Akhyana

Akhyana was a traditional musical theatre as well as medieval genre of Gujarati poetry. It was primarily practiced in Gujarat, a western state of India.

Etymology and definition

Akhyana literally means to tell or narrate in Sanskrit. The 12th century polymath Hemchandra defined Akhyana in his Kavyanusashana as a side story from religious texts narrated by Granthika (professional story teller) to instruct audience accompanied by singing and acting. This definition does not include the narration of other nonmythological stories like that of Narsinh Mehta. In general, Akhyana can be defined as the stories narrated by story teller for religious instructions to audience accompanied by singing and acting. Dolarrai Mankad defined it as a form of poetry with musical components and scope of acting.

Akhyana

Performer

The narrator or professional story tellers who recited Akhyanas were called Manabhatt or Gagaria-bhatt. They set poetry to muaical tunes and do mono acting. They wore rings on their fingers which were used to sound the beats on overtuned copper pots. Mana or Gagar literally means pot in Gujarati.