Historical Background of Yakshagana Kendra

The Yakshagana Kendra was started in the year 1971 under the Guru Scheme of the Department of Culture, Government of India with the sole objective of providing formal training to young boys of the region on Yakshagana dance and music so that they could join professional troupes, soon after a short term training. ‘Yakshagana’ is a popular folk theatre form of Karnataka with a long history of nearly four hundred years. It is a unique harmony of musical tradition, eye-catching costumes, self generated styles of dance, gestures and acting with its extemporaneous dialogue appealing to a wide range of the community. In truth it is a vibrant, vigorous living form of performing arts. But it had one drawback: lack of systematic training to the artists, Bhagavathas etc. This lacuna engaged the attention of Dr. K. Shivarama Karanth who had, by his master research work, Yakshagana Bayalata tried to preserve this traditional art from the onslaught of vulgarization. Dr. Karanth with the assistance of Prof. K.S. Haridasa Bhat conducted a series of seminars and workshops to study the special features of Yakshagana and initiate steps to arrest the decline of the Yakshagana tradition. Out of these deliberations came the idea of starting the Yakshagana School. Prof. K.S. Haridasa Bhat, who was then the Principal of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College, Udupi persuaded his college trustees to provide a renovated building, just outside the college campus, to run the school.

The first Guru and Head of the school was late Sri Veera Bhadra Nayak, a veteran Yakshagana artist with an experience of forty years in the field behind him. He had retired from the Yakshagana Mela and was available to take up this responsibility of training young enthusiasts. He was appointed as the Guru on a salary of Rs. 500/- per month paid by the Department of Culture, Government of India. The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College Trust paid the salaries of two assistants, Late Sri Neelavara Ramakrishnaiah, the Bhagavatha and Sri Hiriadka Gopala Rao, the Maddalegar. A batch of 10 students was initially selected for one year training course. In the initial days they were provided free board by Sri Krishna Temple at Udupi. Later the Government of Karnataka sanctioned stipends to the 10 students of the first year.

CONTRIBUTION OF THE YAKSHAGANA KENDRA:

The Kendra has been providing systematic training to the enrolled students each year as per a syllabus drawn by the Guru originally in consultation with Dr. K. Shivarama Karanth. The Kendra has been providing training in an intensive form in a one year course. A second year advanced course has also been introduced and this is restricted to five students. Special endowments have been instituted to provide annual scholarship to a few of these advanced students. All the successful students have been gainfully employed by professional Yakshagana troupes. So far more than 350 artists have been provided by this Kendra to the professional troupes. The Kendra has attracted national and international attention. Many national and foreign scholars have taken advantage of the training facilities. Amateur artistes from the college and the neighbouring institutions have also been given coaching in dance and music.

The Kendra has brought out a few publications- Oddolaga, a compendium of articles on various aspects of Yakshagana; Yakshagana Sangeetha, a research work on Yakshagana music by Prof. M. Rajagopala Acharya; Yakshagana Pathagalu, a text book of Yakshagana music which has become a standard text book followed by other schools of Yakshagana. All these publications are the fruits of the work done in the Kendra.

The most significant contribution of the Yakshagana Kendra is the Yaksha Ranga, the Yakshagana dance ensemble, which has made Yakshagana nationally and internationally known. The Yaksha Ranga, the Yakshagana dance took up the presentation of the more sophisticated Yakshagana Ballet in which Dr. Karanth accentuated the effect of tradition by elimination of dialogue and other elements not harmonizing with the total effect and introducing many other innovations to make the presentation an uninterrupted flow of artistic effect with an universal appeal. The Yaksha Ranga presented about 165 shows throughout the length and breadth of India from Kanyakumari to Assam, from Chandigarh to Calcutta. The Yaksha Ranga has visited many countries- Hongkong, Bangkok, Japan, England, Russia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Brazil, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Italy, Germany, Scotland, Sweden etc. and has made the Yakshagana Kendra really international in its impact.

This was due to the foresight and initiative of Prof. K.S. Haridasa Bhat, who by the wide range of contacts of his students and friends, could arrange the presentation of the shows in other States, thereby activating the process of dissemination and cultural exchange.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

The present Executive Committee of the Yakshagana Kendra is constituted by the following members:

  1. Sri T.Mohandas Pai: Chairman
  2. Prof. H. Krishna Bhat: Secretary/Director
  3. Principal, MGM College: Member
  4. Sri Sanjeeva Suvarna: Member
  5. Sri Hiriadka Gopala Rao: Member
  6. Dr. H. Shantharam: Member
  7. Dr. Bhaskarananda Kumar: Member
  8. Sri NB Vijaya Ballal: Member
  9. Dr. P.L.N. Rao: Member
  10. Sri Amar Pai: Member

The Executive Committee oversees the functioning of the Yakshagana Kendra. It selects the students every year on the basis of a personal interview and also awards them the certificates after successful completion of the training. The Executive Committee maintains the accounts of the Yakshagana Kendra. During the formative years the initiative and drive of Dr. Kota Shivarama Karanth and Prof. K.S. Haridasa Bhat contributed largely to the growth of the Kendra. After the demise of Dr. Kota Shivarama Karanth & Prof. KS Haridasa Bhat the Mahathma Gandhi Memorial College Trust appointed Prof.H. Krishna Bhat as the Director.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE GURUS:

