Bhand Pather: The Folk Theatre of Kashmir

Bhand Pather is an age-old traditional theatre form of Kashmir; generally held in open spaces. Interestingly in this theatre form, there is no pre-determined script, since it belongs to the oral tradition, handed down from one generation to the other, in the Guru-shishya parampara. Although the themes are old, the performance is always new, as it manifests itself in a new space and time. The Bhand actors skilfully weave and infuse contemporary religious, social and political issues into the prevalent stories of the plays from the repertoire in such a manner that every performance has something fresh to offer to the audience. Though rustic in nature and presentation, the vocabulary of Bhand Pather is elevated to higher grounds with intermittent allusions to the Vakhs and Shruks of several great medieval and modern mystics of Kashmir. Over a vast period of time, Bhand Pather has evolved as a mature and complete theatrical experience.