Harishchandra Charitham - Pettayil Raman Pillai(1841 to 1937)                                                              BACK

This is the only story popularly played as a full-night play in recent years, the story being a quest for truthful living whatever the consequences.

The story opens in the assembly of Indra were two great sages Vishwamitra and Vasishta quarrel about the truthfulness of King Harishchandra. Vasishta says Harishchandra is the most truthful king on the earth but Vishvamitra says he is a showman and liar and uses unbegotten wealth to further himself. Vishvamitra is asked to prove it.

Vishvamitra comes to meet Harishchandra. The king says he will give whatever he asks. Vishvamitra asks for a very large amount of money for his Yajna. Harishchandra readily agrees. Visvamitra says he will come back for the money at the appropriate time. Then he sends various destructive and wild animals and weakens the country. He also sends two women to seduce him in which they don't succeed. Ultimately he goes to the king and says either he has to marry the women sent by him or he should leave the country.

This logic appears unclear, but it may be that the original promise for money remains to be fulfilled and so he may marry the women as a part compensation. Harishchandra opts for leaving the country. Harishchandra and his wife Chandramati and son Lohita leave the country. Vishvamitra tries to burn them in a forest fire and such other acts to bring Harischandra to his knees. Then he tells Harishchandra to sell his wife and son and pay back part of the money. Harishchandra does that. Harishchandra becomes a cemetery keeper ( a cemetery where dead bodies are burned) and tries to make some money for the balance payment. Meanwhile Chandramati brings the dead body of their son Lohita who died because of a snake bite. She tries to burn the corpse in the cemetery without giving the fees. Harischandra kicks his own son's body out of the fire and says no dead body can be burned without proper fees. A struggle occurs and Harishchandra is forced to kill his own wife. When he goes to strike her suddenly his sword turns into a garland. The Gods are pleased and Harishchandra is justly rewarded with his son also getting back his life. They go back to rule their land in truth and justice.

In this story Harishchandra comes in two veshas. In the beginning he is Pacha but when he goes to work in the cemetery he takes on Minuku vesha. There are some bad characters in the story with Thadi veshas, but not significant. Indra is Pacha vesha. Others are Minuku