Shri Kateel Kshethra Mahathme - A Kannada Yakshagana: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR SHRI KATEEL KSHETHRA MAHATHME...

Arunasura was no ordinary demon - he got killed by Devi Herself. A poor second is watching this Yakshagana tonite.

The well-known touring troupe of Kannada artists, Shri Mahaganapathi Yakshagana Mandali of Nidle-Dharmasthala, is organising a Yakshagana Saptaha (week), from 21st to 27th September at the Sundarayya Vignana Kendram and other places of the twin cities. As part of the Saptaha, Sri Kateel Kshethra Mahathme will be staged at Ashtalakhmi Temple, Dilsukhnagar, on 24th September.

Famine affects the world, and Sage Jaabali brings relief by forcing the divine cow Nandini to flow as a river on earth. At the same time, the demon Arunasura prays Brahma, seeking a boon of no death. Brahma concedes and says that none would dare him except a wasp (a wild bee).

Emboldened by Brahma's boon, Arunasura commits acts of injustice in the world and marches to Swarga waging a war. Indra, displaced from Swarga, seeks solace from the Trimurthis, who together pray Devi. The Goddess appears as Mohini near the Nandini river.

Arunasura sends his commandants to fetch her, but all get killed by Shakti. Finally, Arunasura himself confronts Her, and She transforms Herself into a violent wasp and destroys him. Goddess Durga then takes the form of a linga at the spot, and so this place is called Shri Kshethra Kateel, the well-known abode of Durga Parameshwari in coastal Karnataka.

This ballet is being sponsored by the Shilparamam and the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The artists participating in this Saptaha are Vidushaka Mahesh Maniyani, Gangadhara Puthuru, Eshwara Prasad Dharmasthala, Pookala Lakshmi Narayana Bhat, Nidle Govinda Bhat, Kumble Shridhara Rao, Subraya Holla Kasaragod, Vasantha Gowda, Sadashiva Kulal, Shiva Prasad Bhat, Ammunje Mohan, Radha Krishna, Padmanabha, Girish and Naveen Kumar.

The Saptaha starts with the ballets of Sri Krishna Vivaaha on the 21st and Sri Krishna Janana - Kamsa Vadhe on 22nd at the Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, followed by Bhasmasura-Mohini on the 23rd at Shankar Math (Nallakunta), Sri Kateel Kshethra Mahathme on the 24th at the Ashtalakshmi Temple in Dilsukhnagar, Veera Abhimanyu on the 25th at Shilparamam, Sudarshanopakhyana on the 26th at Sri Raghavendra Swamy Math (Bagh Lingampally) and finally, Sri Rama Ashwamedha - Veeramani on the 27th at the Sundaraya Vignana Kendram.

Yakshagana is a classical folk art form of Karnataka, mostly popular in the districts of Uttara Kannada, Shimoga, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kasargod districts. This would be considered to be a form of opera by Western eyes.

Traditionally, Yakshaganas go on for whole of the night. The actors wear resplendent costumes, head-dresses and painted faces, which they paint themselves with natural colors and dyes, and enact the various roles that usually depicts a story from the Hindu epics and puranas. A vocalist narrates the story in a song-like fashion, and is backed by musicians playing traditional musical instruments, as the actors dance to the tune, with actions that portray the story as it is being narrated.

Please contact K N Somayaji or Prema Somayaji at 2700-5783 for further details.