From coastal villages of Karnataka to international borders, traditional dance-drama arts have been revealed for decades with decades of Yakshagana, their detailed costumes, headgier, stage structure and even its performance topics. Mainly practiced in Udupi, Shivamogga and Chikkamagalurur, and Kasargod in Kerala, Yakshagana combines dance, music, and improvised speech to tell the story on the stage.
Sridhar Hegde Keremen, a Yakshagana artist at Idgunji Mahaganapati Yakshagana Mandali Mandali, says, “My great grandfather, Shivarma Hegde established our congregation in Honwar in 1934. Since then, many changes have been included.
The longest, all Yakshagana performances will be performed by men in open areas, which lasts from evening to dawn. Now, at any time of the day, there are shows ranging from five minutes to five hours in the air conditioned auditorium, some are also being done by female artists.
A Yakshagana Performance | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Hugging new narratives
However, one of the biggest changes in the contemporary Yaksha was when the artists decided to use stories outside the context. Ramayana And MahabrathA trained Yakshagana artist and theater producer, Sharanya Ramprakash, says, “Instead of a mythological story, a Yakshagana performance can be centered around Bahubali with elements of contemporary life. Or even if they use stories from epics, they are contemporary.”
She believes that this is a way in which this art form is relevant today. “I believe that a form that hears today’s contemporary beat will not die. With a change in society, Yakshagana performance is improved through its speeches and narratives.”
Sridhar said differently, saying that it is a contemporary of contemporary as a traditional art. “There are troupes that see the form of this art as an industry, they look at the sale of tickets rather than creativity or original ideas.”
He says, “Even though a performance is repeated at the same place with the same story and cast, people will still see it. This is because the story is the same, dance and speech will improve.”
Can there be tradition and contemporary co -existence?
Priyanka’s Mohan, a Yakshagana artist and Art Curator with Suata Arts Collector feels that both traditional and contemporary forms of Yakshagana should be practiced. He was established in Basavanguri in 1980 by his father, K Mohan, the founder of Yaksha Dagula, a Yakshagana School.
Yakshagana artist Priyanka’s. Mohan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Most of our work is based on traditional texts, but our 20% perform innovation without disrespecting the form of arts. Some of our performances deal with contemporary issues such as dowry, HIV, right to vote and education.”
She says, “At the end of the day, all art form communicates through stories. Initially, when people did not have access to formal education, the theater was a tool to spread awareness. If we no longer tell new stories, you will not always be able to join more people and eventually, art form will die.”
Priyanka says, people who claim to be a Yakshagana artist under formal instructions, are derogatory to those who have been training for years.
Learning Yakshagana, Sridhar says, a new language is like learning. “You have to spend time to understand its roots, stories and practices.”
A Yakshagana Mandali Training | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Film songs were pair, Priyanka said unacceptable with the yakshagana performance. “Neither is making a Yakshagna artist, walking in his entire dress between a groom and a bride.”
No matter how relevant contemporary stories are, Priyanka says, we still need to perform traditional texts because knowledge and knowledge are passed through them. “Each of us promotes by educating ourselves as this art that forms a real Yakshagana performance.”
Published – July 04, 2025 08:33 pm IST
