Theater Architecture in India

2014

Journey of Theater Architecture in India From Vedic to 21st Century Study on the Ancient theater architecture as well as contemporary

Sushant Bharti Vastukala Academy of Architecture 10/6/2014

Journey of Theater Architecture in India

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Dissertation entitled “Journey Of Theater Architecture in India”, submitted by Sushant Bharti, batch 20112016,as a part of five year undergraduate programme in Architecture at VASTU KALA ACADEMY, is a record of bonafide work carried out by him under by my guidance :

MRS. SHEILY SRIVASTAVA (GUIDE)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am grateful to my dissertation guide, Mrs Sheily Srivastava for her able guidance and providing valuable tips and directions from time to time. I am thankful to her for giving patient hearing to me as and when I approached her with any problem. I would also like to thank Mr Veejay Sai, Art Critic Mr. Ashok Sagar Bhagat,Professor,Theater Architecture, NSD and Mr. Manohar Varadpande for helping me to gather valuable information related to my dissertation topics.

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Introduction Ancient Indian Theater      

Natyotpatti Rasa in Theater Origin Of Theater In India Dramatic Theory Of Veda Theater In Ancient Indian Literature Folk Theater in India

Ancient Indian Theater Architecture   

Theater According To Bharat Muni(Natyashastra) Design aspect of Ancient Indian Theater Historical evidences of Theater in India

Modern Indian Theater Architecture    

Present Day Theater in India Types of Theater in India Design Aspect of present day Indian theater Comparative Analysis of Ancient and Modern Theater

Case Studies   

Prithvi Theater Tata Theater National School of Drama

Conclusion 4

Journey of Theater Architecture in India AIM: To explore the journey of Theater Architecture in India OBJECTIVE: The basic classification of my study would be :          

History / background study of theater What are the principles that affects the theater house To study the different types of theater space To study the social impact on theater To study what are the various benefits of green facades. To study the present trends in green walls Various methods / design aspects which can be followed for constructing green facades , how is a green facade wall erected What is the cost of a green facade wall? Future /developments Do ancient theatre needs advancement Scope of ancient theatre in various conditions & its future.

METHODOLOGY:      

Initially I will show basic information about theatre architecture in India. Afterwards I will try to find basic concept of Indian theatre, and show all theirs characteristics. Next step is to describe present day problems, and try to find if ancient theatre house can be solution to the modern one Finally I will show conclusions and my opinion about dissertation. By this structure is much easier to understand my work and also to take a stand on report problem.

SCOPE OF STUDY : The study is to examine the ancient Indian theater and the construction techniques which are there in Natyashashtra by Bharat Muni and to compare it with the present day theater houses. My study does not include Theater architecture outside India LIMITATIONS: The study is limited to theater performance. No dance and music performances are incorporated in this study.

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Introduction Theatre is one of the integral component of the Indian culture. The rich culture of India has further gained that articulate dimension amidst the artistry of Indian theater and drama. Theater in India is as old as the culture of India and quite ideally therefore the deep-rooted relation between Indian tradition and Indian drama has given birth to a number of eminent personalities in Indian theater. India therefore boasts its glorious association with all the well known theater personalities who has further reshaped and redefined the age old ethnicity of India in the most coherent way. The origin of the Indian theatre or rather folk theatre and dramatics can be traced to religious ritualism of the Vedic Aryans. This folk theatre of the misty past was mixed with dance, ritualism, plus a depiction of events from daily life. It was the last element which made it the origin of the classical theatre of later times. The history of ancient Indian theatre dates back to the Vedic age. It is believed that the theatrical culture in India originated in the times of Rig Veda. Themes regarding wild animals and hunters played the most pivotal role in the ancient Indian theatres. However, the ingredients for theatre were there already in India steeped in folklores, myths, tradition and legends written in umpteen languages as India is always the land of stories. However, the main idea and storyline of the ancient Indian theatres used to be the depiction of events of everyday life, dance and food. Ritualism made a great impact in the presentation of ancient Indian theatre and indeed paved the way of a rather classical presentation of Indian theatre. Dance and Music were highly-evolved Court arts in Ancient India. They were not the folk-art to be shown on the streets or near the village shrines. The palaces contained separate halls for Natya. The Malavika Agnimitra of Kalidasa furnishes us the information that the palace of the King had a chitrasala (painting hall) and a prekshagara (a hall for witnessing Natya). As it is clearly known that Dramaturgy existed in ancient India we cannot deny the fact that there were no permanent structures to house such art performances. It also Denys the fact that the Natyamandap in front of the Garbhgriha were the only structures to house the drama in ancinet times. It is important to find out the various evidences from the ancient Sanskrit text to promote our ancient planning and designing skills of stagecraft. By having a comparative study of both Ancient and Present Day Theater architecture people may get help in designing Playhouse and Theater house for the performance arts. Also an analytical and appropriate studies can be made about the art of construction, material, land, craftsmen, calculations regarding Theater Design.

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Ancient Indian Theater Architecture 8


Natyotpatti Natya is a term which could be used in place of rupaka or rupa, meaning, Drama i.e. a play intended for presentation. Again, Natya is being used for the term Nrtya which means Dance. The expression Bharatanatyam is an example by itself. Many of the earlier & later scholars & critics have written variously on the concept of Natya,Nrtya,Nrtta. It is interesting to note that there is no such term as Nrtya in the Natyashastra. However, the term Nrtya appearing in the original text, at places it is followed by a parenthetical classification Nrtta. Nrtta is much more ancient a genre than natya. It is said that latter was created by Brahma while nrtta was brought into being by Parameswara(Shiva).It cannot be asserted that Natya took off Nrtta, for both the genres took roots & developed independent of each other. Sharadatanya in his “Bhava Prakash”, explains the origin of natya vidya according to the Rigveda:“ At the end of Kalpa, Maheshwara (shiva),having burnt all the worlds, danced in abandon. He then created Vishnu & Brahma. The inexplicable creative energy of Vaishnavi took the form of ever auspicious Ambika & stood on the left side of Shiva. Then in accordance with the plan of Devendra,Brahma,having created all the worlds, wished to directly see the life of Shiva. While Brahma was contemplating on the prospect of seeing the lord’s life, Nandikeshwara arrived & practically taught him the Natyaveda (the knowledge of Natya) and said, ‘ Teach unto other Bharatas(actors) one of the rupakas that thou has learnt from the natyaveda thyself, together with the rules thereof. When Bharata's well-versed in Abhinaya,enact the rupaka,all events & actions in retrospection shall become visible to thee.’ So saying Nandikeshwara disappeared. Being pleased with the fulfillment of his desire Brahma together with other gods,wrote Tripuradaha. Rupaka taught the same to the actors asking them to perform it well. So did they perform.

Rasa in Theater रसा भावा ह्यभभनया धाभमिवतृ िप्रवििय।

भसद्धिस्वरास्ियािोद्यम गानं रं गम च संग्रहः।। The verse speaks of the arousal in the spectator of a pure state of joy(rasa) which is aesthetically aroused by the portrayal of universalized and super sensual inner states of being through the medium of the actor's art of communication through his body-speech mind-physical get up(abhinaya)- delineated according to the two practices of performances

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India (dharmi), in four styles(vrtti) in four regional variations (pravartti) with accompanying vocal and instrumental music(svara-gana-atodaya) in the playhouse (ranga) for the success of production(siddhi). The description provides a comprehensive idea of a set of components which formed the whole framework of an ancient Sanskrit play. Each of them can be properly understood in the context of the others alone. This synergic interrelationship is at the core of the principles and practices of the ancient play. In other words, the play, the character, the performance, its practices, the styles of production, thei regional modes of presentation, the music, the playhouse, the spectators and above all the rasa pervading all these elements are mutually interdependent and interwoven in the fabric of a theater so intrinsically that a replacement of even one of them may disturb the harmony of the style of theater.

