Runja Vaidyam : Specialize In Praising & Faith On Gotras
Runja Vaidyam : The Runjas are a group of storytellers belonging to the Vishwakarma Brahmin community. They specialize in praising Vishwakarma Brahmins, reciting their gotras (clan names), and narrating stories from the Vishwakarma Purana. The instrument they use while telling stories is called the Runja.
The Runja is the largest of the skin instruments and its sound can be heard up to two or three kilometers away. It is a significant instrument among professional singers and is not easily carried by the Runjakaras (the storytellers). Instead, it is carried as a weight.
This musical art of storytelling has been passed down from generation to generation within the Vishwakarma Brahmin community. The Runja can be played in 32 different ways and is associated with the Shaiva tradition.
Runja Vaidyam As Story Tellers
When the Runja storytellers visit a village, they typically go to the house of the elder Achari (the descendant of Manu Brahma) or the first settled Achari in the village to tell their stories. In some cases, the Vishwakarma Brahmins of the village may gather at a specific location, while in other cases, the story is told in the house of the elder Achari. People from the village come to listen to the stories and offer rewards.
Before starting the story, the Runja narrator introduces themselves in front of a house, mentions the gotra (clan) of the householder, describes their own clan, blesses the family for future growth, and then proceeds to describe the lineage of the Vishwakarma Brahmins and the birth patterns of the Pancha Brahmas.
The Runja instrument is called Runjalu when held by the storytellers. However, by caste, the storytellers belong to the Beda Jangala caste. Panasalu and Komati Panasalu are present in Krishna District, Guntur District, and Telangana District. Runja artists are popular in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
The Runjas visit the houses of Brahmins and recite Sanskrit hymns and Telugu stories. Typically, there are three narrators involved in the storytelling process—one narrates the story, one plays the instrument, and the other assists.
The stories told by the Runjas include the birth of Vishwakarma, the birth of Pancha Brahmas, Dakshayagna, Parvati Kalyanam (marriage of Parvati), and Runjala. The Runjalu specifically narrates the story of birth and Veerabraham. They visit the houses of the Sanaga (Kammarachari), Sanatana (Carpenter), Abhavanasa (Kancharapupani), Pratnana (Sculptor), and Suvarnasa (Goldsmith) gotras among the Vishwakarma Brahmins.
The Runja instrument is a percussion instrument played with strong sticks. The Runja is held in an oblique, forward-bending position and is secured with the knees. The strings are tuned and played vigorously in rows according to the rhythm. Other instruments like veerana, drums, tasha, and sappatalas are also played along with the Runja.
In the context of Parvati’s marriage, it is said that the Runja instrument was made from the body parts of the demon Raunja Kasur, hence it is named Runjam. The Vishwakarma Purana explains that all the deities performed the wedding ceremony of Goddess Parvati using this Runja instrument.
Also Read : https://telugutraditions.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1796&action=edit