Chandalika

Chandalika – is a powerful dance drama by Rabindranath Tagore, originally published in 1933 in Bengali. Based on an ancient Buddhist legend from the Shardulakarnavadana, the play is a profound critique of the caste system and a study of intense psychological and spiritual conflict. One sweltering day, Ananda, a famous disciple of Lord Buddha, approaches Prakriti at a well and asks for water. When she warns him of her “unclean” caste, Ananda replies that all human beings are equal and all water is holy if it quenches thirst. This interaction sparks a “new birth” in Prakriti, awakening her sense of human dignity and rights.