A Critique of Ancient Indian and Greek Theatre Architecture

Abstract

The earliest known overseas civilization to come into contact with Indian civilization was the Greek. The communication of two flourishing civilizations of ancient world immensely benefitted and enriched various fields of knowledge, ranging from science to fine arts. The paper attempts to trace if there were some inter-changes of ideas with respect to stage and theatre. The references to the yavanikā in the Sanskrit plays and in Na.Śā had made some western thinkers, prominently Keith, to conclude that Indian theatre owe its origin to Greek theatre. As a reaction to this view, many scholars, both western and Indian, had come forward with befitting counter arguments that have demolished the ‘Greek Influence theory’. None the less, we cannot deny similarity of ideas, even if not led by interaction and inter-change of the thoughts, views among the people of two ancient civilizations.