• Dr.Siddarama Raju MV

Nittilai is the mouth piece of Girish karnad as depicted in his play ‘The Fire and The Rain’ Dr.Siddarama Raju MV Associate professor of English Govt.First Grade College Doddaballapur-561203 Bangalore rural, Karnataka Abstract Garish Karnad a well known Kannada writer, playwright, Indian actor and film Director He was the recipient of the jnanapith award; India’s the highest literary prize, in 1999 for his contributions to literature and theatre. His other the best plays are Nagamandala, Hayavadana, Boiled Beans on Toast, Odukalu Bimba and ‘The Fire and the Rain’. The Fire and the Rain is Karnad's transcreation in English Published in1998, of the Kannada version of his play titled “Agni Mattu Male”. The play is based on the myth of Yavakri taken from chapters 135-138 of the "Vana Parva" (Forest Canto) of the Mahabharata. It is a tale told by the ascetic Lomasha to the Pandavas during the course of their exile. The Fire and the Rain with its symbolic and allegorical overtones is a dramatic representation of the quintessential conflict between good and evil. The play begins with a Prologue, is divided into three Acts and ends with an Epilogue. 'Fire' is the dominant metaphor which engulfs the dramatic action of the play. The fire of passion, lust, revenge and betrayal consume both good and evil. The flaming hostility between the two cousins, Paravasu and Yavakri, scorch the lives of all the principal characters. The dramatic action moves between the two opposing polarities of Yavakri's vengeance and Arvasu's humanity The play ‘The Fire and the Rain’ is based on a myth of Raibhya.Paravasu, Aravasu and Yavakri, described in the Vanaparva of Mahabharatha.Narrated by sage Lomash. Karnad has subverted the original story and created a thoroughly stage worthy version. Nittilai a hunter girl of fourteen years old and beloved of Aravasu. Girish karnad has created this small tribal girl among the great academically acclaimed Brahmin scholars. She is contrast to those Brahmins who are proud of their lineage and learning of knowledge. She is a meek sufferer of the play and symbol of love and compassion. She questions futility of Yavakri’s ten years penance. She poses two questions to Yavakri one is if he can bring rain with his power? and another is if he could tell when he is going to die? Her dialogues are so powerful to shake the entire religious community. She proves herself as more rational than learned scholars. Nittilai strictly complies with her tribal tradition. She proves as a true hunter girl by detecting the movement of the animals in the forest by observing the foot prints and sounds made by the animals. The myth of Yavakri (or Yavakrita) occurs in Chapters 135-38 of the Vana Parva (forest Canto) of the Mahabharata Paravasu is one of the major characters, elder son of Raibhya. The king has appointed him as the chief priest of yajna, he is unemotional and villain by nature. Yavakri is another Main Character of the play. He wants to take revenge on his uncle and his sons for not providing a priestly position to his father who died in that grief so he spent 10 years in penance. At the end of the play all the major characters except Aravasu die with their flaws. Raibhya is a failed father with his jealous and greedy nature. In contrast to all those learned Brahmins, Karnad upholds Nittilai. She is posed with most of the perfections of character compared to the flaws of all those Brahmins. She is lively, sympathetic, lovely, caring, brave, intelligent, and wise.

The fire/rain as symbols, prologue/epilogue, passion,revenge, betrayal, rational,penance,empathetic, sacrifice, love,true trust/Faith.

"Nittilai is the mouth piece of Girish karnad as depicted in the play ''The Fire and the Rain'.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 2, page no.b203-b206, February-2024, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2402122.pdf

"Nittilai is the mouth piece of Girish karnad as depicted in the play ''The Fire and the Rain'.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 2, page no. ppb203-b206, February-2024, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2402122.pdf