Mythological Yakshagana Festival: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR MYTHOLOGICAL YAKSHAGANA FESTIVAL

Shri Maha Ganapati Yakshagana Mandali is organising its 3rd Yakshagana Festival for 10 days, from the 12th to the 21st September. The touring troupe is drawn from temple melas of Shri Dharmasthala and Shri kateel in coastal Karnataka, and will enact a mythological episode from Hindu epics and puranas each day. The shows begin at 6pm daily.

The schedule for the festival is as follows:

12-09-2009 - Sudhanva Moksha - Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, Kachiguda

13-09-2009 - Bhaktha Prahlada - Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, Vanasthalipuram

14-09-2009 - Gajendra Moksha - Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, Kachiguda

15-09-2009 - Dhruva Charithre - Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, Bagh Lingampaliy

16-09-2009 - Bhargava Vijaya - Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, Alakapuri, Ramakrishnapuram

17-09-2009 - Shrikrishna Parijatha: Raajasuuya - Shri Krishna Mutt, Mahendra Hills

18-09-2009 - Seethanveshana: Lankaa Dahana - Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, Bagh Lingampally

19-09-2009 - Bhaktha Markandeya: Meenakshi Kalyana - Shri Shringeri Shankara Mutt, Nallakunta

20-09-2009 - Daksha Yajna: Girijaa Kalyana - Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, Bagh Lingampally

21-09-2009 - Devi Mahathme - Karnataka Sahitya Mandira Auditorium, Kachiguda

Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form combining dance, music, actor-created dialogues, make-up, and stage technique. It is popular in the state of Karnataka, and is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music forms and theatrical arts.

Traditionally, Yakshaganas go on all night. It is sometimes simply called Aataa (play) in both Kannada and Tulu. Yaksha-gana literally means the song (gana) of a Yaksha. Yakshas were an exotic tribe referred to in Sanskrit literature of ancient India.

Yakshagana consists of a Himmela (a group of background musicians) and a Mummela (a dance and dialogue group), which together perform a Yakshaga Prasanga. Himmela consists of a Sutradhara (the facilitator, who is also a singer), a Maddale (a percussion insrtrument) player, a Harmonium (Pungi was used earlier) player and a Chende (loud drums) player. A traditional Yakshagana performance begins in the twilight hours, with the beating of several fixed compositions on drums for up to an hour before the actors get onto the stage.

Actors wear resplendent costumes, head-dresses, and paint on their faces. A performance usually depicts a story from the Hindu epics. It features a narrator (Bhagawatha) who either narrates the story by singing, or sings pre-composed dialogues of a character. He is backed by musicians playing on traditional musical instruments, while the actors perform to the music, to the story being narrated.

At the festival, the Himmela for all acts will be done by S Rama Krishna Mayya, accompanied by D Subramanya Bhat on Chende, Prabahkara Gore on Mridanga and Mahesh Maniyani on Vidhushaka. The cast consists of K Jayaram Bhat, Gangadhera Puturu and D Eshwara Prasad in female roles, and N Govind Bhat, K Sridhar Rao, Vasantha Goud, Sadashiva Kulal and Shiv Prasad Bhat in supporting roles.

Entry is free for all. Please contact Prema Somayaji at 2700-5783 or 94907-50988 for further details.