Nature As Sacred Theatre: Ecological Rasa In Tagore's Chitrangada And Chandalika Resonating IKS

Abstract

IKS, Indian Knowledge Systems, is an initiative on the part of Indian government to acknowledge and revive the same old wisdom and knowledge entrenched in the ancient Indian ancestries. One such field that may brag of being a vast repository of the rich Indian legacy is the study of Indian Classical Theories or Indian Aesthetics. These theories must not only be kept alive and shielded from extinction, but they must also be shared globally in order to be judged and evaluated for their enduring value and profound research. Not only are some schools of thought, such as Rasa, Dhvani, Vakrokti, and Alaṁkāra, the proud heirs of the School of Indian Aesthetics, but they have also intriguingly caught the interest of western intellectuals. These Indian philosophies remain significant and applicable today. They are not limited to Indian writings; they may also be used for this purpose with western texts or literature in any other language.Rabindranath Tagore's theatrical corpus presents a remarkable synthesis of ancient Indian aesthetic principles and profound ecological awareness, creating what might be termed "environmental rasa"—emotional experiences that awaken ecological consciousness through the subtle art of dhvani. His plays demonstrate how traditional Indian knowledge systems, particularly the concept of interconnectedness found in Vedantic philosophy, can illuminate contemporary environmental concerns through carefully crafted emotional suggestion.