Art, Culture & Heritage

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Folk Theatre - Yakshagana | Puppet Theatre | Harikatha 

Yakshagana
Yakshagana is believed to have a history of one thousand years. Yakshagana is believed to have represented a specific type of music of the 'yakhas'. Yaksha is the name of certain demi-gods attending on 'Kubera'- the god of wealth in the Hindu mythology. 'Gaana' means song. By combining the meaning, the term Yakshagana might mean the 'song of Yakshas'. 

Of the 20 districts in Karnataka, Yakshagana has established its firm roots in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Dharwad, Mysore and Hassan. Based on its technique of presentation, Yakshagana has been broadly classified into 'Mudalapaya' (the custom of the east) and 'Paduvalapaya' (the custom of the west). Popularly known as 'Bayalata' or 'Aata', Mudalapaya is widely practiced in places like Tumkur, Bangalore, Kolar, Mandya, Mysore, Hassan, Chitradurga, Bellary, Dharwad, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar and Belgaum. While Yakshagana of North Karnataka has assumed varied forms like 'Sannata', 'Doddata', 'Krishna Parijatha' and 'Dasarata'. The form of Paduvalapaya' popular extensively in Uttara and Dakshina Kannad districts has been further divided into 'Thenku Tittu' (south) and 'Badagu Tittu' (north). Paduvalapaya is practiced in places like Karki, Keladi, Ikkeri, Sagar, Kolluru, Maranakatt, Sankuru, Coondapur, Kotesvara, Kota, Udupi, Dharmasthala, Mangalore, Brahmavara, Suratkal and Saligrama.

The Epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata offer extensive material for Yakshagana Prasangas (topic). The literature is presented both in verse and prose and the former is interpreted in simple prose and dialogues. The show begins with an announcement of Yakshagana by beating the 'Chande', in important places of the village. 

Stage: Yakshagana is performed in a rectangular stage built with four wooden poles installed on four corners and covered by mats of palm leaves on the top. Away from the backstage is a small place called 'Chowki', the greenroom for the artistes. The audience sits on all the three sides of the platform and a curtain covers only the back stage.

Characters: The life force of Yakshagana is the Bhagavata, the chief narrator of the story, in the verse form. Bhagavata also conducts light hearted conversation with the 'Vidushaka'- the jester. The dialogues between these two characters is very amusing and the Bhagavata ably supports the Vidushaka in carrying out extempore dialogues.

Music: Music is the essence of Yakshagana and the narration is in verse form. It is the songs and poems which transmit the story and the songs are invariably sung by the Bhagavata. The music in Yakshagana is excellent and it seems to have been woven into Yakshagana with commendable background knowledge of its costuming and make up of the characters. Prose in Yakshagana is in the form of dialogues. The songs are sung by the Bhagavata at a very high pith and hence is considered as a distinct style of music. The rhythm that dictates the body movements, footwork and the performance actually flows from the musical instruments. In Paduvalapaya, 'Chande' (a cylindrical percussion drum beaten with two thin sticks) is the vigorous instruments and the beats of the Chande are symbolic of valour and prowess. Regional differences allow the use of other instruments like gong and cymbals. In Mudalapaya, the chief instrument is Mukhaveena (flute like wind instrument, a form of Nadaswara, a kind of musical pipe). Percussion instruments like the 'Maddale' and the 'Mrudanga' lend musical support. The latest trend is to use harmonium.

Performance: The entire Yakshagana performance rests on foot work, body movements, gestures and facial expressions. The rhythmic movements are the yardstick to feel the pulse of Yakshagana. Devoid of gentle movements, the dancing pattern in Yakshagana consists of squatting and jumping requiring quick body movements. During the battle sequences, the tempo of the dance is swift and intense and the pattern varies from one character to another. The performers donning a heavy costume jump high in the air and reel vigorously without losing physical balance and rhythm. The dancing spectacle of demon characters like 'Athikaya', 'Indrajithu' or 'Shurpanakhi' is breath-taking. The gestures, movements and footwork visually aid the comprehension of play. It is delightful to observe that no artiste over steps his role by resorting to long speeches. He performs with utmost dignity befitting the role.

