Dashavatara is one of the major traditional art forms of Goa. The state is known for its diverse cultural roots that lend a colorful flavor to its festivals, dance and dramas. This form of traditional drama endorses ancient Hindu belief. It projects an image of Goa that is different from the easy laid back lifestyle that is normally seen around the state.
Origin:
"Dashavatara" refers to the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu (Hindu God). "Das" means ten and "avatar" means incarnations. The origin of this dance of Goa is yet to be determined. Some believe that it is an evolution of "Yakshagana" a South Indian folk dance. Some others believe that it has evolved from the "Kuchipudi" form of dance.
Yakshagana is classical based folk theater, which is originally from Karnataka. A common man's entertainment, the theater generally depicts themes from the Ramayana or the Mahabharata. Kuchipudi is the classical dance from the state of Andhra Pradesh. However, It is known for sure that this form have been in practice in the Konkan region since the 16th century.
The dance drama:
The "Sutradhar" or the stage manager opens with the stealing of the Vedas (ancient Hindu text), that had taken place. You will also see representations of rivers, Brahmins, gods and goddesses (Lord Brahma, Saraswati) as well as demons like Shankhasur. This is the beginning of the Dashavatara that goes on for nearly 2 hours. The main drama - "Akhyana" unfolds after this, and continues till the wee hours of the morning. The play contains stories from epics and mythologies of India, with local variations.
There are also song and prayers that are performed by the stage manager, dedicated to Ganesha (elephant headed god).This is done at the very beginning, before the play begins.
The performers (both male and female) don on red and white make - up for the performance.
The Dashavatara is very important for the local populace. It is an important occasion of social gathering, and it also helps to preserve Goan culture which, like all age old traditions, is threatened by an increasingly popular western culture.
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