Bhramari Yakshamitraru Mangaluru Trust will organise an all-night free Yakshagana performance featuring four ‘prasangas’ at Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall here on August 3.
The ‘prasangas’ of Tenku Thittu school of Yakshagana – Panchavati, Kamsa Vivaha, Sudhanva Moksha and Mahiravana Kalaga – will be held from 9 p.m. on August 3 to 6 a.m. on August 4. Senior and veteran artists will present the show.
Titled ‘Bhramari Yakshavaibhava’, the trust is hosting the annual show for the seventh consecutive year.
Prior to commencing the Yakshagana performance on Saturday, the trust will present its annual ‘Bhramari Yakshamani’ award to senior artist Siddakatte Sadashiva Shettigar at a function in the same hall which will begin at 7 p.m. Sri Gopalakrishna Yakshagana Sangha, Kairangala and Manohar S. Kunder, senior photographer of Ermal Bada in Udupi district, will be awarded with ‘Bhramari Yakshaseva Puraskar’. Former Vice-Chancellor of Karnataka Folklore University K. Chinnappa Gowda will preside over this function.
Veteran artist
Mr. Shettigar is a senior ‘bannada veshadhari’ of Tenku Thittu. He learnt ‘bannada vesha’ from the late veteran Bannada Mahalinga. Mr. Shettigar has carved a niche in performing ‘bannada vesha’ in Yakshagana theatre.
The artist, who is now a performer in Hanumagiri Yakshagana Mela since past seven years, had earlier performed in Kateel Mela for about a decade. Later he performed in Dharmasthala mela for 13 years, in Hosanagara Mela for 10 years, and in Edaneeru Mela for a year. Mr. Shettigar has his a fan following for his roles like Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Mahishasura, Varaha, Simha, Gajendra, female colourful characters like Shuorpanakhi, Ajamukhi and Puthani. The character of Kakasura at ‘Sri Rama Karunya’ episode is a figment of his imagination.
Photo exhibition
Mr. Kunder, who has a collection of thousands of Yakshagana photos, will exhibit some of them at the same venue from 4 p.m, a release said.
