A commemorative postage stamp on Yakshagana, traditional dance-drama (performing arts) of Karnataka, (South India) :

Issued by India

Issued on Feb 25, 2024

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue commemorative postage stamp on Yakshagana and salutes the important role of this traditional dance form in preserving our rich heritage and culture.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 302360

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Yakshagana is a unique and representative traditional performing art form of Karnataka State. In its evolution in the last six centuries, it has progressed much from its folk roots to a highly complex theatre from combining all the major art components discussed in Bharatha’s Natya Shastra.
• Yakshagana is a combination of dance and drama. It is a synthesis of four forms of Abhinaya namely Aharya, Angika, Vachika, and Sathvika. Its music, dance, costumes and dialogues are stylized. In its internal structure it has classical discipline and in its external expression it enjoys folk liberty. It is a whole night performance depicting the stories of the Ramayana, the Mahabharatha and the Puranas. Yakshagana is a kind of ritualistic Theatre art. It is moralistic in purpose and entertaining in performance. It is intellectually appealing and emotionally entertaining.
• There are many variants of Yakshagana in different parts of Karnataka and in other states as well Yakshagana, which is the more popular name in the modern times is also known as Ata (Play), Dashavatara Ata (depicting the ten Avataras of Lord Vishnu), Bayalata (Play in the open field) etc. The variant seen in the region from Dakshina Kannada to Kasaragod is called Thenku thittu (southern style) and the variant seen from Udupi up to Uttara Kannada it is called Badaga thittu (northern style).
• The term ‘Yakshagana’ has been interpreted variously and this aspect also throws light on the historicity of this theatre. Etymologically this name is a combination of two words ‘Yaksha’ and ‘Gana’. Yaksha not only means a group of demigods in Indian mythology but also implies ‘Worship’ (Yaksha Poojaayam). ‘Yakshaganam’ is also seen in Andhra Pradesh (Kuchupudi Yakshaganam). In old Kannada and Telugu literary texts the words (Ekkala) and (Jakkala) stand for a kind of song, a group of people or community who sing in a particular style. Researchers opine that this style of singing might have led to the birth of ‘Yakshagana’. After fifteenth Century we find a kind of composition of songs which are called ‘Yakshagana Prabhandam’ (Composition). These are song texts sung in temples during temple worship. What was once a form of singing gradually transformed to theatre.
• There are no books that describe the features of Yakshagana theatre (as there are Lakshana Granthas to describe Indian Classical music or dance). There is a collection of a few Sanskrit verses and Kannada Songs called ‘Sabhalakshana’ which provide some basic theoretical information about the lead singer (Bhagavat), dimensions of performing area etc. It also contains invocatory songs to Lord Ganapathi, Lord Krishna, Subrahmanya etc.
• The traditional performance of Yakshagana reveals its strong rustic folk features. Illiterate or less educated village artists performed Yakshagana, learning the art from senior artists. This is how all our folk arts have been handed down from generation to generation. In the last one hundred years there have been many changes. Many educated people in coastal Karnataka have become artists. Quite a few have studied Yakshagana with research interest. Many Theatre persons did experiments in Yakshagana with multi dimension growth a good model of Yakshagana has emerged with rigors and discipline of classical arts.
• Text : Based on information provided by the proponent.

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