Origin Of Theater In India Hindu theatre is an ancient form of drama taking place in India. It dates back to 1500 B.C., when religious hymns were put as dialogue. In Hindu mythology, it is said that Brahma invented theatre and commanded the first playhouse built. A literary language that is used and understood only by aristocrats is called Sanskrit. Gardens or courthouses of palaces or specially built palace playhouses were where most of these dramas were performed in the early years of Hindu Theatre. Also, it is performed only for good entertainment and always has a happy ending. Hindu theatre is very intimate, delicate, and restrained.

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India As we know Hindu theatre got its start before 1500 BC, but what might be surprising is that, according to some historians, is that it might only date back as far as 1000 BC. Hindu drama was written in Sanskrit which was the common language for India at the time. Hindu theatre was usually performed at religious festivals. But the oldest Hindu dramas were not composed in Sanskrit but rather Prakrit. Bharata in Hindu theatre is not a historical person but more of a symbolic thing. Hindu drama was the only form of drama to not be influenced by foreign cultures. But it originated from ancient customs of reciting sorts of poetry. This was only at social and religious gatherings. Musical and dramatic styles added to the increasing success of the Hindu performances.

The origin of the Hindu theatre or rather folk theatre can be traced to religious ritualism of the Vedic Aryans. This folk theatre of the past was mixed with dance, ritualism, plus a depiction of events from daily life. Aryan tribes in which some members of the tribe acted as if they were wild animals and some others were the hunters. Those who acted as animals like goats, buffaloes, reindeer, monkeys, etc. were chased by those playing the role of hunters and a mock hunt was enacted. In such a simple manner did the theatre originate in India nearly 4000 years back in the tribal Aryans of Rig Vedic times. Bharatamui, the author of Natyashastra an ancient Indian text on dance and drama, is said to have lived around the 4th century but even he is not aware of the actual origin of the theatre in India. He has stated in a dramatic manner that it was the lord of creation Brahma who also created the original Natyashastra . According to Bharatamuni, since the lord Brahma created the entire universe we need not question his ability in creating dramas.

Dramatic Theory Of Veda The first thing perhaps which strikes a student of Sanskrit literature is the fundamental religious basis of the entire edifice. The characteristic Hindu attitude to life may be judge from certain deeply rooted national beliefs. The doctrine of karmas and of rebirth go hand in hand. Deeds of the past life are held more or less responsible for birth in a high or low caste and family, and also for the misery and happiness falling to the human lot. However since god is supposed to hold the scales of justice even, it is open to a human soul, by means of meritorious deeds, to rise to the summit of evolution and experience, the consummation of pure joy i.e.' Moksha. It is not difficult to trace the influence of this great doctrine on the Vedic Drama. Human suffering was thus easily accounted for. Sakuntala, by a deed of omission, offended a fiery

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India sage, who pronounced the curse of conjugal separation on the erring damsel. Similarly, Sita holds the sins of previous birth for her miseries. This philosophical attitude was supported by a general moral purpose to encourage virtue and condemn vice or sin. Partly to achieve this end and partly to preserve the usual romantic atmosphere, there were presented on the stage ideal heroic characters strongly contrasted with vicious antagonist. In order to maintain an idealistic situation not only was a tragic end forbidden, but other important and far reaching restrictions were also imposed. Propriety and decorum were emphasized and the dramatist had to observe decencies on the stage.

Theater in Ancient Indian Literature Dance and Music were highly-evolved Court arts in Ancient India. They were not the folk-art to be shown on the streets or near the village shrines. The palaces contained separate halls for Natya. The Malavika Agnimitra of Kalidasa furnishes us the information that the palace of the King had a chitrasala (painting hall) and a prekshagara (a hall for witnessing Natya). It is in this prekshagara that Malavika's dance is presented. There can be no mistaking this place to be a mere hall or ‘some sort of architectural structure.’ It is a perfect natyasala, there being mention of the green-room and the curtain. In act V of the Sakuntala it is said that Hamsapadika, the King's quondam sweetheart is singing in the sangitasala. The Vishnudharmottara mentions only two types of theatres. It says "The Natya should be presented only in a theatre, and a theatre might be of two kinds, rectangular or square. The square should be 16 X 16 yds. The theatre should not be too small or too big, for there would be congestion in a small one and the show would become indistinct in a big one." The measurement given here for a rectangular theatre is not clear, the text being corrupt. This work does not mention the triangular theatre. Narada's Sangitamakaranda mentions only the square theatre. It gives a new measurement, that this square theatre should be 48 X 48 yds. Thus according to Bharata this will perhaps be a jyestha type. Narada then adds that the natyasala must be richly painted with the eighty-four bandhas mentioned in the Kamasastra, or more likely the dance bandhas of the Natyasastra, inlaid with innumerable gems of diverse colours and decorated with chowries, flags and festoons. He gives the house four gates. In the centre there should be a raised platform, beautiful and perfumed, a twelve-yard square, in the middle of which the king's seat should be arranged. Chapter X of Saradatanaya's Bhavaprakasa says that the palace of a king should have three kinds of theatres. This writer omits the rectangular type and has in its place the vritta, circular theatre He opines that the king should have all the three types in his palace, each for a particular kind of dance and audience. He assigns to the circular theatre only the chitra variety of the misra dance i.e., the style in which bothmarga and desi are

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India mixed. The audience in this theatre should be only males, consisting, besides the king, of proprietors of other theatres –para-mantapikas, and the chief citizens. In the square type the audience consist of the king courtezans, ministers, merchants, commander of the army, friends and the king's sons. Here all sorts of misra dance and music could be conducted. In the triangular, the audience with the king include the sacrificial priests, the preceptors, the king's harem and the chief queen. The dance conducted in this theatre should be of the marga style only. The Sivatattvaratnakara of Basavaraja says that King Venkatappa built a theatre at Ikkeri. It describes the grandeur of that theatre, worked in ivory and sandal and inlaid with precious stones, having, a garden around it, receiving enough light where it was wanted and with special artificial lighting arrangements in the darker portions. The whole house was beautified with paintings of various themes on the walls that looked like mirror. The Sangitachudamani, an unpublished work on Music, seems to have dealt with the theatre. We have two verses from it describing yavanika (curtain) quoted in another available work on Poetics. The verses say that there should be a thick and beautiful curtain in front. Behind it, there should be two very thin and beautiful curtains looking just like thin mist. The first curtain is the front ‘drop’ which is removed as soon as the show begins. Behind the mist-like curtain, the danseuse performs the dance caned lasya.

Folk Theatre In India Since India consists of varied ethnic groups, each developed their own kind of traditional folk theatres, using the regional language for communication. These theaters are known by different names in different Indian states, like Jatra in Bengal, Orissa and Bihar, Tamasha in Maharashtra, Nautanki in Uttar Pradesh and so on. Here, the main protagonists are the narrator and a comedian. Loud music, dance, elaborate make-up, masks and chorus singing are the main traits of Indian folk theatre.

