24 Facts About Yakshagana

Yakshagana is a traditional theatre, developed in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga and western parts of Chikmagalur districts, in the state of Karnataka and in Kasaragod district in Kerala that combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form.

Towards the south from Dakshina Kannada to Kasaragod of Tulu Nadu region, the form of Yakshagana is called and towards the north from Udupi up to Uttara Kannada it is called.

Yakshagana literally means the people who are the yaksha (nature spirits).

Yakshagana is the scholastic name in Kannada for art forms formerly known as kelike, ata, bayalata, and dasavatara.

The word Yakshagana previously referred to a form of literature primarily in Kannada.

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Yakshagana has a separate tradition of music, separate from Karnataka Sangeetha and the Hindustani music of India.

All components of Yakshagana—including the music, the dance, and the dialogue—are improvised.

Yakshagana is popular in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Kasaragod, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga and western parts of Chikkamagaluru.

Yakshagana has become popular in Bengaluru in recent years, particularly in the rainy season, when there are few other forms of entertainment possible in the coastal districts.

Yakshagana can refer to a style of writing, as well as the written material itself.

Yakshagana was first introduced in Udupi by Madhvacharya's disciple Naraharitirtha.

Early Yakshagana poets included Ajapura Vishnu, Purandaradasa, Parthi Subba, and Nagire Subba.

Yakshagana reduced the time of a Yakshagana performances from 12 hours to under three hours, incorporated movie plot lines, and added Shakespearean themes.

Yakshagana is related to other performance art forms prevalent in other parts of Karnataka and the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Yakshagana defies simple classification into categories such as folk, classical, or rural.

Yakshagana is influenced more by folk art blended with classical dance aspects.

Yakshagana is the first Yakshagana artist to receive the Rashtrapati Award from the president of India.

The presentation of the puppetry in Yakshagana style is highly stylised and adheres strictly to the norms and standards of Yakshagana.

The puppets wear costumes similar to those worn by live actors of Yakshagana, and have the same elaborate make-up, colorful headgear, and heavy jewellery.

Ragas in Yakshagana are closely associated with a set of melodic forms called mattu.

Yakshagana poetry is a collection of poems written to form a music drama.

The collection of Yakshagana poems forming a musical drama is called a Prasanga.

Traditionally, Badagutittu Yakshagana ornaments are made out of light wood, pieces of mirror, and colored stones.

Yakshagana costumes consist of headgear, Kavacha that decorates the chest, Buja Keerthi (armlets) that decorate the shoulders, and belts (Dabu)—all made up of light wood and covered with golden foil.