his book 'The Indian Theatre' writes (Chapter XII, Epilogue,page 178)
"...........all support the view that theatres were of a permanent nature,but as we do not be define about this"etc,
Likewise all experts on Indian dramaturgy, through-out times, have tried to give a picture of the designs of the classical Indian theatres from their own interpretations because of the so-called established idea that there is no existing specimen of the ancient Indian theatre available any where in the country.
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In the friezes over some of the caves of Khandagiri and Udayagiri of Bhubaneswar many historians decipher the representations of mass entertainment but except Mr.Charkes
Fabri, who once suggested the double-storeyed Ranigumpha supposed to have been a semi-format
theatre, it has always been accepted by one and all as a monastery in Jain and Buddhist times.
I am interested in theatre and theatre and arts from my early childhood but until 1959/60 when I was a student of the Bombay Natya Academy, I was not very much conscious about the theatres described in the
Natyasastra.
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Dwi-bhumi Rangamandapa
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It was from the lectyes ib eastern theatre from my Guru, Prof.C.C.Mehta (who used to come to Bombay from Baroda to teach us),I came to be interested in the classical Indian theatre.The description of the "double storeyed mountain
caves like" flashed in my mind and I recollected the Ranigumpha of Udayagiri hills of Bhubaneswar at once on which on several occasions, in the past I had
danced, jumped, recited and acted spontaneously while on sight-seeing excursions during my school and college days, out of queer curiosity at the topography of the site.
Back in Orissa, I had pursued my keen interest in it and the result is what is in your hand now.
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I am neither proficient in Sanskrit nor Prakrut or Pali languages.Similarly I am not a historian also. Hence in trying to
interpret the concerned words from the Hatigumpha inscriptions or to understand a chapter from the
Natyasastra, I have always
referred to the translations and commentaries written on these texts in Hindi,English or Oriya by different personalities. Most of the English translations of the Sanskrit Slokas of Natyasastra I have quoted in this book are either from the translations from Shri Manmohan Ghosh or from Shri Banamber
Acharya.Where-ever I have differed, I have made a mention.
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It is heartening to find that in India, more and more institutes of learning are coming up for music, dance and drama turning out many students every year. But it is equally surprising to find that while the institutions on dramatics are stressing more on the so-called modern theatre which is nothing but an
imitation of the western theatre. Being a theatre-man I have attempted to convey my line of thinking on the subject and I will surely feel happy if my book provides some food for thought to those who think of Indian theatre at
large, in our country or abroad.
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I gratefully acknowledge the blessings from my teacher Prof. C.C.Mehta from Baroda.
I am very much grateful to Shri
A.N.Tiwari, I.A.S. for encouraging me in my endeavours from time to time and being kind enough to write the preface of this book.
I am also very much grateful to Shri P.L.Despande who was kind enough to write the introduction for my work.
I am obliged to the Director,Cultural Affairs, Orissa for granting me a subsidy towards this
publiction.
I am indebted to Shri Mayadhar Panda for the architectural and other drawings, to Sri Durga Charan Panda for the illustrations and photographs, to Sri Natabar Das for
photographs, to Shri Dinanath Pathy for the cover design, to Shri Golak Prasad Singh,Shri Nagbhusan Pattanaik,Shri Bhagaban Panda for helping me in the proof reading.
I am very much thankful to Sri Jagadish Pani and all his colleagues of Kwality Press who have taken special care to bring-out this publication in the best possible manner.
My thanks are due to all my friends but for whose advices, encouragements and
assistance even this small work of mine would not have seen the light of the day.
And lastly I thank my dear readers to bear with me the deeds of the devil.
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