Kutiyattam

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Bhavai

Journey of Theater Architecture in India Kutiyattam is the only surviving specimen of the ancient Sanskrit theatre, thought to have originated around the beginning of the Common Era. In addition, many forms of Indian folk theatre abound. Bhavai is a popular folk theatre form of Gujarat, said to have arisen in the 14th century CE. Bhaona and Ankiya Nats have been practicing in Assam since early 16th century which were created and initiated by Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva.

Bhaona a

Jatra

Jatra has been popular in Bengal and its origin is traced to the Bhakti movement in the 16th century. Another folk theatre form popular in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh is Swang, which is dialogue-oriented rather than movement-oriented and is considered to have arisen in its present form in the late 18th - early 19th centuries.

Yakshagana

Kathakali

Swang

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India Yakshagana is a very popular theatre art in Karnataka and has existed under different names at least since the 16th century.. Kathakali is a form of dance-drama, characteristic of Kerala, that arose in the 17th century, developing from the temple-art plays Krishnanattam and Ramanattam.

Theater According to Bharata Muni According to Rig Vedic Hymns Brahma ordered Visvakarma, the celestial architect, to construct a Natya Griha or a theatre so that admission could be restricted. Being himself one of the gods, Visvakarma immediately brought into being a theatre, acoustically perfect. In order to prevent any disturbance various gods were entrusted with respective duties of guarding the actors and actresses, the production material and the theatre - the Moon was in overall charge of the theatre, the lokpals to guard the sides, Mitra in charge of the green rooms, Varuna the sky, Agni the stage, Meegha the instruments, Brahma the acting area, Indra the hero, Sarasvati the heroine, Oomkaara the clown, Hara the rest of the artistes etc. "those gods that are in respective charge of the various sections of the production and the theatre shall be called Ranga Deevanta-s or the presiding deities of the theatre and hold supereme charge of those sections" were the powers made over by Brahma. He also stated that the Gods that guard the production and the theatre should be worshipped before a production started. A detailed description of different types of theatre (Natyamandapa) is given in the second chapter of the Natyasastra by Bharata Muni. It contains one hundred and five stanzas. It gives detailed dimensions and layouts of different types of theatres as well as information on the construction of walls, columns, roof, their decorations etc. the description of theatres is so minute and the reasons, given by Bharata, for fixing their dimensions are based on such scientific facts that there could not be any doubt that such thetres used to be constructed at and before the time of Bharata, and that he must have been well-versed in the various facets of the consruction of the theatre. The name of the second chapter of the Natyasastra is 'Mandapa Vidhanam'. Detailed description of three types of theatres are given. This second chapter is an important evidence regarding the progress in the consruction of big public buildings as early as fourth or fifth century B.C. The theatre according to the Natyasastra of Bharata, would be as briefly stated as follows :-

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India प्रेक्षगह् ृ ः। ृ णाम सवेषाम त्रिप्रकारो द्धवधधः स्मि द्धवकृष्टश्चा चिरु श्च ियस्िेवा प्रयोक्िभृ भः।।

Theatres are of three types depending on their shape. They are Rectangular(Vrikrshta), Square(Chatursara) and Triangular(Tryasara). Each type is subdivided into three according to their dimensions, as large,medium and small. The large theatre is 108 hastas long, middle is 64 Hastas and the small theatre is 32 hastas long. There are thus Nine types of theatres प्रमाणमेषाम ् तनर्दि ष्टम ् हस्िदण्डसमाश्रयम ्।

शिं चाष्टौ चिःु षष्ष्टहिस्िा द्वात्रिंशदे व च।।

Dimensions of theatre are given in Hastas (= 24 angulas) as well as in dandas (= 96 angulas). But theatres are constructed in the measure of Hasta. Thus the theatre is divided in two main parts of equal length. The eastern division is meant for the audiencehall, the theatre being oriented in the east-west direction. The western part is again divided in two equal parts. The eastern part of it is meant for the Rangasirsa and the western part for the green-room. रं गपीठस्थ पाश्वे िु कििव्या मि ृ वाररणी। चिःु स्िम्भसमायक् ु िा रं गपीठाप्रमाणिः।।

The Rangapitha is the stage and the Rangasirsa is its surface. Separate area is not allotted to the Rangasirsa other than meant for the rangapitha. The Natyamandapa should be provided with a plinth or Adhisthana. The Rangasirsa should be at the higher level than the plinth. Mattavarani is a verandah or a wing located at both the sides of the Rangapitha. It also referred to a wooden railing 1½ hastas in height. It is located on the top of the Rangapitha and along its edge that is towards the audience - hall. It is provided with four columns. It serves to protect actors and actress from the attack of intoxicated persons from the audience - hall. The moulding of the front side of the Rangapitha should be similar to those of vedika, as described in the treatises of Silpasastra.It is decorated with elephant relief carved on it.

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India कूमिपष्ृ ठम ् न कििव्यं मिस्यपष्ृ ठम ् िथवव च। शि ु ारदशिि लाकारं रं गशीषि प्रशष्यिे।।

The Rangasirsa of the rectangular theatre should be ascending from its eastern edge to the western edge. It should neither look like the back of a tortoise i.e. high in between and lower at the ends nor like the fish i.e. long and bulged from all sides The Rangasirsa of the theatre should be level and as shiny as a mirror. रं गपीठम ििः कायि द्धवधधस्िेन कमिणा। रं गशीषिन्िु कििव्यं षद्दारुकसमष्न्विम ्।।

Saddharuka a wooden frame of six wooden battens placed below the the Rangasirsa in order to create hollow space between Rangapitha and Rangsirsa. हस्िप्रमाणे रुिसेधेर्ुि भमभागसमथ ु ुटे।

रं गपीठावलोकश्चा कुयािदसंजम द्धवधधम ्।।

The step - like seating arrangement being form a distance of eight Hastas from the eastern edge of the Rangapitha. The seating arrangement, in the square-shaped theatre is 32 Hastas long and eight Hastas broad. The easternmost step is at the height of eight hastas from the top of the plinth. The height of the theatre should be equal to that of the two storeyed mandapa. A second floor is not provided either above the stage or the audience - hall. Some Columns are embedded in walls. Walls are not load-bearing. The theatre is a column and beam structure. नेपथ्यगह ृ काश्चवव ििः कायि प्रयन्िथा। द्वाराश्चवकं भवेत्िि रं गपीठा प्रवेशने।।

Four door should be provided to the rectangular theatre and three doors, each, to the square-shaped and triangular theatre. A door is provided for the entry of actors from outside to the green-room in all the theatre. Another door is provided in the eastern wall of the theatre for the people to enter the audience-hall. In case of the rectangular theatre, there are two doors in the partition wall separating the stage from the green-

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India room. In case of the square and the triangular theatres, there should be only one door for the entry from the green-room to the stage. कायिः शवलगह ु ाकारो द्द्धवभभू मनािट्यमण्डपः। मंड़वािायनोपेिो तनरविो धीरशब्दावन।।

The height of the theatre, like that of a Chaitya cave, should be equal to a two storied mandapa. It should have a barrel vault type roof like that a Chaitya cave. The arrangement of columns is similar to that in caitya cave. Those who wants to have an idea of the type of theatres in ancient Indian may derive much benefit by referring to the very useful diagrams of Bharata's theatres which are given here

Detailed Section of an ancient Theater Stage

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Glossary of Ancient Stage Natyamandapa & Preksagraha -Theatre. Ranga-Stage Rangapitha-The base of the stage, Rangasirsa-The surface of the stage Mattavarani-A line(an artistic design in relief) of intoxicated elephants, Viddhasya-Faces so turned as to see the stage-(facing the stage) Hastadanda Samasraya- With the help of a measuring rod(danda) of one cubit(hasta) Saddaruka- A six-piece wooden structure Dvibhumi- Two floors Anissarana Dharma- The principle of Reflection(here applied to sound or acoustics)

The theatres mentioned in the Natyashastra are of three kinds :

Vikrstha(Oblong)

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Caturasra(Square)

Tryasra(Triangular).


