Daskathia

  Mainly performed with two artists on a central stage, Dasakathia is evolved and nourished along with the growth of Rama's cult in Orissa. Gayaka is the main singer and his partner is known as Palia, who intermittently gives a rhythmic refrain of the words Rama je Jaya Rama je, Nabina Sundar Rama je, Jaya Ramaje. As the main story goes in rhythmic commentary, special sequences are dramatized in dialogue form, each of the two artists changing into different roles. Plenty of wit, humor, songs fill the sequences and the average show takes about 3 hours. Both the artists dress themselves in royal attire and beside the ticklers tied to their ankles the Gayaka plays on a pair of Ekaphalior Rama Tali and the Palia on the pair of Ramakathi or Daskathi.

The Ramatalis are wooden clappers fitted with ticklers and held by clasping a pair in both hands and the Dasakathias are a pair of straight 'castanets' made of hard wood held in left hand and ticked together with fingers of the right hand to beat time to the rhythm. The usual themes are taken from mythology. Love, romance, deceit, elopement, marriages are the interesting features. The whole performance is punched with many social skits, humorous anecdotes and adages in a pattern which distinguishes itself from other histrionic arts. In Orissa, more than 150 groups of Dasakathia exist today, out of which more than 100 are in Ganjam district alone. Dasakathia needs a small central acting area and no green room during the performance.