Sphoorthi Theatre

 I have always been fascinated by listening to stories right from my childhood.  It is still a question that remains unanswered that was I felt comfortable in the company of old people and listening to them or vice versa. This listening to older generations in a way made me attracted to the art of listening and eventually to the art of storytelling. Somehow, I was rapt into listening to the storytelling unknowingly I was introduced to this beautiful art form which is quite popular today. I had a rare opportunity to listen to stories of 'Sri Renuka Devi' from 'Joggamma' and 'Joggappa' of the 'Jogini' cult. Again annually the 'Ganga-Gowri' storytellers would visit and recite the story of two consorts and their fight over the rightful claim of Almighty Shiva. They would carry the Ganga and Gowri idols in caned baskets and hang shoulder bags asking for alms after reciting the story. The enactment would be wonderful to watch as the logical arguments w...

Glimpses of listening to various stories told by my paternal grandmother were perhaps one of the most beautiful days of my childhood. Most of the stories told by her would be connected to Sri Vaishava philosophy, mythology, and also some humorous stories based on her personal experiences encountered which she would very skillfully create into a story and tell. My journey of listening to the stories began then. I somehow liked to listen to a person's life experience-be good, bitter, challenging, adventurous, or an amusement kind, I enjoyed listening to them thoroughly. My favorite storytellers are vegetable sellers, a cobbler, flower sellers, maidservants-domestic workers, milkmen or milkmaids, masons, tailors, old women, and so on. Each one had something interesting to share. This helped me again, to understand the cultural aspects of various religions, caste, class, creed, and so on. My grandmother perhaps belonged to the earliest form of storytelling- ...