India, March 23 -- In the forests of Sindhudurg, during the reign of the warrior-king Shivaji, a band of spies was inducted. They were to roam the villages of the Maratha empire and report back if they found trouble was brewing - whether at the hands of rival kings, colonial powers or the great nemesis: the Mughals.

How would the spies ply their craft? They were performers already, skilled at make-believe. They were all from the Thakar tribe, familiar with the region. And they were itinerant performers, taking paintings, poems and performances of their own slightly altered versions of the epics, from village to village.

It is unclear exactly when this tradition began. But Shivaji lived from 1630 to 1680, and as he ruled over a fast-expa...