For generations the Tharu farmers of the village of Narayanpur, Nepal, have passed down their version of the Mahabharata through song and dance by word of mouth. For the first time, 14 of their songs are translated into English, accompanied by Tharu folk art illustrations, and published in book form. The songs highlight the story of the conflict between the five Pandava brothers and their cousins, the 100 Kauravas.
From the Author
For generations, the Tharu farmers of Dang Valley Nepal performed their version of the Mahabharata to win the blessings of the gods. The songs were handed down from father to son only through oral tradition until one farmer taught himself to read and write his Tharu dialect so that he could preserve the tradition. I came upon his manuscript in 1993 but learned that the dances had ceased in the 1960's. The publication of this translation (from Tharu dialect into Nepali into English) coincides with the revival of the performance of the Tharu Mahabharata in the autumn of 1998. In the spirit of the folk art tradition, this book is illustrated with Tharu folk art.
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