Yajnaseni (play)

{{Short description|Nepali play by Suman Pokhrel}}

{{Infobox play

| name = Yajnaseni

| image =Yajnaseni Kalyani 2017-012.jpg

| caption =Nisha Sharma performing as Yajanseni in the play 'Yajnaseni'

| writer = Suman Pokhrel

| based_on= The Mahabharata and Yajnaseni

| chorus =

| characters = Yajnaseni

| mute =

| setting = Panchal, Hastinapur, Indraprastha and Kurukshetra

| premiere = 2 October 2016

| place = Irving Arts Center, Dallas, Texas, United States

| orig_lang = Nepali

| series =

| subject = Marriage, Womanhood, Property, War, Politics

| genre = Epic theatre

| web =

{{Theatricalia|egy|yajnaseni}}

}}

Yajnaseni ({{langx|ne|:ne:याज्ञसेनी}}) is a play in Nepali by Suman Pokhrel. The play is based on the Sanskrit epic The Mahabharata and Odia novel Yajnaseni by Pratibha Ray.{{cite web|url=http://kantipur.ekantipur.com/news/2016-10-03/20161003164800.html|title=निशा र सुनिलको जोडीले टेक्सासका नेपालीलाई चखाए नाटकको स्वाद}} This play has been staged in Nepal, India and United States.

Suman Pokhrel rendered the story into a solo play in Nepali by bringing the character Yajnaseni alone in the scenes. Pokhrel has personalized the play while maintaining the basic concept of the original story of Draupadi.{{cite web|url=http://www.myrepublica.com/news/6580|title=Sunil Pokharel on US tour with two solo plays}}

The story revolves around Draupadi, who is also known as Yajnaseni and is one of the lead characters from the famous Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. The play is a neo-interpretation of Mahabharata from Yajnaseni's perspective.Yajnaseni, 2016, Aarohan Gurukul p. 2{{cite web|url=http://kala.setopati.com/news/4437/|title=छुट्टाछुट्टै 'सोलो' नाटक लिएर अमेरिका जाँदै सुनील-निशा दम्पती}}

Aarohan Theatre Group prepared Yajnaseni for stage show for the first time. It was first performed in Irving Arts Center in Texas, United States, on October 2, 2016, as a premiere show before its two-month long U.S. tour.{{cite web|url=http://www.himalayakhabar.com/detail/63570.html|title=टेक्ससको ड्यालसमा निशाको 'याज्ञसेनी' प्रदर्शित (फोटो फिचर)}} Sunil Pokharel has directed this play and Nisha Sharma performed the role of Yajnaseni on stage.

The play was later performed at Ritwik Sadan in Kalyani, West Bengal in India on 11 January 2017 as a part of 12th Ramdhanu Nattyamela organized by [http://www.kalamandalam.in Kalyani Kalamandalam].{{cite news| author=|title=12th Ramdhanu Nattyamela|url = http://www.kaahon.com/event/jagyoseni-12th-ramdhanu-nattyamela-nepali-play-630pm-ritwik-sadan-kalyani-arohon-nepal/|location= Kalyani, West Bengal|date= 15 September 2016|access-date=2017-09-24}}{{cite news| author=Sushil Poudel, Kolkota|title= द्रौपदीका आँखाबाट महाभारत|trans-title=The Mahabharata in Draupadi's Perspective|url = http://kantipur.ekantipur.com/news/2017-01-12/20170112085815.html|location= Kathmandu|date= 13 January 2017|access-date=2017-09-24}}

Aarohan staged this play at Rastriya Naach Ghar (The National Theater) in Jamal in Kathmandu on November 8, 2019, in association with SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneurs Council Nepal{{cite news| author=Event Nepal|title=Yajnaseni (याज्ञसेनी) – Untold Story of Draupadi|trans-title=|url =https://eventnepal.com/event/yajnaseni-याज्ञसेनी-untold-story-of-draupadi|location= Kathmandu|date= |access-date=2021-11-28}}