Canadian Stage

Mahabharata Pronounciation

Listen to Sharada K Eswar doing a reading of the Mahabharata title (pronounced “Ma-ha-BAR-ah-tha”).

Courtesy of Why Not Theatre.

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Mahabharata is a contemporary take on a Sanskrit epic that is more than four thousand years old and foundational to South Asian culture. This gripping story of a family feud is an exploration of profound philosophical and spiritual ideas. A visually stunning spectacle presented in two parts, Mahabharata takes audiences on a journey through the past in order to write a thrilling new future.

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Calendar of Mahabharata Parts 1 & 2

April 2025

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Saturday

Mahabharata Part 1

Mahabharata Part 1 Opening

Mahabharata Part 1

Mahabharata Part 2 Opening

Mahabharata Part One: Karma: The Life We Inherit

Exploring themes of storytelling, ecocide, and dharma (empathy), Part 1 begins Mahabharata's epic journey that asks, "How can one end the spiral of revenge when everyone believes they are right and their opponents wrong?"

King Janamejaya is holding a ritual sacrifice in which he will kill all the snakes in the world to avenge his father’s death. In hopes of ending this cycle of revenge, a storyteller is summoned to tell King Janamejaya the tale of The Mahabharata. The storyteller tells of the rival Pandava and Kaurava clans, and the choices that lead to their infamous Game of Dice. Through playful narration, classical Indian dance, and a live band, the ensemble tells the stories of humans struggling to build a just world in the face of competition, jealousy, and rage.

Mahabharata Part Two: Dharma: The Life We Choose

Continuing the story from Part 1, King Janamejaya is told of the war fought by his ancestors – the battle of Kurukshetra and its devastating destruction of the planet, the mass extinction that follows, and of the survivors left behind to rebuild.

In Mahabharata’s Part 2 (Dharma), the storytelling tools evolve into captivating projections, dynamic digital soundscapes, and poetic stage design. The stories delve simultaneously into philosophical and political ideas, and abstract and absolute truths. Interrogating the themes of justice and revenge, Part 2 includes a 15-minute Sanskrit opera adaptation of the Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God), which is the most famous chapter of the Mahabharata epic.

In times of division, how do we find wholeness? Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors? Can we build a new world? King Janamejaya is confronted with both the battle of Kurukshetra and the battle inside his own heart.

Khana & Kahani (Community Meal and Storytelling Session)

Mahabharata is a tale that unfolds over a lifetime, one that requires prolonged contemplation. To explore the profound philosophical questions arising from the Pandava family’s thirteen years of exile, audience members who see Part 1 and Part 2 are invited to gather before select performances of Part 2 (Dharma) to enjoy an authentic Indian meal accompanied by a story and deeper exploration of the themes of the Mahabharata. Hosted by two charismatic storytellers, the illuminating conversation offers the audience an intimate experience much like that of families who have shared The Mahabharata around the dinner table for generations.

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Talkbacks

Looking for some bonus programming to go with your ticket to Mahabharata? We've got you covered! You're invited to attend:

Tuesday, April 15th post-show talkback at the Bluma Appel Theatre
- Guests: Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu, Munish Sharma, Shawn Ahmed, and Ellora Patnaik
- Host: Manuel Chaves
Friday, April 25th post-show talkback at the Bluma Appel Theatre
- Guests: Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes
- Host: Manuel Chaves

Expert Talk

Tuesday, April 22nd pre-show event from 6:45 pm to 7:15 pm at the Bluma Appel Theatre
- Guest: Dr. Arti Dhand
  - Dr Arti Dhand is Associate Professor of South Asian Religions at the University of Toronto, specializing in study of the great Hindu epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Her twenty-five year career slogging over these most beloved cultural products of Hindu tradition has focused on questions of history, philosophy, ethics, and literary themes. Her book Woman as Fire, Woman as Sage focused on the complex construction of sexuality in the Mahabharata. Her current work The Twin Epics of Hinduism is a monumental comparative study of the architecture of thought in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. She is also host of the The MahabharataPodcast, which playfully takes on the Mahabharataas “The Story of Everything”!

Mahabharata Restaurant Partners: Dine and save!