Indigenous Folk Theatre of Kashmir and its Relevance in Contemporary Society

Bhand Pather is a legacy of Kashmiri culture. Theatre activity in Kashmir reached its heights during the ancient period of Kashmir history. Before the establishment of the Muslim Sultanate in Kashmir, theatre activity was largely associated with the socio- religious ceremonies. Performing in open- air theatre constituted one of the important royal entertainment activities. Bhand Pather as a semi-scripted performance by men dealt with variegated issues ranging from social, political to religious. This open-theatre art is replete with satire, dance, and music. There is tremendous possibility of integrating it with our cultural tourism. This can help in rescuing this art form from extinction. The paper provides history of this little known art form of Kashmir.