Editing Oral Storytelling Traditions of Bharat and the World (section)

==== “Folk” Traditions ====
In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana there is the burra-kathā, an oral storytelling tradition in which a group of performers engage in a narrative style of relaying stories, whether purāṇic or of local legend, accompanied by a hollow stringed instrument. The performers generally belong to the Telaka or Mutharasi caste, and are also called Śārada Kandru, or, the Śārada people, worshippers of the Goddess Śārada. The art form was banned during the colonial period in Madras and during the Nizam rule in Telangana, since it was used to spread political ideas and awareness and generate political activism amongst the masses. In Tamil Nadu, a similar folk narrative style is the Villupattu, or bow-song. Performers of this art form, called Pulavar (the word for poet in Tamil), narrated stories accompanied by a single-stringed bow-like instrument with bells tied to the string. The stories of choice are generally heroic ballads that are well-known regionally or in the villages, along with some popular, timeless stories from the epics. Many of them find their stage and patronage performing at temples for festivals and special occasions.