6.9. Entertainments in Ancient India

[Full title: Ancient Indian Social Life: Excerpts from Kāmaśāstra (9): Entertainments]

The nāgaraka can attend a journey with his friends to join a festival, a drink party, a picnic or can enjoy by various sports. In a fortnight or in a month, a social gathering of artists appointed in the town-hall should be organised on a previously announced auspicious day. Besides the artists appointed for performances, the dancers or actors who were coming from outside may also perform their programmes. On the next day, they would get their rewards. Likewise the arrangements and conventions with regards to processions of the deities in the temples are also explained. A man of taste can join the circle or Goṣṭhi in brothels, community-hall or at the house of one of the citizens. There they can discuss problems about poetry, arts etc. From there also the artists can get suitable rewards by their performances. The nāgarakas arrange drink parties in their residences itself. In such occasions, the courtesans will serve varieties of liquors with various types of snacks with have salts, fruits, vegetables, pepper with bitter or sour tastes. They should also take such drinks by joining with nāgarakas. Vātsyāyana then mentions about the arrangements for a pleasure trip like picnic with courtesans.

And also, here explains about some community sports like;

Yakṣarātri—It is a celebration which is performed in Kārtikā new-moon days, nearly to Dīpāvalī. This is celebrating mainly for the economic prosperity.

Kaumudījāgara—Kaumudījāgara was performed in full-moon day of Aśvinī month. This is related to the climatic changes.

Sahakārabhañjikā—It is a type of entertainment, where a group of people will beat and drop off the tender flowers of mango tree.

Abhyūṣakhādikā—A play of eating different verities of roasted leguminous grains, fruits etc.

Bisakhādikā—It is an entertainment of eating lotus stems.

Navapatrikā—This is a play of eating tender leaves of trees, which are newly generated by the first rain of the season.

Udakakṣveṭikā—This is a play of spraying of water through a particular tube like instrument. The nāgarakas of central India were very much interested in this entertainment.

Pāñcālānunaya [pāñcālānunayam]—A puppet show in which, pair of male and female dolls and their mutual marriage ceremony and related stories were performed with. This was very much popular in Mithila (Bihar).

Ekśālmalī—This is an entertainment of making ornaments with the Śālmalī flowers, from a tree which is totally flowered.

Kadambayuddha [kadambayuddham]—This is a mock fighting with Kadamba flowers. These above mentioned games are represented as regional entertainments.

This type of detailed description is seen only in Vātsyāyana’s text and none of post Kāmasūtra works dealt so.