Again, each of them are in three sizes:Jyestha(Large) Madhyama(Middle) Avara(Small) Thus, there are nine varieties of theatre in all. The dimensions of these theatres are measured in Hasta units..Therefore,there cannot be eight varieties of theatre as Abhinavgupta mentions :1) 2) 3)

Vikrstha Madhyama( oblong theatre of middle size- 64x32 h) Caturasra avara(square theatre of small size- 32x32 h) Tryasra(triangular theatre of small size- 16 h)

One hasta = 18 inch or 45 cm

Design Aspects of Ancient Stage In fact, only these 3 theatres have been mentioned in Natyashastra. The preference to the middle size as the best in all three varieties valid from the present day scientific points of view(i.e. of optics & acoustics of theatre) भभू मस्िवव कत्यिवः करतिभभनािट्यमण्डपम ्।

प्रथमं शोधनम ् कृत्वा लांगलेन समत्ु कृशेन ि ्।। अष्स्थ कीलकपाभलनी िण ु मांश्च शोधयेि ्। ृ गल शोधतयत्वा वसम े िः।। ु िी प्रमाणं तनर्दि शि

The site where a play house has to constructed should be obstruction free. Strong, stable, absence of skeleton and large granules is required. Rangapitha happens to be the support below for the rangasirsa to rest on. The mattavarani a sculptural relief of elephants was carved on the lower frieze of rangapitha, with its four pillars on the stage. The height of elephants so carved should not be less than half a hasta (nearly 9”). The height of mattavarani & that of stage are to be corresponding & equal to each other. Rangasirsa was constructed on the support of Saddaruka, a simple structure of a frame made of six rafter pieces of wood. Adequate number of planks & bamboos were laid to cover the tops of saddaruka.

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India Over that, again, black earth(clay) was spread evenly & then again polished smoothly like the surface of a mirror. Rangasirsa is this surface of the stage floor. Since the saddaruka frames remain hidden underneath the rangapitha, they were visible. The stage was referred to as Dvibhumi meaning two floors because it is made up of a lower part & an upper part, the rangapitha & rangasirsa. On account of construction of the saddaruka frames, the space between the rangapitha & rangasirsa was empty. Characters like gods & other supernatural beings could be made to appear on the stage-floor as emerging from this empty space. The empty space also served as a resonating agent due to which the sounds of the foot-steps(of the performers) could be resonated & rendered pleasing to hear. Nirvyuha kuhara, a projecting element from the wall served as a protecting shield to the element below it constructed in recess created in the wall for inserting decorating motif. These projecting elements were made inside as well as outside of a wall. These were made in material like- bricks, wood or stone. A look at the walls of any old building would give a clear idea of these projecting and recessed elements. Their purpose was to create idea of chiaroscuro of light and shade by the sunlight falling on the wall and help in breaking the monotony of a plain flat surface. And width adequate projection or depth they could also protect the elements under or inside these. But these elements seem to be used in Bharats's theaters inside the wall and are mentioned in the slokas which are referring to the wood work. This wood work was done with two objectives in mind- weight bearing and creating beauty and richness by ornamentation. The ornamental design not only imparted the interior of the theater richness and beauty, but they also served as very vital function that of breaking up the plain wood surfaces and give them a texture of unevenness and roughness which was a very important and necessary function from the point of acoustics. These uneven and textured surfaces helped in the absorption of sound and prevented it from being thrown back which would results in echoes. Besides these favorable requirements, other elements also were used to reinforce sound and give it resonance and to avoid echoes and thereby give the speech and singing a quality more pleasing to hear. The textured achieved in the ornamentation as well as the pillars, beams, the ribs, the struts also must have helped a great deal in reinforcing the quality of sound. They broke up the even surface which would tend to reflect the sound and create echoes. These elements in the days of yore were used to for the same purpose as the modern sound insulation boards are used to serve in the present day theater acoustics.

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India The shape of the theater-salaghuraka-itself must have been responsible to no mean extent in creating the excellent acoustics quality. Bharata's had achieved a high quality of acoustics and good sight lines which many a modern architect have failed to achieve in the construction of theaters. The roof of the theatre should be raised high in a manner to form a rib in the middle. The vertices of the triangles so formed at the ends of the rib & rest of the roof should slope down. The roof should almost look like the roof of a cave of stone. The hollow space so formed inside the roof shall make the sound(of speech & song)uniformly audible to at all points. मण्डपे द्धवप्रकृष्टे िु पाठ्यमच् ु चररिस्वाराम।

अष्न्नस्सरण धमित्वाद्द्धवस्वरत्वम ् भश ृ म व्रजेि।। प्रेक्षाग्रहणम ् सवेषां िस्मान्मध्यमभमष्यिे।

यस्मात्पठ्यांच गेयश्ं च िि श्र्वये िरं भवेि ्।।

The rectangular middle sized theater was to be neither larger nor smaller than this because the sound of the spoken words would become indistinct due to distance or become distorted due to the deflection causing echo. स्िम्भवम ् न नागदं िम वा विायानामथाद्धप वा।

कोणम व सम्प्रतिद्वाराम द्वारद्धवन्दम ् न कायिि।े ।

No pillar, no peg on it, no window, no corner or any door should face a door. He says this from the point of view of the unobstructed view of an entry or exit as well as of acoustics distinction. It is common practice of the architects to place doors and windows facing each other for the free cross wind to pass easily. In a theater, the subtlest sound is vitally important and wind would disturb this and make it indistinct and hence this advice to construct doors in a staggered order. The windows are to be small so that they let in only gentle breeze or be almost breezeless. The breeze is further to be regulated by jalalattice. This as well as staggered placing of the doors and windows would help to keep the sound of spoken words steady and also bring solemnness to dialogues.

