‘Manteswamy Kavya Prayoga’ brings a female voice to oral epic

Manteswamy Kavya has been one of the most celebrated oral epics of Karnataka. It narrates the life, teachings, and spiritual journey of Manteswamy, a saint and social reformer from the 16th century, who is closely associated with the Lingayat movement. The Kavya, traditionally performed by Neelgaras, is not just a religious text but is also a rich tapestry of the social and cultural life of medieval Karnataka.  

Manteswamy Kavya has been one of the most celebrated oral epics of Karnataka. It narrates the life, teachings, and spiritual journey of Manteswamy, a saint and social reformer from the 16th century, who is closely associated with the Lingayat movement. The Kavya, traditionally performed by Neelgaras, is not just a religious text but is also a rich tapestry of the social and cultural life of medieval Karnataka.  

In the contemporary context, Manteswamy Kavya remains highly relevant as it echoes themes of social justice, equality, and the fight against oppression. In an age where issues like caste discrimination, gender inequality, and religious intolerance persist, one such recent art piece that takes inspiration from Manteswamy Kavya is Nirdigantha’s recent production Manteswamy Kavya Prayoga. The play will be performed at Chitrakala Parishath, Kumarakrupa Road, today, at 6.30 p.m.  

Speaking to The Hindu, Shripad Bhat says Manteswamy’s verse confronts the irony of a society that had stagnated into orthodoxy, all in the name of the very reform that Basavanna and his companions fought for in the 12th century. “Through his poetry, he builds a scathing attack on a revolution gone wrong. His poetry liberated a movement that had lost its way and was appropriated by palaces and monasteries. The play equates and contrasts the 16th century Manteswamy with the 12th century Basavanna, Allama, Madiwala Machaya, Haralayya etc.” he says.  

Manteswamy Kavya Prayoga highlights the Kalyanada Pattanda Saalu, which is known as the heart of the Manteswamy Kavya. The production’s narrative is based on folk songs sung in ritual form by folk storytellers Neelgaras.  

However, what stands out in this production is that the entire performance is presented by a female protagonist, while Manteswamy Kavya is traditionally performed by men.

“The Neelagaras who perform Manteswamy Kavya are predominately men. These men traditionally receive a Diksha, after which they travel or move from villages to villages like nomads. They sing Kavyas and make a living out of whatever donations they receive. Even if women performed the Kavyas, they did not travel a lot, it was usually in their own villages. Back then it was not easy for women to travel and make a living. But we are in the 21st century now, and I wanted to break the barrier, and decided to caste a female protagonist,” Shripad explains.  

“Since the play is based on Kavyas, I wanted all the performers to be strongly inclined to music. All the performers are actors who are also professional musicians. While we retained the original tunes of Manteswamy Kavya, we have also jazzed it up a bit to make it catchier and more relevant for today’s audiences,” he adds.