What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore how Girish Karnad incorporates indigenous themes and techniques of folk theatre in his plays.

March 29, 2026Open Access

Girish Karnad's Search for Indigenous Theatrical Idiom in his Folk Plays: Hayavadana, Naga-Mandala, and Flowers

Key Points

To explore how Girish Karnad incorporates indigenous themes and techniques of folk theatre in his plays.
Analysis of three plays: Hayavadana, Naga-Mandala, and Flowers
Examination of source material including Sanskrit stories and oral tales
Comparison of folk theatre techniques in the narratives
Hayavadana utilizes elements from Sanskrit literature and integrates riddles
Naga-Mandala is based on oral storytelling traditions
Flowers reflects folk tales from Karnataka, integrating local culture into the narrative

Abstract

Girish Karnad employs both themes and techniques of folk theatre in his plays Hayavadana, Naga-Mandala and Flowers. The main plot of Hayavadana is taken from popular Sanskrit stories known as ‘‘Vetalpanchavimashika’’ (i.e. twenty five stories that Vetal, the goblin, tells King Vikrama).These stories are part of Somadeva’s Kathasaritsagara. In all these stories Vetal at the end of his story telling poses a riddle and asks the king to solve it. The king always succeeds in solving the riddle. However, the most immediate source of Hayavadana (1971) is Thomas Mann’s Transposed Heads (1940). Naga-Mandala (1990) is based on two oral tales that A. K. Ramanujan told Karnad. And these tales are narrated by an elderly woman while children are being fed in the evening or being put to bed. And the play Flowers (2004) is based on a folk tale from the Chitradurga region in Karnataka.

Girish Karnad's Search for Indigenous Theatrical Idiom in his Folk Plays: Hayavadana, Naga-Mandala, and Flowers

Key Points

Abstract

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