Timing of a Drama Performance Except for the time of prayers or meals, a play could be performed at any time of day and night-early mornings, forenoon, afternoon and evening. As a rule, a performance was fixed at a period of day or night or even a season which was most appropriately suitable to communicate the mood and rasa impact of the play. for example, a play evoking pathetic

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India rasa might be staged in mornings, while one with latent erotic rasa would be staged at evening. Plays were generally produced on festive occasions, public or private. A vernal festival was the occasion of the staging of Ratnavali. The Mudrarakshasha refers to the celebration of autumn season. The time of production was generally afternoon and lasted for nearly four or even five hours. It must be remembered that while in the Greek Theater, often three tragedies and a comedy were produced on the same day, In India one single, well sustained and systematically evolved drama was produced. The Indian climatic conditions would give the necessary light throughout the day, for as a rule few plays were produced during the rainy season. The first thing perhaps which strikes a student of Sanskrit literature is the fundamental religious basis of the entire edifice. The characteristic Hindu attitude to life may be judge from certain deeply rooted national beliefs. The doctrine of karmas and of rebirth go hand in hand. Deeds of the past life are held more or less responsible for birth in a high or low caste and family, and also for the misery and happiness falling to the human lot. However since god is supposed to hold the scales of justice even, it is open to a human soul, by means of meritorious deeds, to rise to the summit of evolution and experience, the consummation of pure joy i.e.' Moksha. It is not difficult to trace the influence of this great doctrine on the Vedic Drama. Human suffering was thus easily accounted for. Sakuntala, by a deed of omission, offended a fiery sage, who pronounced the curse of conjugal separation on the erring damsel. Similarly, Sita holds the sins of previous birth for her miseries. This philosophical attitude was supported by a general moral purpose to encourage virtue and condemn vice or sin. Partly to achieve this end and partly to preserve the usual romantic atmosphere, there were presented on the stage ideal heroic characters strongly contrasted with vicious antagonist. In order to maintain an idealistic situation not only was a tragic end forbidden, but other important and far reaching restrictions were also imposed. Propriety and decorum were emphasized and the dramatist had to observe decencies on the stage.

Historical Evidences of Theater in India Theatre in the city of Krishnadevaraya There are historical reference to Krishnadevaraya himself being a practicioner of music & drama. It is said that one Bhandaru Lakshminarayana,an expert in music had been teaching music to krishnadevaraya & ladies of his harem. Another person,Ranjakam Shreerangaraju,Ranjakam Kuppai(his daughter),the dance master Nagayya & others known to have been performing Dance-dramas in the august presence of Krishnadevaraya. Paes,a foreign traveller,has described this theatre in certain detail.

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Open air theatre in the royal courtyard of Tanjavur There is a square theatre in tanjavur belonging to Nayak kings. It is called Tiranda Veli Arangam, meaning open air exterior stage(theatre).This theatre is attached to the western wall of Saraswati Mahal library. Its earlier shape is not unknown.It has no roof.It is bounded by four walls so as to enclose the courtyard. It is said that two thousand spectators could easily be accommodated at one time. A raised platform appears to have existed earlier on the north-east corner of the quadrangular enclosure. A speech delivered from the platform would easily reach every one of the audience without the aid of of any amplifying device. It was seen that the acoustics of the open-air enclosure was good enough even for musical concerts.

Open-air construction excavated at Nagarjunakonda

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India At the time of excavations at Nagarajunasagar for the project of constructing a dam,a quadrangular structure,like an open-air theatre was unearthed.It is said that a raised level on one side of the quadrangular arena & rows of seats on the remaining three of it give it the shape of an open-air theatre.It is not yet known whether it represents an open-air theatre or a stadium to accommodate games & spectators.

Some more historical examples existing till date: Ankiya Nat 60 yards long and 20 yards wide,fully covered theater with a double roof on large wooden pillars called Nama Ghar or Bhaona Ghar in which the stage area is marked with rangasthali. Bhgavatamela A temporary sqaure stage of 15,X15'X2.5' erected in a 20' wide street adjacent to a temple main gate where the temple deity is placed. The performers face the deity. The stage is covered with a cloth canopy. Yakshagana A temporary stage 16'X16' square area on the ground level with poles Ton each corner in a temple courtyard

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Modern Indian Theater Architecture 26


Modern Theater in India The development of Modern Theatre in India was attributed to a change in the political set up in India. The 200 years of the British rule brought the Indian theatre into direct contact with the western theatre. The seeds of Modern Theatre were sown in the late 18th century, with the consolidation of British power in Bengal, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. It was in the thriving metropolises of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras that they first introduced their brand of theatre, based on London models. The initial purpose of the British, while introducing Modern Theatre in India was to provide entertainment for the British soldiers and citizens trying to acclimatize themselves to a foreign country. For the first time in India, the writing and practice of theatre was geared fully towards realistic or naturalistic presentation. The themes also underwent a drastic change. They were no more woven around big heroes and gods, but had become a picture of common man. Initially most dramatic works were composed in three languages - Bengali, Tamil and Marathi. But later plays began to be written in other languages like Kannada, Gujarati, Hindi, Oriya, Urdu and English. Modern theatre also reached the other states in the south by the beginning of the 19th century. Ramashankar Roy, Basanta Kumar Mahapatra and others were the pioneers of the Orissa Theatre. In Tamil Nadu, the early exponents of theatre were Prof. Sundaram Pillai, Sankardas Swamigal, Sambananda Mudaliar and others. In the recent times, V. Gopalakrishnan won the respect and admiration of the audience and his fellow artistes for his talent. Along with Suchalatha Reddy and Thambi Kadambavanam, Gopi had started the Madras Players troupe in 1952 under the auspices of the British Council and had acted in quite a few English plays. He also founded the Gopi Theatres in 1971, which staged nearly 30 plays, which included Nittham Oru Yuddham. In the middle of the 19th century the Western literature and the feelings of nationalism and pride of the glorious past of the country equally influenced Indian Theatre. Indian theatre and drama got a new footing, when Sangeet Natak Akademi was started in January 1953. Later, the National School of Drama under the directorship of Ebrahim Alkazi did much for the growth and promotion of modern Indian theatre. In the 1960s, by suitable mixing of various styles and techniques from Sanskrit, medieval folk

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India and western theatre, the modern Indian theatre was given a new, versatile and broader approach at every level of creativity. The year 1972 turned out to be a landmark for the Indian vernacular theatre when Vijay Tendulkar's Marathi play 'Ghashiram Kotwal' made waves by its brilliant use of traditional folk forms in modern contemporary theatre. This led to the birth of a new breed of directors The beginning of 21st century describes a period of great change within the theatrical culture of the 20th century. There was a widespread challenge to long established rules surrounding theatrical representation; resulting in the development of many new forms of theatre, including modernism, Expressionism, Impressionism. political theatre and other forms of Experimental theatre, as well as the continuing development of already established theatrical forms like naturalism and realism. Throughout the century, the artistic reputation of theatre improved after being derided throughout the 19th century. However, the growth of other media, especially film, has resulted in a diminished role within culture at large. In light of this change, theatrical artists have been forced to seek new ways to engage with society. The various answers offered in response to this have prompted the transformations that make up its modern history.[1] Developments in areas like Gender theory and postmodern philosophy identified and created subjects for the theatre to explore. These sometimes explicitly meta-theatrical performances were meant to confront the audience's perceptions and assumptions in order to raise questions about their society. These challenging and influential plays characterized much of the final two decades of the 20th-century.

Types Of Modern Theater Drama-comedy or tragedy can be performed in many different types of theatres, as well as outdoors, in warehouses, stairwells, and other unusual places. For simplicity, we’ve divided this discussion into smaller drama theatres which include flexible and courtyard theatres and larger drama theatres, which include thrust, open, and proscenium stages.

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Arena A theatre in which the audience completely surrounds the stage or playing area. Actor entrances to the playing area are provided through vomitories or gaps in the seating arrangement. Thrust A theatre in which the stage is extended so that the audience surrounds it on three sides. The thrust stage may be backed by an enclosed proscenium stage, providing a place for background scenery, but audience views into the proscenium opening are usually limited. Actor entrances are usually provided to the front of the thrust through dormitories or gaps in the seating.

