ACEDGE

The Ramayan is one of the few texts across the world that allows agglomerations through multiplicity of interpretations, alterations and stylisations. The story of Ram and Sita, narrated by the Thakars of Konkan, uses the spine of Valmiki Ramayan and nurtures the tale to suit the socio-lingual context of their audiences. This book expresses the narrative of Ramayan using more than sixty paintings of Pinguli Chitrakathi, and photographs from string, and shadow puppet performances. The original performances of these art forms are transcribed in Marathi and are supported with a translation in English. The Rasas of Indian aesthetics also complement the reading of the Paintings. This is a unique visual documentation of all the Kands in Ramayan selected from over ten Pothis (some painted in the early nineteenth century) from the ebbing art of Pinguli Chitrakathi.