Stunning 'Yakshagana' performance enthrals audience in Delhi

Delhi Karnataka Sangha (DKS) organised an overnight performance of ancient folk theatre form, Yakshagana, at its auditorium in R.K. Puram here during last week-end.

The performance was given by one of the noted Yakshagana troops, 'GuruprasaditaYakshagana Mandali' from Karnataka's Saligrama.

The episode selected for the performance was Bhishma Vijaya, an episode from the great epic Mahabharata and Nagashree, a popular modern day story.

Both presentations combined dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style that stunned a large number of audience who stayed overnight and enjoyed the performance.

The story started with a prayer at 9.30 pm and concluded with a Mangalam at 6.30 am. The event was a landmark in Delhi's cultural history.

Yakshagana has been traditionally performed from dusk to dawn in coastal Karnataka, but recently, it has been reduced to a three hour performance.

However, a few troupes supported by temples are still performing full night Yakshagana, and the performance is popular among the farming community.

The folk theatre form, that combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form, is popular in the coastal districts and the Malenadu region of Karnataka.

The successful Delhi show has helped revive people's interest in overnight Yakshagana.