During the last twenty three years there have been four Gurus. The Guru is now designated as the Principal of the Yakshagana Kendra. The successive Gurus are:

  1. Late Sri Veerabhadra Naik
  2. Late Sri Neelavara Ramakrishnayya
  3. Late Sri Mahabala Karanth
  4. Sri Neelavara Laxminarayanayya
  5. Late Gorpady Vittal Patil
  6. Sri Sanjeeva Suvarna

The Gurus have taken keen interest in their work and have spared no efforts in giving useful and wholesome training to the students placed in their charge. One of the Gurus, Late Sri Neelavara Ramakrishnayya, brought out a book ‘Yakshagana Swabodhini’ which is followed by the students and teachers of Yakshagana throughout the region. His music of ‘ Bhishma Vijaya’ was recorded by HMV who have brought out LP Records of the same.

AS A RESOURCE CENTRE:

This Kendra is instituted mainly to provide systematic training in the best-known form of folk performing art of the region viz. Yakshagana. As such it can function as a resource centre for this form of theatre in the regional/ national level. It should be remembered that this Kendra is serving only as a training centre for one form of Yakshagana- Badagu- Thittu or northern school, Udupi, with wide patronage in Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and parts of Chikkamagalur and Shimoga districts of Karnataka. There are other forms: Tenku Thittu, popular in Dakshina Kannada and in Kasaragod region of Kerala, the Moodalapaya Yakshagana of old Mysore region.

Quite a number of enthusiasts from abroad- Rama from Germany, John Alee from Australia, Mrs. Martha Ashton from U.S.A., Bruna Sirabella from Italy- to name a few-underwent training in the Kendra for varying periods and have benefitted by the Kendra.

MERGER OF THE SCHEME:

There is no desire on the part of the Executive Committee to ask for merger of the scheme with other schemes. The Kendra should function as an autonomous and independent institution with the support from the Central Government.

In the late 70’s the college purchased a piece of Government land in the vicinity measuring 2 acres to expand Yakshagana Kendra into a complex of open air-theatre, museum, library and residential houses. But the Government of India acquired the land for the construction of the Konkan Railway and this project had to be given up temporarily.

The Kendra has now prepared a blue-print for a vertical development-erection of a new multi-storied building in its present site to house the following:

a. Halls for training sessions b. Auditorium for public performance c. Museum d. Library e. Costume Room f. Apartments for the residential facilities for teachers and scholars

The project is estimated to cost Rs. 30,00,000/-. It is hoped that the Central Government will come forward to offer assistance to carry out the project. The Kendra will raise 25% of the funds needed if the government offers to grant 75% of the cost of the project (Applied and did not materialize).

An enhancement of the amount of the annual grant for the Yakshagana troupe is also requested. At present only 12 artists are allowed in the group, which is a great handicap. With nearly 6 musicians in the accompaniment, the number of actors gets limited to 12 which limits the range of performance.

Though recently the Government has sanctioned an increase in the number of artistes, the sanction has not yet materialized in the form of release of grants for the additional artistes engaged by the troupe.

It is necessary to provide for the future of these artists. They have not enjoyed any oldage benefits like pension or provident fund. It would be necessary to introduce the system. Implementation of a group insurance scheme and a mediclaim scheme would lead to greater security for the teachers.

It is the desire of the Executive Committee that this Institution should be developed and brought on par with institutions like Mahakavi-Vallattol’s Kala Mandalam in Kerala; Prof. Rukmini Devi- Arundale’s Kalakshetra in Adyar and it requests the Government of India to provide financial aid to build up the required infrastructural facilities to meet the salaries of staff and other administrative expenditure, and to grant scholarships/studentships to those who enrol themselves for training in this performing art form.

It is requested that the feasibility of starting a Children’s Yakshagana troupe under the auspices of the Yakshagana Kendra be considered. Children trained for one year or two years could be drafted into the troupe and be asked to present shows in different schools and highschools in a few selected districts of the state so that the young people become familiar with this unique art form. It would arouse interest in the youngsters to take to arts like music and dance more seriously. The Yakshagana Kendra would then get a proper feed back. If the government has any schemes for the adoption of this project a suitable proposal with estimated budget etc. would be presented in due course.

CONCLUSION:

After having served the cause of Yakshagana for nearly 30 years the Kendra has reached the stage of deserving to be placed on a permanent footing. Instead of just being maintained it deserves to be promoted into a National Arts Centre. The Centre has proved its mettle by sincerely trying to fulfill the objectives of the granting authorities. Care has been taken to see that the funds are properly utilized. The Kendra has become a byword for quality and merit. There are few comparable institutions with such dedicated men to serve the cause of the arts with such single minded devotion. It is hoped that the great efforts of the Management of Mahathma Gandhi Memorial College Trust, the Gurus of the Yakshagana Kendra, Prof. K.S. Haridasa Bhat and Late Dr. Kota Shivarama Karanth to perpetuate the glory of Yakshagana through preserving its traditional form by means of systematically imparted training will have a permanent imprint in history.

If adequate financial support comes from the Department the Kendra plans to produce two more episodes: Shabari Moksha and Anguli Mala of two hour duration. The former one of course, is from the Ramayana but the latter is an adaptation of a Buddhist lore in Yakshagana Style. The composition of text has been already done by Prof. Amrith Someshwara, a well-known writer of Yakshagana prasangas of the region.