He wore a black mask.Then the final tumultuous war started between the two clans and there were exits by the two groups sitting, facing the audience and gracefully getting up. The overall China vertical band saw aesthetics they follow is of Wayang Kulit, the shadow puppet form. Also nearby the famous temples of Prambanam, some 50 km away, Sonal Mansingh and I had seen the Ramayana performances in Javanese styles against the background of three temple towers. I realised that it was on a very large scale that the actors were engaged in these dance-drama troupes. There were shouts on the side of the Kauravas — evidently they were winning the game. Though the libretto was in Javanese and the programme book was also containing the synopsis in Javanese, we were able to follow the main sequences, having known the major story of the Mahabhaاين نام مجاز نمي باشد. When we went to the large hall, which was like a green room, we saw several actors were putting on make up and غير مجاز مي باشدtumes.

That was nearly two decades ago.The role of sutradhara was played by senior artiste R. Not that I could follow the complete story. Since Alex was known to the performing groups, we were lucky to get seats in front. I think we saw a sequence when Arjuna was doing penance to obtain the Pashupatastra from Lord Shiva who is in the guise of a hunter who kills the boar and Arjuna also aimed his arrow which struck the boar and claimed it as his kill. The architecture at once draws the attention of the visitor as apart from the big metropolis as one does not see any high-rise buildings. One notices for example, Lakon Rama Nitis — Prince Rama portrayed as an incarnation of Prince Rama of the Ramayana as is Lord Krishna of the Mahabhaاين نام مجاز نمي باشد!Historically, the rise of this tradition took place from the mid-18th century.We were lucky also as the opening dance-drama was based upon a story from the Mahabhaاين نام مجاز نمي باشد — "Pandawa Laku Jantra". Also they wear jewellery and a crown or tiara skilfully cut in gilt leather with the model of the headdress revealing the rank of the character.

That helped me in taking a few photographs.I was confused to learn about the role of Kunti, when Alex took us backstage to meet a refined dancer who played the role of Kunti.After my visit to Singapore last month, I visited Kuala Lumpur to see my friend Ramli Ibrahim, a celebrated Odissi, Bhaاين نام مجاز نمي باشدnatyam and Contemporary dance exponent — a choreographer with his brilliant dancers of the Sutra Foundation, of which he is founder-director. The war sequences were shown and the attack on Kumbhakarna by a stream of monkeys was enacted with great glee, when he was asleep. Asymmetrical movements, a sign of pride and powerful energy. The ancient Majapahit dynasty saw Wayang Kulit puppet art, which had the same narrative material and often from the two Indian epics. Every time they leave the stage, they sit down and face the audience and then get up and slowly leave the stage. In Surakarta, Solo, Pangeran Adipati Mangkunegaran I, rival of Hemengkubuwana I, the creator of Wayang Wong, also began to compose Wayang Wong plays. Sonal and I had also seen at Kraton, the performance of dance-drama, Arjuna Vivaha. Alex said that it was derived from Hikayat Andaken Panurat, similar to the Shahnama.