International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

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Dramaturgical Structure of Usha Parinayam: A Comparative Study of the Kuchipudi and Melattur Bhagavata Mela Traditions

Author(s) Mrs Kadali Sri Raja Rajeswari Devi, Dr. Uppari Himabindu
Country India
Abstract Usha Parinayam, a celebrated narrative derived from the Bhagavata Purana, occupies an important place in South Indian dance-drama traditions, particularly in the Kuchipudi and Melattur Bhagavata Mela traditions. Though both traditions originate within the broader matrix of Bhakti devotional performance and Sanskritic dramaturgy, they evolved distinct theatrical vocabularies shaped by regional aesthetics, linguistic influences, ritual frameworks, and performative conventions (Vatsyayan, 1977; Kothari and Pasricha, 2001). This paper undertakes a comparative study of the dramaturgical structure of Usha Parinayam in these two traditions. Through an examination of manuscripts, performance texts, nattuvangam traditions, and oral narratives, the study analyzes plot organization, characterization, scene construction, literary composition, and dramatic progression. Special attention is paid to the influence of the Nāṭyaśāstra, Vaishnavite Bhakti traditions, temple-centered ritual performance, and regional literary cultures in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The paper argues that while the Kuchipudi version emphasizes performative dynamism, expressive dialogue, and audience engagement, the Melattur Bhagavata Mela adaptation retains a more ritualized dramaturgical structure rooted in liturgical enactment and Sanskritic orthodoxy (Varadpande, 1987; Kothari, 1989). The comparative analysis demonstrates how identical mythological material acquires divergent dramatic identities through regional performance histories.
Keywords Usha Parinayam, Kuchipudi, Bhagavata Mela, dramaturgy, Nāṭyaśāstra, Bhakti traditions, dance-drama, South Indian theatre.
Field Arts
Published In Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On 2026-09-19
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CrossRef DOI prefix of IJFMR is 10.36948/ijfmr

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