Black box theatre A flexible theatre usually without character or embellishment—a “void” space that may indeed be black, but isn’t always. Usually, audience seating is on the main floor, with no audience galleries, though a technical gallery may be provided.

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India End stage Theater A theatre in which the audience seating and stage occupy the same architectural space, with the stage at one end and the audience seated in front facing the stage.

Studio theatre A flexible theatre with one or more audience galleries on three or four sides of a rectangular room. The main floor can usually be reconfigured into arena, thrust, endstage, and flat floor configurations. The room usually has some architectural character. Courtyard theatre The term courtyard theatre embraces a range of theatre forms, all with the common characteristic of at least one raised seating gallery surrounding a central area. Often this central area is flexible, and can be configured into arena, thrust, end stage, and flat floor configurations. Sometimes the central area has fixed seating that faces a proscenium opening and stage.

Proscenium theatre In a proscenium theatre, the stage is located at one end of the auditorium and is physically separated from the audience space by a proscenium wall. This is sometimes called a “twobox” arrangement—the auditorium and stage occupy two separate “boxes” or rooms. The

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India stage box (stage house) provides fly space and wings and permits a wide variety of scenic and lighting effects. The auditorium box is the audience chamber, which may take many forms—fan-shaped, courtyard, lyric, etc.

Thrust and open stage Some larger drama theatres take the form of a thrust stage, with the audience surrounding three sides of the performance platform. The term open stage can be used interchangeably with thrust, but implies a more frontal arrangement. These and similar forms can accommodate a high seat count within an acceptable distance to the stage. Audience balconies can increase the intimacy of the room. Promenade theatre A theatre without fixed seating in the main part of the auditorium – this allows the standing audience to intermingle with the performance and to follow the focal point of the action to different parts of the room. Multiple-focus action and a moving audience are the primary characteristics of the promenade theatre. Dance theatres Other than the tradition of ballet performance in opera houses, there is no strongly identifiable theatre form for dance performance. Smaller, 100 to 300-seat spaces designed for dance are usually end stage or proscenium. The design of the auditorium emphasizes frontal sightlines and a clear view of the stage floor. Sometimes the seating is on telescopic risers that can be retracted to allow the whole space to be used for rehearsal or instruction. Multiform theatre A multiform theatre can be reconfigured to change the actor-audience relationship and the seat count. By moving large architectural elements, the one-room form of the concert hall can be transformed into a two-room theatre—an auditorium and stage with a proscenium. Side wall seating towers can be positioned to narrow the room, or otherwise change its proportion. Often the orchestra (stalls) floor can be leveled and the seats removed to create a large, flexible flat floor area. (Many of the theatre forms described here can be designed with this flat floor capability. It was a common feature of eighteenth and nineteenth century opera houses.

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Design Aspect of Modern Theater Site Selection The choice of a site in modern day for an auditorium are governed by several factors which may be mutually conflicting, but compromise has to be struck between the various of the site are made in advance so that noisy locations are avoided. Where as possible otherwise elaborate and expense construction is required to provide requisite sound insulation. The quietest possible condition is provided so that intelligibility of speech does not suffer and even soft passages of music are heard. It is -particularly necessary to keep the level of extraneous noise low by proper orientation and site selection in case where no airconditioning is provided and doors and windows' are normally kept open during the performance. When air-conditioning is provided special care is taken to attenuate the plant noise and the grill noise. For this purpose plant is suitably isolated and ducts as well as the plenum are designed that noise gets adequately reduced so as to be within the permissible limits. Size and Shape The sizes are fixed in relation to the number of audience required to be seated. The floor area of the theater including ,gangways ( excluding the stage) are calculated on the basis of 0-6 to 0'9 meter cube per person. The height of the theater is determined by such considerations as ventilation, presence (or absence) of balcony and the type of performance. The average height may vary from 6 m for small theaters to 7·5 m for large theaters. Ceiling may be flat but preferable to provide a slight increase in the height near the centre of theater. The volume per person required to be provided normally range between 3.5-5.5 meter per cube. Floor plans of various shapes are used, but the one which is considered to give satisfactory results without introducing complications in the acoustical treatment of the Theater is the fan-shaped plan. The proscenium may bear any suitable ratio with the height of the theater to suit stage requirements and considerations of viability. The side walls are arranged to have an angle of not more than 100 degrees with the curtain line. Also, in the case of theatre a person with normal vision should be able to discern facial expressions of the performers. In order to satisfy these conditions, it is always recommended that the distance of the farthest seat from the curtain line is not more than 23 meters.

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India Stage The size of the stage depends upon the type of performance the hall is to cater for. It is to be large for theatres, comparatively small for cinema halls. Rear Wall The theater rear walls are either fiat or convex in shape. There is no concave shape, but where it cannot be avoided, the acoustical design indicate the surface to be splayed or convex corrugations given in order to avoid any tendency for the sound to focus into the theater. Side wall where the side walls are non-parallel as in the case of a fan-shaped hall. The walls remain reflective and are architecturally finished in any manner required, if sound absorbing material is not required from other considerations. Where the side walls are parallel they are left untreated to a length of about 7 meter from the proscenium end. In addition, any of the surfaces likely to cause a delayed echo or flutter echo is appropriately treated with a sound absorbing material. Difference between the direct path and the path reflected from side wall does not exceed 1meter. Roof and ceiling The requirements pertaining to a roof are mainly governed by architectural, engineering or economic considerations. In large theater hall a false ceiling is usually provided below the trusses. The portion of the false ceiling near the proscenium is constructed of reflective material ( usually plaster of Paris) and is suitably inclined to help reflections from the stage to reach the rear seats of the hall. The remaining portion of this ceiling is constructed to take acoustical treatment. Concave shaped ceilings (in the form of dome or barrel) are avoided. The rear portion of the ceiling is treated with sound absorbing material partly for control of reverberation and partly to prevent build-up of audience noise. Seating arrangement For good visibility as also for good listening conditions, the successive rows of seats are raised over the preceding ones with the result that the floor level rises towards the rear. The elevation is based on the principle that each listener shall be elevated with respect to the person immediately in front of him so that the listener's head is about 12 cm above the path of sound which passes over the head of the person in front of him. It is possible to reduce this to 8 cm, if the seats are staggered . As an empirical rule the angle of elevation of the inclined floor in an auditorium is not less than 8 degrees.

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India Door and Window Where the external noise level is high, properly fitted door and windows are provided. Their rebates are lined with draught strip rubber or felt. In the case of existing doors and windows where leakage of sound is observed it is necessary to improve the fitting of the shutters and at the same time, provide draught rubber. Seats The seats are arranged in concentric arch of circles drawn with the centre located as much behind the centre of the curtain line (curtain line) distance from the auditorium rear wall. Seats are staggered sideways in relation to those in front so that a listener in any row is not looking directly over the head of- the person in front of him. Reflecting surfaces are designed as to aid distribution of sound. Those areas which cause objectionable sound reflection and are treated with sound absorbents are earmarked for treatment with sound absorbing material. These areas are (a) the rear wall, (b) the balcony parapet, (c) any areas which may reflect sound back to the stage, (d) concave areas which have a tendency to focus sound in certain places, and (e) such other areas as will contribute to indirect sound arriving at any point in the theater later than 50 milliseconds after the direct sound. The rest of the sound absorbing material introduced below are also used as sound absorbing materials: a) Acoustic plaster ( a plaster which includes granulated insulation material with cement }; b) Compressed cane or wood fiberboard, imperforated and perforated; c) Wood particle board; d) Compressed wood woo); e) Mineral/glass wool quilts and mats; f) Mineral/compressed glass wool tiles; g) Composite units of perforated hardboard backed by perforated fiberboard; h) Composite units of perforated board (hardboard, asbestos board or metal sheet) i) Special absorbers constructed of hardboard, teak ply, etc. In an ideal theater, most of the absorption is provided by the audience. This is relatively more in the high frequency range than in the middle or in the low frequency range. It therefore, becomes desirable to introduce special low frequency absorbers ( such as wooden paneling used as wainscot or otherwise) on ceilings and walls which provide the requisite amount of absorption so as to achieve optimum reverberation- time over as wide a frequency range as possible. The amount of the absorptive materials required are calculated on the basis of the absorption values at one or more frequencies in each of the low. Acoustics of the halls are designed so as to ensure proper conditions for listening, assuming that a person may speak or listen from anywhere in the theater. Optimum reverberation time is chosen. It may be noted that too long reverberation time muffles and confuses the

