Answer: Powada (ballad) is a folk performing art of Maharashtra in which the great deeds of heroic men and women are narrated by alternately reciting poetry and prose.
- It narrates heroic deeds in a forceful and inspiring style.
- The Powada by Adnyandas, a contemporary poet of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, on the killing of Afzal Khan, and the Powada on the battle of Sinhagad by Tulasidas are well-known examples.
- During the British period, powadas were used to inspire people in the freedom struggle.