Costume and make-up

The splendor of Yakshagana lies with the unusual costumes and make-up of the artistes. The smooth flow of heavy and gorgeous costumes testify to the stimulating power of this audiovisual medium.

The facial make up varies from simple to intricate designs depending upon the roles they play. Motif on the face varies for hero, demon and female characters. Demonical make-up is heavy with artificial eyelids and white dots are liberally applied to portray the ferocious and violent nature of the demons.

The traditional costume consists of a dhoti, a pyjama, a jacket and a loose gown. Depending upon the characters, they increase the girth of the body with sheets of colorful cloth and sarees tied around. In Yakshagana, it is customary for males to perform even the role of females.

Ornaments consists of 'Bhujakeerthi' worn for the elbow and looks like colorful shining wings. Its surface is plain in 'Mudalapaya' and it is rough, thorn-like in Paduvalapaya. Besides the heavy armlets and anklets, intricately designed 'Edehara' (chest ornament made of wood and pasted with paper and glass pieces) and 'Veeragase' (a piece of designed ornament tied around and flowing beneath the waist) are the other ornaments worn by the artistes.

Headgears have a wide array of crowns. The selection of the headgear commensurate with the role represented by the artistes. The less important characters wear simple turbans of cloth. 'Mundasu' is a heavily set headgear, which gives a rich look to the character. It is broader in the middle which tapers as it proceeds upwards and appears like a lotus leaf. Since the Mundasu is heavy, it requires talent and prowess to wear it and dance.

Female costuming is simple and matches with the contemporary style but does not match with the psychedelic and gorgeous costumes of male roles.

THE PUPPET THEATRE 
Puppetry in considered as the most expressive of all theatrical forms. In India, puppet troupes are found in states like Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka. In Rajasthan, the paper puppets and string puppets are popular. Andhra is famous for Shadow puppets.

In Karnataka, the puppet theatre is said to have existed since ancient times. Puppetry in the state, is believed to have existed at the time of 'Kanakadasa' and 'Purandaradasa' and its roots are traced to the coastal tract of Karnataka. The health and family welfare department has been using puppetry shows for spreading messages like family planning, anti-dowry etc among the rural and semi urban places. The two prominent forms of puppetry of the state are (a) String puppets or Marionettes and (b) Leather or Shadow puppets.

String Puppets or Marionettes
At present many marionette troops exist in the Karnataka state. The whole family works as a team besides outside members as the art may be practiced by a member of any caste. A Brahmin family in Nelamangala near Bangalore, owns a puppet troupe, which possesses a set of almost a century-old puppets. It appears that these string puppets are quite ancient and the puppets of Hallare, in Nanjangud taluk, Mysore district are said to be of 300 years old.

A string puppet means a puppet manipulated from above and controlled by long strings invisible to the audience. Made of wood, the puppets of North Karnataka are short and slim in appearance possessing a pair of legs and hands whereas the puppets of South Karnataka are 3 feet high but without legs. All puppets are controlled by strings and the strings are tied to the hands and the head of the puppet. Some of the puppet troupes have discarded strings and have replaced them with rods for easier manipulation of puppets.

The stage is simple, usually consisting of a thick black backdrop, two or three wooden poles and a curtain to cover the puppet players from being seen by the audience. Puppet artistes of a Nelamangala based troupe have developed a box type stage which is easily removable and mobile. The conventional puppet stage is covered on all the three sides to make the puppeteers and musicians not visible. With the result, the audience can watch the show from only one side.

Prominent musical instruments used during the performance are 'Mrudanga' (also known as Maddale in Kannada), 'Mukhaveena' (a unique wind instrument made of wood, measuring one feet long and consisting twelve holes), cymbals and a Harmonium.

Presentation: Approximately ten persons are required to stage a puppet show. The troupe consist of puppet manipulators, instrument players, musicians and a Bhagavata. Bhagavata is the chief musician followed by few performers who assist him in the background. Depending on the story, the artistes use about 15 to 20 puppets in a show. 