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India speech intelligibility while too short time prevents build-up of proper level for good listening. Use of sound amplification system are avoided as far as possible. But where necessitated, because of size or other requirements, low level loudspeakers are provided for individual or a group of seats. Absorbent material is distributed evenly over the waIl surfaces of the theater . Ceiling is not domed and is not higher than 6 meters. Acoustical treatment on the ceiling are confined to peripheral regions only.

Comparative analysis of Ancient Theater and Modern Theater The study of both Ancient and Modern Indian stage has drawn a lot of similarities and differences between the design parameters and considerations of both eras. Also, the social, political and economic conditions of two different eras has shown a lot of other aspects of theater architecture that have remain untouched till date. The comparative analysis of Ancient and Modern Indian Theater has a lot to convey and it can be majorly divided as follows:

Site selection In case of both Ancient and Modern theater architecture site selection has been a key point of designing. It is clearly stated by Bharat Muni in Natyashastra that selection of the site has to be done with utmost care keeping in mind that there is no skeletons, corpse, large granules , loose soil at the site. The use of black soil by Bharat Muni states the importance of strong and stable ground. Also it is clearly stated in Natyashatsra to have an well leveled ground as a site. Whereas in modern theater architecture also the most important part of designing depends on the location and condition of the site. A noise free, well leveled and land with stable ground is considered to be best .

Designing and Planning Designing and planning of the theater house is the most important aspect of theater architecture. In Natyashashtra, second chapter deals with the design aspect of the play house. Three types of theater house (Rectangular, Square and Triangular) and each with

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India three varieties (Small, Oblong and large) has been clearly mentioned in Natyashashtra. Also the division of spaces has an important part in it. Bharat Muni has clearly mentioned about dividing the playhouse in two equal parts and then further dividing the area containing stage in two equal parts creating a green room behind. Also a side gallery i.e. Mattvarini is also incorporated in Bharata's theater. Further the stage has also provided with a plinth of height 1-1.5 hastas. Seating arrangement has also been mentioned clearly in Natyashashtra. A hindrance free and non obstructing seat row is promoted by Bharat Muni. Positioning of doors and windows have also been placed with utmost care in Bharat Muni's theater. Positioning of doors opposite to each other has been clearly opposed by Bharat Muni. Windows of small size is favored in Bharata's theater in order to incorporate less breeze inside the theater house. Bharat Muni design principles were too advanced and accurate that there traits can still be seen in Modern Play house. Majorly whatever Natyashastra has stated all can be seen easily in today's time. Theater house of rectangular, semicircular and square shape can be easily seen in today's time. Theater in present days do not posses half of the space to spectators. Generally 75% of space is provided to spectators and rest 25% space is assigned to stage and green room area. Unlike Bharata Theater modern theater do posses a green house above the stage. Mattavarini in Bharata's theater can be seen as a gallery attached on both the sides of the stage meant for the installations of technical machinery such as props etc. The plinth size of the stage posses a range of 450 to 900 mm .In today's time rigid and stable stages are less favored. Stage with temporary fittings and sometime revolving stages can be easily seen in present times. Semi circular seating is used in order to acquire a large spectator space with a quality view to major people. Acoustics Bharat Muni's has minutely placed each design element by keeping the acoustics in mind. With no sign of technology and advancement Bharat Muni's had a major challenge to convey each and every single words and bhava of the performer to the spectators. So utmost care was taken in the use of materials and positioning of design elements. In ancient theater wood, brick and stone were used in construction of the play house. Wood being soft and easy to be carved was decorated with a lot of floral motifs and designs which helped in breaking the monotony of the plain surface of the wood and resulted in creating an uneven surface which resulted in absorbing of sounds and lessened the echo effect. Shape of the roof was designed as that of a cave in order to provide a concave shape of the roof which provided a depth to the roof and hence reduced the percentage of reflected sound back to the spectators. Less number of windows and doors resulted in less hindrance and avoided the unwanted sounds which proved to be bad for a theater performance. Windows being

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India less in number also created no chance of breeze inside the theater house which also made theater house more audible and speech friendly. Curtains and paintings were also used as sound absorbent material. Roof were made of thatched roof which enhanced the audibility of speech. Same acoustics practices are still followed in today's time in modern theater. Theaters are however made with R.C.C. but still the cladding of the materials, shape and designing of the theaters have enhanced the acoustics of the theater from past. Rib shaped roof and false ceiling designs have played an key role in acoustics. Various kinds of acoustic materials such as PVC board, Hardboard etc. have helped in developing the acoustical properties of the theater aesthetically. Also the use of carpet has been a plus point for the modern theater houses.

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Conclusion Theater architecture in India has gone through a journey of long human history and his devotion towards art and theater. From the advent of life on earth human made various ways to deliver his thoughts, beliefs and actions through art and its form. India being the origin of first human settlement is also the first place where theater started. In Greece when theater was started, India was full of theater activities and enriched with ethnic literature and tradition. As time passed a lot of changes evolved in Indian culture and social conditions. With the start of foreign invasion, Indian culture had a turmoil and as a result theater arts were also affected. From the theater of Bharat Muni till the theater of 21st century a lot of things have changed and evolved with the time period. Indian being a country rich with its ethnic folk arts and traditions has a enriched theater history and the changes from the tide of time has evoked a spark of change in its culture a lot. With the advancement of British in India technology arrived; and that can be easily seen in the theater of our modern cities in present times. Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata theater houses have evolved a lot. The theaters we see in these cities deliver the story of change in the spectators, performers and theater space. With this study it is clear that what Bharat Muni mentioned in Natyashashtra was based on the Vedic traditions and customs. This fact also cannot be denied that whatever Bharat Muni mentioned was totally depended upon the social, economic and political conditions of that time. But when we bring the studies of Bharat Muni in the light of 21st century we find that the studies made by him were the epitome of advancement, extensive study and far sightedness what he had. Theater arts, construction technology and aesthetics based by Bharat Muni's Natyashashtra holds the same position today what they held in ancient India. It is excepted that the cultural division of caste, creed and race that has been depicted in ancient theater arts are not to be taken in serious note but at the same time it is to be also seen that the studies of Bharat Muni if incorporated by with advance building techniques, acoustics, aesthetics and smart flexible design it will lead to the birth of a theater house which would be grounded on the principles of ancient techniques and theater arts and its structure will be based upon the modern technology and the needs of the both performers and spectators.

