Harikatha

Harikatha (Harikathe in Kannada), literally "stories of the Lord", also known as Katha Kalakshepa ("Katha storytelling") is a form of Hindu religious discourse in which the storyteller explores a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from an Indian epic.

Harikatha is a composite art form composed of storytelling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Any Hindu religious theme may be the subject for the Harikatha. At its peak Harikatha was a popular medium of entertainment, which helped transmit cultural, educational and religious values to the masses.

The main aim of Hari Katha is to imbue truth and righteousness in the minds of people and sow the seeds of devotion in them. Another of the aims is to educate them about knowledge of self (atman) through stories and show them the path of liberation.

In Hindu mythology

In Hindu mythology, the first Harikatha singer was sage Narada who sang for Vishnu, other prominent singers were Lava and Kusha twin sons of Rama, who sang the Ramayana in his court at Ayodhya.