The puppets perform against a black backdrop and are controlled and manipulated by black strings. The puppets are suspended from above and played by puppeteers who rest their hands on a 12 feet long wooden pole called 'Manthu'. The puppeteers of Karnataka perform the dual role of a narrator and an operator simultaneously. They not only manipulate the puppets behind the curtains but also conduct dialogues. The puppet operator wear anklets and dance along with puppets but such actions are not visible to the audience. The puppets are on an average 3 feet high, with fully articulated arms and hands. In some of the marionette puppets of Karnataka, the heads, the eyes and eyebrows move up and down and even move to the left and right. The master puppeteer controls the head, trunk and arm. Coordination with other puppeteers is a skill for any puppeteer to master. The discipline of movement, is extraordinary and the puppet move, dance and enact their roles that provide a perfectly balanced spectacle. The duration of the puppet show varies from 6 to 8 hours.

Leather or Shadow Puppets 
Leather puppetry is an ancient art which existed in the third century in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. At present, the leather puppetry is extensively found in Chitradurga, Ballary and Kolar districts. The puppeteers following this art are known as 'Gomberamas' or 'Kille kyatas'. These troupes numbering 40 are the only nomadic clan practicing this profession. 

The striking feature of Shadow puppetry is that, they create a world of fantasy and color just behind the screen. Their uniqueness lies in their shadow performance. In reality, in such a show, the actual puppet is concealed behind a screen and only its shadow is visible to the audience, requiring enormous skills to present a shadow puppet show.

The brilliance of illiterate puppeteers finds expression in breathing life into a piece of skin and moulding it into different roles behind a thin backdrop illustrating the creative urge to enliven the show.

Structure: The leather puppets are made of either goat or deer skin which is painted with vegetable dyes. Modernization has, however, taught the players to make leather puppets by using simple plastic x-ray sheets replacing the traditional animal skin. The leather puppets are flat structures and are transparent. The arms, legs and head of the puppet are movable. 

Music: The musical narration is simple and vivid, lending commendable support to the visual depiction. The extempore prose narration is interspersed with anecdotes and incidents. The indigenous musical instruments comprise of 'mrudanga' and the 'paware'. The sticks in 'paware' when rubbed against each other produce a peculiar but thrilling sound.

The puppet show requires a simple stage. A white screen is important since it is behind this that the puppets are played and on which shadows of the performing puppets are cast. The puppeteers hide themselves from the audience's view behind a thick black blanket. A lamp is hung behind the white screen. The reflection of the light falls on the puppets whose shadows ultimately appear on the transparent white cotton screen.

HARIKATHA 
Harikatha may be defined as a versatile and a composite art in which a single person indulges in the act of dramatization, consisting all the vital components of the theatre craft such as music, dance and dramatic presentation of the themes.

Harikatha, is a solo recitation which is a combination of literature and lilting lyrics which reflects rich musical and literary material in its content. Harikatha is known in one form or the other with different names like Katha, Katha Keerthan, Shiva Katha, Katha Kalashepam, Kathaprasangam keertan and Sankeertan etc in the country.

The present form of Harikatha is believed to be 150 years old and existed even during the early sixteenth century. Most of the religious festivals and special occasions are marked by 'Harikatha programmes'. The medium of Harikatha is the cheapest and the simplest mode of communication. It is a theatre craft which does not require a stage, set, scenery, costumes and other paraphernalia.

The Harikatha artiste is accompanied by two or more members and wears a simple, casual dress. The principal performer is the chief singer narrator of the story and is called Dassa or Keertankar. He is accompanied by few artistes in background to give him vocal support. Musical instruments like the mridanga, the tabala, the violin, the harmonium and the cymbals are played by them while the Keertankar plays castanets (a two part chinking instrument made of wood).

One of its important characteristics is that it enables the artiste to alter the message according to the mood of the audience and in the process of face to face communication, gauge the impact of the message on them. If the impact is adverse, he is free to change or disband the course through smooth switch-over to the old stories.

The other characteristic is its secular nature. It should be clearly said 'Harikatha' is non-ritualistic and may be staged on any occasion, religious or social. The theme is varied but it is usually centered on spiritual values and stories from Epics like Ramayana and the Mahabharata and Puranas or the Bible.

Reference:
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