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Case Studies 39


Prithvi Theater, Juhu

A view of Prithvi Theater. Built in 1978 by Shashi Kapoor

Prithvi Theatre is one of Mumbai's best known theatres located in Juhu. It was built by Shashi Kapoor in memory of his father Prithviraj Kapoor who had dreamt of having a "home" for his repertory theatre company, Prithvi Theatres belongs to the Kapoor family, one of the most influential actor/director families in Bollywood. Prithviraj Kapoor founded 'Prithvi Theatres', a travelling theatre company in 1944. The company ran for sixteen years. Ved Segan was the architect who designed and built the Theatre with the supervision of Jennifer Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor's wife.

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Stage Description Prithvi Theater comprises of one stage which only deals with theatrical performances since 1980. It is a Thrust stage. The auditorium has dimension of 12mt x11mt. The central stage has a dimension of 7mtx4mt . It has a seating arrangement of five rows each having a height of 450mm. It has a seating capacity of 220 individuals. The central stage has the height of 150mm. Total height of the theater is 4.5 mt.

Images showing the inside layout of the theater and the central stage of the Prithvi Theatre

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India Material The stage is constructed with the teakwood panels. Hollow inside stage has a good sound absorbing qualities which reduces the tapping sound of the artist. The background of the stage is semi circular in shape and black in color. Its permanent in nature. Jute mats are there on the floor everywhere except the central stage. The walls of the theater are black in color wrapped with cotton cloth and covered with acoustic mineral board all over. The all three walls except the background are made uneven in nature by using the wooden panels of different thicknesses. Acoustics & Lighting The acoustics of the theater are good enough. As the usage of mike is prohibited for theater actors it becomes quite easy for an old acoustics systems to tackle the problems related to acoustics. The depth of the theater is apt n appropriate and as a result a good quality of speech is received by the audience present inside. Lighting systems inside the theater are excellent. Good sets of focus lights are present there above the central stage. Theater artists are accompanied well with the help of lights during the play.

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Tata Theater Tata Theatre is a 1010 seat premier staging facility for music, dance and drama at the NCPA complex in downtown Mumbai, and is the brainchild of Dr. J.J. Bhabha. It is India’s first theatre designed and built keeping in mind the unique acoustic and visual requirements for the staging of Indian music, dance and related art forms, and was constructed by Larsen & Toubro Limited.

Theatre without proscenium; fan-shaped amphitheatre with excellent acoustics. Suitable for chamber music concert, dance, drama and film screening. Centrally air-conditioned Keeping in mind the traditional seating requirements at Indian classical musical concerts and performances, the Tata Theatre stage is built in the almost semi-circular thrust shape. The alternate concave and convex triangular forms on the overhead and the wall panelings ensure even distribution of acoustics over the entire auditorium. The acoustic forms of highdensity compressed plaster were handmade and lifted manually up into their positions. The

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India architects ensured that every musical instrument played in the orchestra could individually be heard and appreciated in every corner of the auditorium. It effortlessly combines the intimate ambience of a small -scale venue with the splendor of a full scale arena. A revolving stage, brilliant acoustics and a foyer with a breathtaking view of the sea are just some of the things that make the Tata Theatre the venue of choice for both, performers and audiences. Created by the renowned American Modernist architect Philip Johnson and the legendary acoustician Cyril Harris, this theatre opened in 1982. Today, it is Mumbai's preferred venue for Indian classical concerts, Western chamber music and theatre.

Tata Theater Foyer

Inside View

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Entrance Porch


National School of Drama

National School of Drama (NSD) is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India. It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and became an independent school in 1975. In 1975 it became autonomous organization, under the erstwhile Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture, Department of Culture, with the name 'National School of Drama' and relocated in May 1975, to its present premises at Bahawalpur House, the residence of Bahawalpur a former princely state, now in Pakistan, also known as Mandi House. In 1999, the School organized its first National Theatre Festival, 'Bharat Rang Mahotsav, generally held during the second week of January each year. The schools has three auditorium within the campus: Abhimanch Auditorium Sammukh Auditorium Bahumukh Auditorium Abhimanch Auditorium is the biggest performing space at NSD. It has a seating capacity of 350 persons. It is a Thrust stage. The auditorium has dimension of 20mt x40mt. The central stage has a dimension of 7mtx4mt . It has a seating arrangement of sixteen rows each having a height of 450mm. The central stage has the height of 450mm. Total height of the theater is 4 mt.

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Journey of Theater Architecture in India The stage is constructed with hardwood timber flooring, hollow from inside. It has a plinth of 450 mm. It is covered with red carpet all over. The rear wall is square in shape, black in color and flexible to be changed according to various plays that take place. The auditorium is centrally air conditioned with four doors; two for spectators and two for performers. No windows are there in the auditorium. The seating area is divided into two parts; one with upper level and other with lower level. Lower level has a seating arrangement of concave shape and upper level has straight seating.

The walls are prepared in a simple manner. The materials used for the walls are stone (marbles), pop etc. The special acoustic forms are made up of high density compressed plaster(P.O.P) for the ceiling. Wooden panels are also used in the auditorium. These panels are filled with coconut hair as it is a good reflector.

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Vishnudas Bhave Natyagriha, Mumbai

Vishnudas Bhave Natyagriha is located in Sector 16, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. The site occupies an area of 51,000 sq. ft. of built-up space. The site lies in a residential cum commercial area Vishnudas Bhave auditorium was designed was opened in 1997. •Major hub for various theatre and other cultural activities. •It is a fan shaped theater. •The theatre has a rotating stage. •It has a capacity of 1072 viewers in two tiers. •It has excellent acoustics. •The theater also has a balcony level seating's. •The theatre is centrally air-conditioned. •The height of the auditorium is 12m • The total seating capacity of the theatre is 1500. • The theatre is fan shaped, hence the seating arrangement is divided into 4 segments.

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Bibliography 

The Natyasastra ascribed to Bharata-Muni, Vol.1 ed. by M.Ghosh, Calcutta, 1967.



The Natyasastra : A Treatise on Hindu Dramaturgy and Histrionics Ascribed to Bharata-Muni, translated by M.Ghosh, Calcutta, Vol.1 (2.ed.) 1967 and Vol.2, 1961.



Raghavan, V.: “Theatre Architecture in Ancient India”, in The Theatre of the Hindus, by H.H. Wilson, V. Raghavan, K.R. Pisharoti, A.C. Vidyabhusan, Delhi-Varanasi, s. d.



Keith, A.B.: The Sanskrit Drama, Oxford, 1970 (1.ed.1924).



Hemendra Gupta : Indian Stage, Calcutta, 1959



Baumer, Rachel Van M. and James R. Brandon. eds. Sanskrit Drama in Performance.



Gargi, Balwant. Folk Theater of India. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1966.

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Theatre in India. New York: Theatre Arts Books,1958

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The Natyasastra of Bharata. Ph.D Dissertation. University of Wisconsin, 1967.



Richmond, Farley P., Darius L. Swan and Phllip B. Zarrilli. Indian Theatre, Traditions of Performance. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1990.



Varadapande, M. L. Invitation to Indian Theatre. New Delhi: Arnold Publishers, 1989.

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Traditions of Indian Theatre. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 1979.



Vatsyayan, Kapila. Bharata: The Natyasastra. New Delhi: Sangeet Natak Akademi, 1996.

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Theater Architecture in India

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