What is Gondhali art form?
Gondhali is a folk art that involves singing and narration of mythical tales by a group of artistes before festivals and family functions, like marriages. The songs are usually about women deities Amba Bhavani and Yallamma, and the tales are from the Puranas and Mahabharata. It is an all-night event where a team of 3-5 artistes sing and play instruments for hours with breaks for rituals, like arati.
Mention in Manasollasa
Gondhali art finds mention in Manasollasa, considered the Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by the Kalyani Chalukyan King Someshwara in the 12th century. Someshwara categorised Gondhali as the Bhil community. It is also mentioned in Nrutya Ratnavali, a book on art forms by Jayan Raya, the commander-in-chief of the Warangal Kakatiya kingdom. He recalls Gondhala performed by the Kalyani Bhils.
Oral tradition of community
The art form rooted in oral traditions has been passed on through the generations. Though the practice of organising Gondhali nights exists in several communities, the singers mostly hail from one community, called Gondhalis. It is believed that the Gondhali Samaj has over 90 sub-castes, out of which around seven sub-castes perform. Traditionally, it is a male-only art form. However, some women are learning the art now.
Spread of the community
The Gondhali art is performed in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and parts of Andhra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka, the Gondhali community in concentrated in the districts along the Karnataka-Maharashtra border. Gondhali artistes were settled in and around the capitals of the Martha kingdom, their serfs, and the Bahmani and Adil Shahi kings who were patrons of the arts, community elders say.
Generational transfer of art
Most training is through the Smruti-Shruti tradition between generations. Most singers have learnt from their fathers, uncles and grand-fathers, by listening to them. There is no formal training system or method. Though the Amba Bhajans and Puranic tales remain at the core of the art form, singers tend to broad base their performance. They pick up stories from the Jathaka, Guroopadesha, Pancha Tantra, local folklore, and even modern-day literature.
Published – February 21, 2025 11:20 am IST
