Katha

(“conversation”) Genre of public religious address based on recitation and
exposition of a religious text. Katha is
most often associated with the
Ramcharitmanas, a version of the
epic Ramayana written by the poetsaint Tulsidas, but may be used to
explain other religious texts as well.
Kathas may be delivered in a number
of ways: The speaker may go through
large parts of the text, give detailed
analysis and commentary on a very
small portion of the text, select passages from throughout the text to
illustrate a particular theme, or present a completely spontaneous and
free-floating exposition. For listeners,
attending such events is not only aesthetically satisfying but also considered to be a form of satsang or
religious association. Such gatherings
were (and are) one of the major ways
in which illiterate people memorize
large parts of these primary texts. For
further information see Philip
Lutgendorf, The Life of a Text, 1991.