Yakshagana - Coastal Karnataka’s Traditional Dance

Mesmerizing sunsets, picturesque beaches, magnificent temples and scrumptious food, these are some things that come to mind when you think of coastal Karnataka. Coastal Karnataka, however is also home to rich cultural heritage. Yakshagana, the traditional dance of Coastal Karnataka is one such. Deepa Shri Rajan writes.

History of Yakshagana

Yakshagana or Yakshaganam means song (gaana) of the Yakshas (celestial beings). It is a millennial old traditional folk theatre art that originated in coastal Karnataka somewhere between the 11th – 16th century. While it is hard to point one person who founded the art form, it is widely believed that Madvacharya’s disciple, Narahari Tirtha (a minister of the Kalinga Kingdom) introduced Yakshagana in Udupi. The art, initially known to have originated in small temple towns of coastal Karnataka, further evolved with the influence of Sanskrit literature and drama and was firmly established during the time of Parthi Subba, who was also a Yakshagana poet.

Yakshagana is a concept of theatre in which dance, music, dialogue and decor coexist. The basic framework of Yakshagana is built upon raga, tala and prasanga, which is a collection of poems written to form a music drama. The performance meanwhile is a beautiful blend of music and dance. The artists are vibrantly dressed with elaborate head gear, intricate facial makeup and glittering ornaments. The music and songs of Yakshagana play stories inherited from the Hindu epics of Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Devipurana and Bhagavatha, and are popular even in the modern times. The background music in Yakshagana performance is played by a group of musicians named as the “Himmela” and a dance and dialogue group named as the “Mummela”. together they create an epic cultural dance.

What makes the art special

Every element works together in harmony, from the intricate facial makeup to extempore speech, to vibrant costumes and head-gear that unique to this art. The Kavacha that decorates the chest and the ornaments made of soft wood ad adorned with mirrors and shiny paper. The unique yakshagana make-up is prepared by using fullers earth, zinc oxide, red, green, yellow, black and white pigments and coconut oil (used to mix these colors). The vibrant hues of their faces indicate the characteristics of an artist: a black and red facial makeup would signal a demonic character, but a pinkish face and the Yakshagana signature head gear would incarnate a heroic character. Since this theatre art was presented from dusk to dawn, the mirror work on the ornaments and the shield helped to reflect light during the shows and illuminated the stage.

Types of Yakshagana

Based on the geographical location, Yakshagana has two variations: Moodalapaya and Paduvalapaya. While Moodalapaya hasn't travelled much beyond villages, Paduvalapaya can be further classified into Badaguthittu (Northern Coastal Karnataka) and Thenkuthittu (Southern Coastal Karnataka). Women were initially not a part of this art and even the stree veshas (female impersonators) were played by men, but these days the troupes had started to include females also. Training institutes like Karnataka Mahila Yakshagana®, Bangalore trains women to master the art and deserves to be appreciated.

Popular places to experience Yakshagana

Udupi Shri Krishna Mutt: Take the blessings of Lord Krishna, enjoy the divine temple food that's cooked in bronze pots and while you sniff the beautiful magic in the air, don’t forget to experience the Yakshagana played in the mantap. Artists and students from Yakshagana Kendra, Udupi and other troupes performs this theater art very regularly here.

The open-air amphitheater at Malpe beach: yet another amazing place to experience this visual treat is the open-air amphitheater at Malpe beach.

Temples and villages across coastal Karnataka: Various temples and villages across have their own troupes and host performances regularly. Referring to local newspapers and asking your hotel is a good idea to check on the performance timings.

Note: If you want to train in the art you can get that in Yakshagana Kendra, Udupi, and Karnataka Mahila Yakshagana® Bengaluru are some of the training centers to learn this art.

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