About Us

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.

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

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.

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.

In the course of the last three decades Yakshagana Kendra has undergone a transmutation. The old building has been pulled down and the new Art complex Shivaprabha added features and facilities is inaugurated in 2006. Numerous individuals and institutions have helped to make this project a reality. 'Kamalaksha' a residence complex for teaching faculty of the Kendra is also ready. In total, the Kendra is now providing training in Yakshagana with all the modern facilities.


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		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. 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 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. 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. In the course of the last three decades Yakshagana Kendra has undergone a transmutation. The old building has been pulled down and the new Art complex Shivaprabha added features and facilities is inaugurated in 2006. Numerous individuals and institutions have helped to make this project a reality. 'Kamalaksha' a residence complex for teaching faculty of the Kendra is also ready. In total, the Kendra is now providing training in Yakshagana with all the modern facilities.
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Yakshagana Kendra, Yaksha Gurukulashikshana Trust, Shivaprabha, Vadirajavanam, Hayagreevanagara, UDUPI -576 102, Karnataka State, INDIA Yaksha Gurukulashikshana Trust, UDUPI- 576 102, Karnataka State, INDIA; email: mgmcollegeudupi@dataone.in