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YAKSHAGANA
is about 5 or 6 centuries old, spreading the message of morality and dharma
through stories from the epics and puranas to rural audiences in all night
performances. This popular traditional performing art form of coastal Karnataka
resembles Therukoothu and Bhagavatamela in many respects. The Yakshagana
theatre is all-male due to traditional social attitude and operational
conditions and religious reasons (since traditionally troupes were attached
to temples). Yakshagana is vigorous and strenuous with dance movements
marked by jumps and twirls that are manly in nature.
The stories
are from the Indian mythology and male dominated (the dominant mood is
raudra or veera) and the male characters outshine female characters. The
males playing the superhuman characters wear heavy, exotic costumes while
the female characters, except a demoness, appear like a well dressed upper
class Hindu woman. There are about 30 professional Yakshagana troupes today
who give all night performances before rural audiences. |
