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Yakshagana ‘melas’ (performing troupes) successful the coastal loop person kickstarted their regular circuit for 2025-26 play with 2 caller ‘melas’ taking commencement successful this touring play from November to May.
A circuit of the ‘melas’ contributes to the circulation of determination system arsenic an nighttime show involves squad enactment by antithetic stakeholders, successful summation to carrying guardant the practice of Yakshagana theatre.
The 2 caller performing troupes — Kukke Shree Subrahmanya Swamy Krupaposhita Yakshagana Mandali and the seventh troupe of implicit a century-old Durgaparameshwari Prasadita Dashavatara Yakshagana Mandali of Kateel — volition beryllium summation to already existing implicit 40 ‘melas’ successful the belt.
If Sri Jnanashakthi Subrahmanya Swamy Krupaposhita Yakshagana Mandali of Pavanje began its circuit from this November 2 (last Sunday), different implicit a period aged Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Krupaposhita Yakshagana Mandali started its circuit connected November 5. The Dharmasthala mela performs successful Dharmasthala municipality itself till November 22 and volition aboriginal signifier performances successful antithetic places.
Bappanadu Sri Durgaparameshwari Krupaposhita Dashavatara Yakshagana Mandali of Mulky began its circuit connected Sunday (November 9). Other troupes volition commencement their travel successful phases earlier mid-December.
S. A. Varkady, convener of caller Kukke Subrahmanya mela, which volition commencement its circuit from December 5, said that its 58 shows person been booked. The troupe has astir 40 members, including artists and helpers. All 7 troupes of Kateel mela volition commence their circuit from November 16.
Artists of Kateel Yakshagana mela get acceptable for a show astatine the 'chowki' (green room). | Photo Credit: H S MANJUNATH
Melas attracting professionals
Yakshagana theatre of precocious has been attracting galore graduates and station graduates successful antithetic professions, who are turning up arsenic part-time artists successful the ‘melas’ during night. After attending to their full-time jobs during time time, these professionals execute during the nighttime successful ‘melas’, arsenic precocious the troupes person switched from all-night performances to short-duration shows held from 6.30 p.m. till midnight.
Avinash Baipadittaya, a writer who discontinue a salient Kannada regular a fewer days agone to articulation Kateel mela arsenic a ‘maddale’ player, said that helium hailed from a household of performers arsenic his some parents were Yakshagana artists. “I grew up watching Yakshagana successful Kateel. It is the passionateness for the creation signifier which drew maine to Yakshagana theatre by quitting progressive journalism.”
Unlike yesteryears, artists switching implicit from 1 ‘mela’ to different successful the opening of each Yakshagana play has present emerged arsenic a taxable of treatment successful societal media with creation lovers and fans posting comments connected however the summation and quitting of artists volition interaction the spot and weakness of ‘melas’.
Meet of societal media influencers
As a caller development, the Kateel mela has organised a normal successful Kateel connected November 11 of societal media influencers who volition watercourse the performances of the mela unrecorded and stock accusation astir it connected societal media, earlier its circuit begins from November 16.
It volition clasp a store to grounds the past of the mela connected November 10. In addition, the mela has organised a normal of artists of its 7 troupes connected November 13.
