By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Mar. 23: With the aim of spreading the philosophy of Lord Gautam Buddha and the influence of Bodhisattva, Dabli Theater has started the Buddha Theater Festival at the Rastriya Nach Ghar from March 21 until March 27. Culturologist and Litterateur Tulasi Divas, Abhi Subedi and playwright Madandas Shrestha jointly inaugurated the festival on Sunday.
Speaking at the inaugural festival, poet Diwas stressed on the need to spread the wisdom
of Buddha across the world. He said it would be even more prudent to spread Buddha’s word through drama.
Festival director Pushkar Guruang said they had planned to hold the festival last year but were unable to do so given the COVID-19 restrictions. This year, with the pandemic fear gradually taking the back seat, he said that they have collected five plays related to Gautam Buddha – all of which will be showcased during the course of the festival.
Along with the inauguration, the event also hosted ‘Lama Mantra’ and ‘Charya Dance’.
On the first day of the festival, Indian Playwright Director Dr. Dani Karmakar’s ‘Tathagat’ was streamed onscreen. Since the drama team couldn’t come for a live performance, a video of the drama was shown to the audience.
Karmakar’s play highlights the ills of untouchability and Lord Buddha’s stern stance towards denouncing such practices.
The play draws from an episode in Buddha’s life when he comes to the aid of a young untouchable man being beaten to a pulp for taking water that belonged to the upper caste. When Buddha tries to put his arms around the young man as a sign of comfort, he frantically holds back to avoid the Buddha’s touch. ‘Don’t touch me. You will be contaminated,’ says the man to which Buddha calmly replies, ‘Why will I be contaminated? You are a human being like everyone else. How can one person contaminate another person? Only shame, hatred, delusion, greed, lust can defile a human being.’
Likewise, the festival’s second day hosted the “Sidaarthako Girha Tyaag” by Bikash Joshi, which recounts Buddha’s ordeals before achieving enlightenment.
Artists including Suchita Upreti, Tuphan Thapa, Asmita Khanal, Debesha Lamichhane, Abhishek Sharma and others starred in the drama.
The festival, jointly organised by Dabli Theater, the Bagmati state government and the Saskritik Sasthaan (Cultural Corporation), will present the dramas based on the story of Lord Buddha every day until Saturday.