Yaksha Gana

Yakshagana is one of the most popular tradition theatrical forms of Karnataka. It is difficult to categorize Karnataka's Yakshagana as folk, rural or classical. It can be said to be a form of theater that encompasses many performance traditions. Having its origin in the Bhakti movement in southern India, Yakshagana literally means the songs of the celestial beings.

The themes employed in Yakshagana of Karnataka are typically taken from the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata and other important episodes of the Hindu mythology. However being a theater form, it enjoys more aesthetic freedom than the dances. Yakshagana is traditionally presented by specialized traveling artists who travel from village to village in groups of 15 to 20. Performances of Yakshagana at Karnataka usually take place in the night. They start towards the end of the afternoon and go on till the early hours of the dawn. The villagers gather from far and wide to see them and there are no tickets charged for the performances.

The dresses and the make-up of the artists in Yakshagana, Karnataka are extremely codified and ascertained by tradition. The different characters use dresses and make-ups suiting their roles. The bhagavat holds the narrative together and the artists indulge in dialogues in verse and prose to carry the plot forward. The dress of the heroes are different from the demons and they are in turn different from the comedians and the narrator or the 'Bhagavat'. Songs are often employed as are dances.

Yakshagana in Karnataka is of a primarily ritualistic nature. Usually, temple trusts or wealthy individuals organize them on the fulfillment of some wish or simply as an act of devotion. Yakshagana demands great stamina and dexterity on the part of the actors. They are also required to be well-versed in a number of arts like singing, dancing, acting and miming.