Who were Kathakar? How were they associated with Kathak?
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Answer:
Kathak is one among the eight Indian classical dance forms. The word 'Kathak' has its origins from the Sanskrit word Katha which means story. Kathak is an amalgamation of three arts- music, dance and drama. Both Hindu and Muslim rulers patronised this dance form giving it the status of a court entertainment. As such, this classical art carries with it the quaint charm of folk arts and is a blend of Hindu and Muslim traditions. Kathak originated in the villages of Northern India, when the natives shared their life experiences with each other. These people or Kathakkars (storytellers) traveled from village to village and kingdom to kingdom spreading their art. These Kathakkars would occasionally stop at the temples in these regions to take rest and here they began to enact stories from the great Indian epics and also started to stylize the art by giving it a classical touch.
The Pandits in the temples encouraged these Kathakkars to narrate the stories from the great epics like Mahabharata, Ramayana, Puranas and the Vedas. The Pandits thus set the foundation for Kathak's transformation into a temple dance where it focused on mythology, gods and goddesses.
With the entry of Mughals, the Kathakkars was found themselves being absorbed into the Mughal courts. The focus of worship also changed and primary importance was given to the appeasement of the Emperor. The changes that came with the establishment of the Mughal Empire were also mirrored in Kathak. Manuscripts, music, jewellery, costumes and techniques of the dance also evolved and underwent rapid changes. Urdu language was introduced into the art form.
However, the ingress of the British into the scenario forced the renowned dancers of the Mughal Era to abandon their profession as dance as an art form was forbidden by the rulers. As there was no other way to preserve this unwritten and unrecorded art form, these artists initiated home tutoring by teaching their own family members in an attempt to preserve the heritage of this historic art form. Thus emerged the concept of 'Gharanas'. The word 'Gharanas' is derived from the word 'ghar' meaning home.
Kathak survived and developed over the years as an oral tradition and was passed on from generation to generation or guru to shishya through performances. This traditional way of imbibing knowledge through the guru shishya parampara enabled the preserving of this art form.
Kathak evolved into three main schools of thought- Lucknow, Jaipur and Benares forms.Held within a well defined system of artistic values, these gharanas exhibited prominent features that made them unique.
Post independence, our leaders realized that the legacy that was passed on over generations needed to be nurtured. The gurus were exhorted to pass the knowledge on to the younger generation and thus this acceptance injected a new vigor into this remarkable art form and Kathak regained its glory.