The district of Ganjam had eighteen feudal chiefs, or zamindars, who called themselves Rajas. They were patrons of art, literature and culture. The Prahallada Nataka was born in one such kingdom, or zamindari. The primary text of the Prahallada Nataka was written in the mid-19th century by Raja Ramakrusna Chhotaraya. Dr. Bhagaban Panda dates it to 1829-1927, Suresh Balabantaray places its creation from 1857-1905, and Dr. John Emigh dates it to 1870-80. Ramakrusna was the Raja of the small princely state of Jalantara in the southern part of Odisha that borders Andhra Pradesh. Although attributed to the Raja, the majority of the text may have been written by poet Gaurahari Parichha of Paralakhemundi. While multiple other plays on the same theme exist, Ramakrusna's is generally considered the best example of the routine and was imitated by other Rajas, including Kishore Chandra Harichandan Jagaddeb Ray of Surangi, Padmanabha Narayana Deba of Paralakhemundi, and Ramachandra Suradeo of Tarala. The original manuscript was preserved in the Madras Oriental Manuscript Library and collected by the Directorate of Culture of the Government of Orissa on March 8, 1938, and securely kept in the erstwhile Ravenshaw Library. The Odisha State Museum kept a paper manuscript of the text, copied some time in the 1920s. In the last century, as many as 172 troupes performed the play in the Ganjam district. As of the late 1990s, the play was performed by approximately 57 village theatre companies, due to dwindling audiences. Only about fifty troupes exist today, as the number of professional Rajas declined from 150 to 20.
Performance
Each performance lasts 12 hours. The complete play, as enacted in royal courts of Odisha's southern gadajatas, often took as long as 7 nights. Prahallada Nataka has multiple characters, but only a few remain relevant throughout the play. These include Hiranyakasyapa'Raja'; his wife, Lilabati; their son, Prahallada; and the sutradhara. Occasionally, Hiranyakasyapa's ministers Biprachitti and Trimastaka, along with the sentry, or duari, occupy the stage throughout the play. Female characters are portrayed by male actors. Prahallada Nataka is performed in an open-air setting. It uses a unique seven-stepped platform called the Mancha. The space in front of the Mancha is used as the stage. This space is identified as Hiranyakasyapa's Royal Court. A chair fitted on top of the platform acts as his throne. The ensemble, which typically stands on one side of the Mancha, includes Mardala, Mukhabina, Gini, Jhanja, and a Harmonium. The Gahaka acts as the chief singer, expounding philosophy and introducing segments to the audience. A temporary pillar is constructed opposite to the Mancha for the last scene, where Nrusingha emerges. The mask used for Nrusingha is usually one or two centuries old. It receives regular worship in a village shrine throughout the year and is worn only during a performance. As a mark of respect, the performers maintain ritual purity, which usually means abstaining from non-vegetarian food and liquor.
Recognition
Several performers have received awards from the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India. These include Raghunath Satpathy, Simanchal Patro, Krishna Chandra Sahu as Akademi Awardees and Brundaban Jena, Pramod Kumar Nahak as Yuva Puraskar Awardees.
