All About International Storytelling Festival 'Udaipur Tales'

The 'City of Lakes' is beckoning travellers to experience the art of storytelling, captivated by spoken words, live music, and dance performances with the 5th edition of Udaipur Tales, an international storytelling festival, to explore the lost art of storytelling.

Starting January 12, this immersive 3-day event offers a variety of storytelling genres, including Contemporary, Romance, Dastangoi, Historical, Mystery, Thriller, Kavad (Ancient Rajasthani Storytelling), and Folk. Storytellers such as Mita Vashisht, Rebecca Lemaire, Gautam Agarwal, Syed Sahil Agha, Gautam Mukerjee, and Adhaar Khurana will present narratives that transport audiences to diverse realms.

The festival goes beyond words, featuring dancer Zia Nath and musicians Rahgir, YUGAM, and more.

Details: When, Where And How

When: January 12-14, 2024 

Where: Park Exotica Resort, Udaipur, Rajasthan 

Price: Free for all

Book your tickets on Udaipur Tales, Paytm Insider, and BookMyShow.

Traditions Of Storytelling In Asia

The festival has become a prominent storytelling event in India. Musicians and storytellers worldwide mesmerise the audience with enthralling journeys through stories.

Explore storytelling from regions like Iran through Naghali, an event narrating a story in verse or prose with tone, feelings, and expression. A naghal (storyteller) typically plays various characters, telling epics and mythical stories in coffee houses [Ghahve¬kha nes].

From Central Asia, dastans (Turkic epics) are described. The dastan (Turkic epic) serves as an oral history and an integral part of Turkic literature in Central Asia. Traditionally, dastans preserve ethnic identity and history, embodying complete value systems for the people they represent.

Korean P'Ansori (Korean "story singing") is also showcased, with tales from Korea. This form of sung folk narrative originated during the reign of Sukchong (1675-1720).

Its previous editions featured various genres, including history, romance, mystic, mystery, and an exclusive children's segment. A diverse mix of folk art performances and fusion musical forms added to the extravaganza. The 5th edition is expected to be lively with more stories, spoken words, and music.