Dharmasthala troupe to cut short Yakshagana performances

: In a break from tradition, the Dharmasthala Yakshagana troupe will cut short the duration of its daily all-night performances to five hours from the next season, according to D Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari (hereditary administrator)of Dharmasthala temple trust in Dakshina Kannada district.
The decision was taken after three-year long discussions with experts, collection of opinion and observing the success of some Yakshagana events which had opted for shorter shows, Heggade said in a statement here.
From the next season, the Dharmasthala Yakshagana Mela's performances will be between 7 PM and 12 AM. However, none of the Yakshagana traditions like the prelude, would be avoided, he said.

A meeting was held three years back to discuss the time limit for Yakshagana performances of Dharmasthala troupe, followed by a discussion here a month ago. "The nod of the divine has been obtained through a 'Deva Prashne' (divine query)," he said, adding that other people who organised such shows had concurred to the view to curtail the period of performances.
The Dharmasthala Yakshagana troupe is over 200 years old, taking note of the historical fact that the Maharaja of Mysore had extended an official invitation to this troupe to perform there in 1812.
The Dharmasthala 'Yakshagana Mela' troupe performs in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagalur, Uttara Kannada, and Shivamogga districts of Karnataka and Kasaragod in Kerala.

Yakshagana is a folk theatre form combining dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form, popular in coastal Karnataka and Kasaragod in Kerala. The performance is traditionally staged from dusk to dawn.