YAKSHAGANA

Unique to the west coastal districts, Yakshagana is an ancient art form that depicts stories from Indian mythologies. these folk ballets with constumed artists, profusely masked, are normally all night long performances. Combining song, dance and dialogue, these ballets are basically narrations from stories about the Hindu pantheon of gods. What many may not know is that these yakshagana artists arrive on the stage after long years of training, single minded dedication and a deep sense of commitment.

The Yakshagana troupe of Dharmasthala has been performing for the last two centuries. And for Shri Heggad, yakshagana is specially close to his heart. He has been instrumental in bringing about a revival of this ethnic dance drama by starting a school for Yakshagana. Here budding artistes are trained in the intricacies of this highly demanding folk ballet.

The most interesting part of this Yakshagana troupe is that its performances are booked by devotees as an expression of their thanks giving to the Lord Manjunatha for the favours the god has bestowed on them. And believe it or not, the troupe had been booked for years in advance. Today the popularity of Yakshagana has crossed confines of its cradle - Dakshina Kannada - and spread its wings not only in other parts of the country but onto the stages of various countries abroad.

To encourage youngsters to enter the Yakshagana performing stage, a training course is held every year for duration of six months. It is heartening to note that many new generation artists are the products of Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Yakshagana Kala Kendra.

Siri :
Siri myth according to ‘paad-dana’ (Tulu folk songs) is called ‘Siri Sandhi’ sung by women who go in to trance during the ritual. Some times ‘Kumara’(male impersonator), a mediator between Siri possessor acts as a faith healer and signs the long epic, but women or ‘Kumara’ never sing the lengthy epic. Only few dozens of the siri epic pharses are sung during the performance.

Bhootha kola :
Bhootha Kola is also a folk ritual in southern part of Udupi district and also in D.K.district. Mainly people in tulu speaking area (southern part of Udupi) celebrate this Bhoota aradhane in the month of January and February. Kalkuda, Pilichandi, Panjurli, Neecha, Varthe, Sathyadevathe, Babbarya are few of the names of the Bhootha’s (Grama Devathe-Village gods) who will get separate poojas in this rituals.