South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur is one of the Seven Zonal Centres established under the Ministry of Culture to coordinate interstate Cultural events through a number of interactive programmes. Besides festivals of various performing arts, artists's meet and such promotional activities, the Centre is proud to implement Research and Field Survey projects in its Member States with the advice of the respective Departments of Culture. Its aim is to bring out authoritative material on important performing art forms both in the Print and Electronic Media. Specialists were requested to undertake field survey work and preparation of Monographs as well as were requested to assist the Centre's visual Documentation team in preserving the forms on internationally accepted electronic medium. The Centre is developing archives with all theses materials.
The Centre is happy to publish this monograph on "TAMASHA" Traditional Folk Theatre of Maharashtra a name to reckon with the traditional theatre history of India. We are specially thankful to Shri Chandrakant Deshmukh the author of this monograph and the chief Investigator of the project on "TAMASHA " and an authority on Traditional Theatre of Maharashtra for not only authering this work but directing the team of visual documentation.
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Tamasha is the most popular performing art form, which for generations and centuries, has been continuously entertaining the masses of the Maharashtra, and yet, till today, it has been remained neglected.
Tamasha artists come from the various Religions, Castes, and Creed, also untouchables (most backward castes), backward classes and Dalits; they have created, developed and preserved this art form. For which they have immensely suffered, exploited for the generations. Today's Tamasha's existence is the net result of the contributions of the numerous artists who had contributed with the unwavering faith, dedication and missionary zill.
Tamasha is the rare art form, and have no consideration ever, of running the shows with profit or loss. For the generations shows were on because of the artists enjoyed it running it.
Tamasha depicts portraits of the religious, cultural, social and political events happening in the Maharashtra. It also depicts incidents happening in social life, traditional rites, existing practices, blind faiths, beliefs, as well as new changes occurred in the society. All that happening around is clearly reflected in the Tamasha show.
The art form which has contributed to the cultural and entertainment life of Maharashtra for centuries is fast disappearing and this is inevitable in these modern times. It is our responsibility to study and pre-serve this art form for the generations to follow.
The future of Tamasha is tied up with the masses. It is remains to be seen that the masses remain indifferent to the Tamasha or are they expect better, quality shows and performances from it.
I am grateful to The South Central Zone, Cultural Center Nagpur, for the offering me the opportunity to write a Monograph on Tamasha. I am grateful particularly to the Director Shree J.P. Gupatji and Assist Director Shree Ravindra Durugkar for their guidance and Cooperation.
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