Devnarayana is the name of a folk deity worshipped by the pastoral communities of Gujjars in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The main feature of the cult is the performance of individual episodes from a two-part, 45 to 50 hour long oral narrative which contains both sung and spoken section (gav and arthav). Devnarayan's epic is performed during all night vigils (Jagran), by pairs of male singers called Bhopas. The CD-ROM will focus on this oral narrative which is painted on large scrolls. The professional unfolds the story through singing and performance. The relationship between the pictorial image, the sung narrative performances and audience responses will be recreated.

ADITYA MALIK, Ph. D. and 'Habilitation' (University of Heidelberg, Germany) is a research scholar in the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg; done extensive field work in Rajasthan; has participated in many national and international Seminars; author of several research papers; major works are : Das Puskara - Mahatmya. Ein religionswissenschaftlicher Beitrag zum Wallfahrtsbegriff in Indien: (Erorterung, Text, Ubersetzung) (1993), and Flags of Fame, Studies in South Asian Folk Culture (1993).