Nurtured by Teejan Bai, Pandavani waltzes into the future

In a remote tribal setting in Ganiyari village, some 15 kilometres from the steel city of Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, a century-old tribal folk tradition is being fostered for posterity.

The village stirs up every day with the recalling of tales from Hindu epics Mahabharata in a unique theatrical style that involves narration, singing, music, dance and satire.

“Aur Hasna Nagari ma ikkis bhai Kanvara...,” narrates a guttural female voice, with her students in attendance.

For the uninitiated, Hasna Nagari referred here is Hastinapur, the kingdom of Kauravas, termed Kanvara in this narration. Another noticeable deviation is Kanvaras were 21 brothers and not 100 as in the original classic.