Curses, consent and Kolkata biryani
Aparna Jaishankar is committed to rendering invisible visible again. the So, in her storytelling, spotlights unusual she tales hidden in tales of consent familiar places: in and ancient anti- the epics, folkcaste tales warriors tucked away and culinary atop famous temples, secrets from a few that are now forgotten. hundred years ago Reveal these tales and they breathe says Aparna, 44. again and evolve, She likes to tell of
the tale from the Mahabharata time she narrateda to a group In the tale, of teenagers in Bengaluru. Arjuna resists the the most beautiful advances of Urvashi, of the apsaras; enraged, putting a curse on she responds him. by The teenagers saw this as a story not desire,Aparna says, about power and but about consent. about conversations “It opened up consent for both genders. how it is They were discussing
important to learn desire.” to handle surges of Aparna has been
a professional storyteller with a special focus since 2015, on the Mahabharata. below the age of 10, For audiences she keeps to the she picks stories teenagers,
familiar tales. For where there for interpretation. is dilemma and room It’s when she’s telling the tales for it gets most interesting.
older audiences that Aparna has ticketed shows for
been holding monthly adult audiences since discusses, for instance, she 2016, and here how Duryodhana Kauravas and the the — the oldest of villain of the Mahabharata in parts worshipped — is still of Kerala and Uttarakhand who sought to abolish as someone caste. Two temples to stand, Duryodhana still one in each of the the states. “In
temple in Kollam, origin Kerala, the
story is that certain castes were not
allowed to share food with the rest of the community, and
Duryodhana abolished
Aparna says. this practice,” “In Osla, Uttarakhand,itissaidthat
Duryodhana so much the people loved that after he a river was born of
died in the Great their tears.” War, Meanwhile, in Odisha, there’s an alternative
Krishna first revealed take on how himself to Arjuna. is believed that when “Traditionally, Arjuna hesitates it Krishna motivates amid the Great War, him by giving him That’s supposed to the Geetopadesh. be the first time as a form of Vishnu,”
Krishna reveals himself Aparna says. But in the Odia Mahabharata, that’s all. The first time not the first time is before the Great
at goes on a pilgrimage War, when Arjuna alone, to reflect battle. Krishna upon the futility
reveals himself of parts of nine as a creature made
different animals, up of each with its own
significance. “Finally appearing to Arjuna as a whole, are too small to seehesays,‘You the whole picture, react based on and so you must what he is shown’.”
The tale, referred that story of the to as region, and is depicted isunique to this in Patachitra
Chakra or metal art and in the Neela
wheel atop the Jagannath Apart from stories Puri temple. now of the Mahabharata,
working to bring Aparna is more storytelling
history classes. into schools, particularly Before the pandemic, she held weekend libraries in Bengaluru, sessions at about Indian
Cholas and Rashtrakutas.
empires such as the
“What we learn in our textbooks is only of history that is a small section
presented quite boringly,” says. “Take the Kolkata Aparna biryani and forexample. Dig in
why it contains potato, and you’ll find that do with the Doctrine it has something of Lapse.” to
audience respond? does her young dance along. How Kiran
conversations,” spontaneous
“There are always too. lingering impacts says. There are more
he hadn’t evergoneyear-old said
“One parent of a four- after the storytelling But the Monday near rocks before.
rocks in his school ran to the session, he apparently about how rocks telling his classmates grounds and began care of them.” we have to take are our friends — tales of science of her passions
Following another storytelling — Kiran has conducted from Indian history Pradesh of Andhra Association sessions for the Birdwatching stories in 2021. “I told Science Congress, and the Indian few one of the very (India was on zinc extraction on chess and how to do this), countries that knew in a story through I introduced math a king, and into a jathi (rhythmic can be converted dance, as numbers pattern).” in storytelling and pursuing a PhD
Kiran is currently of Technology the Indian Institute language from (IIT)-Madras. from literature and many students
“We don’t have too is I
interesting upside So the other the humanities here. from science, math, with students am trying to connect
fields, who are interested and other technology, metallurgy education,” she in creative
stories about India, on a series of
She is also working and
over2deepakiran) via Instagram (@ whichshe shares but
abreak for exams, She’s taken
to YouTube(Deepa Kiran). and would love number of stories
“I have an unending go on,” she says.
Sharat Prabhath, Ramya Iyer of ISHN and Deepa Kiran narrate their favourite stories.