YAKSHAGANA BRINGS MYTHOLOGY ALIVE

Jayaram Bhat

Long ago, before the invention of silver screen and small screen, the townsfolk derived entertainment from dramas staged by artistes on stage. The lives of villagers were filled with work from morning till evening and at nights, they listened to gamaka vachanas, recitals of Mahabharatha and Ramayana and various folk art forms.
Yakshagana ruled the summer nights where the whole village — young, old and womenfolk — squatted on the ground through the night to watch yakshagana, being performed mostly by amateurs of the village and sometimes by professionals. Yakshagana is still the most favourite art form and pastime for the coastal people, with many families arranging yakshagana bayalatas during family functions for the entertainment of the relatives and as vows, which has become a tradition.
Forms of yakshagana
Yakshagana forms vary in different regions across the State. There is the Moodalapaya staged in some areas of Hassan, Mandya, Mysore, Tumkur, Chitradurga and Uttara Kannada and the Paduvalapaya staged in western and northern parts of Kerala, Dakshina Kannada, Kasargod, Udupi and also in Uttara Kannada. Paduvalapaya yakshagana has the well-known Tenkuthittu and Badaguthittu apart from Uttara Kannadathittu.
Once considered a common man's art form by the scholars, yakshagana has now enraptured people from all walks of life. It is the only art form which has retained its traditionality in the matter of dresses and story-line. Apart from a few experiments, it has also clung to mythological stories and epics, depicting them through the navarasa expressions including anger, serenity, courage, romance, terror, comedy etc.
Temples have been the cultural and religious centres of the land and thus, most yaksha-gana troupes have been patronised and carry the name of famous temples. The 400-year-old yakshagana art, which was earlier limited to Karnataka and was staged in Kannada and Tulu, has now spread its wings beyond the State and country with the art being staged even in America.
The Karavali Yakshagana Kendra of Mysore, which was started by yakshagana enthusiasts Dha-nanjay and Purushotham Gowda in 2008, has been doing yeoman service to yakshagana field by teaching the two most evolved forms of the art — Tenkuthittu and Badaguthittu. At present, about 30 persons are learning the art under the aegis of the Kendra at Vishwamanava Vidyaniketana in Ramakrishnanagar in city. Asked about the difference between the Paduvalapaya and Moodalapaya forms, Dhananjay said the latter was still in its unevolved folk state whereas the former has seen many experimentations.
The Kendra had organised a blend of Moodalapaya and Tenkuthittu yakshagana shows on Aug.21 at Veene Seshanna Bhavan in Kuvempunagar as part of Sri Krishna Janmashtami. It was sponsored by Late GTN and Late Shikaripura Harihareshwara Samsmarana Samithi, Bhasange Balaga and the family of GTN. Artistes of Sri Hemambika Yakshagana Kala Sangha, Hosa Hemmige, T. Narasipur taluk and Sri Mahaganapathi Yakshagana Mandali of Nidle, DK district, staged three shows — Sri Krishna Tulabhara, Airavatha and Raktaratri on the day.
S. Ramakrishnaiah Siribaagilu was the Bhagavatha for Sri Krishna Tulabhara. Ambemoole Govinda Bhat is the poet. Renowned yakshagana artiste Kumble Sridhar Rao (Sri Krishna), Ambaprasad (Satyabhama), Vasanthagowda (Devendra), Balakrishna Maniyani (Narada), Gangadhara Puttur (Rukmini) and others formed the cast. The story tells of the pride of Krishna's wife Satyabhama and the humility of Rukmini.
The story of King of Gods Indra's elephant Airavatha (Poet: Dr.P.K. Rajashekar) was presented by the artistes later. H.C. Chowdaiah was the Bhagavatha. Artistes Boraiah (Dharmaraya), Maneya (Bhima), Chikkachowdanayaka (Arjuna), Rama Shetty (Kunti) and others were in the lead.
The last show was the story Raktaratri (Poet: Balipa Narayana Bhagavatha). S. Ramakrishna Mayya Siribagilu. Kumble Sridhar Rao as Sri Krishna, Vasantha Gowda as Arjuna and Nidle Govinda Bhat as Bheema captivated the audience.
Costumes
Costume in yakshagana is rich in colour and includes heavy make-up. Each character's costume depends on the story or prasanga. It also depends on yakshagana style or thittu.
Badaguthittu ornaments are made out of light wood, mirror work, coloured stones. Lighter materials like thermocol are used nowadays.
Typical yakshagana costumes consist of a head-gear (Kirita or Pagade), Kavacha that decorates chest, Bhuja Keerthi (armlets) that decorate shoulders, and belts (Dabu) all made up of light wood and covered with golden foil.
Mirror works on these ornaments help to reflect light during show and adds more color to costumes. These armaments are worn on a vest and cover upper half of the body. Lower half is covered with Kachche that comes in a unique combination of red, yellow and orange checks. Bulky pads (cloth) are used under Kachche.
Bannada Vesha that involves detailed facial makeup is used to depict monsters. It may take 3 to 4 hours to complete make-up for certain character. Sthreevesha differs in the use of saree and other decorative ornaments.
Earlier, women's roles in drama and yakshagana were mostly played by men. Though this trend decreased in dramas and women themselves started donning the role of women characters, it is still prevalent in yakshagana as can be seen by the portrayal of Rukmini and Draupadi by Gangadhar Puttur, Kunti by Rama Shetty etc.
Unlike many folk and traditional art forms which are waning with the onslaught of modern forms of entertainment, Yakshagana is being increasingly patronised by the public for its uniqueness and strong artistry.