Artistes of Siddivinayaka Prasaditha Yakshagana Mandali, Hattiyangady presenting ‘Visha Kanye’ show at Guddeyangady in Udupi on November 12, 2024. | Photo credit: UMESH S SHETTIGAR
Yakshagana ‘melas’ (performing groups) in the coastal belt have started their daily tour for the season 2025-26 with two new ‘melas’ born this season from November to May.
The ‘melas’ tour contributes to the circulation of the regional economy as the nightly performance involves the teamwork of various stakeholders, apart from carrying the legacy of Yakshagana theatre.
Two new performing groups – Kukke Shree Subrahmanya Swamy Krupaposhita Yakshagana Mandali and the seventh group of the more than century-old Durgaparameshwari Prasadita Dashavatara Yakshagana Mandali of Kateel – will add to the already existing more than 40 ‘melas’ in the belt.
If Sri Jnanashakthi Subrahmanya Swamy Krupaposhita Yakshagana Mandali of Pavanje started its tour on 2nd November (last Sunday), another more than a century old Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Krupaposhita Yakshagana Mandali started its tour on 5th November.
Bappanadu Sri Durgaparameshwari Krupaposhita Dashavatara Yakshagana Mandali of Mulky started its tour on Sunday (November 9). The other groups will start their journey gradually by mid-December.
SA Varkady, the convener of the new Kukke Subrahmanya mela, which will begin its tour from December 5, said its 58 shows are booked. The ensemble has about 40 members, including artists and assistants. All the seven Kateel mela ensembles will start their tour from November 16.
Artistes of the Kateel Yakshagana mela prepare to perform in the ‘chowki’ (green room). | Photo credit: HS MANJUNATH
Melas attracts professionals
Lately, Yakshagana Theater has been attracting many graduates and post-graduates from various professions who appear as part-time performers in ‘melas’ at night. After pursuing their full-time jobs during the day, these professionals perform in “melas” at night, as recently the troupes have switched from all-night performances to short-term shows held from 6:30 p.m. to midnight.
Avinash Baipadittaya, a journalist who quit a prominent Kannada daily a few days ago to join the Kateel mela as a ‘maddale’ player, said he came from a family of artists as both his parents were Yakshagana artistes. “I grew up doing Yakshagana in Kateel. It is the passion for the art form that brought me to Yakshagana theater by leaving active journalism.”
Unlike previous years, artistes who moved from one ‘mela’ to another at the start of each Yakshagana season have now emerged as a topic of discussion on social media with art lovers and fans posting comments on how the addition and departure of artists will affect the strength and weakness of the ‘melas’.
Meeting of social media influencers
What’s new is that Kateel mela has organized a social media influencer convention at Kateel on November 11, who will live stream the mela’s performance and share information about it on social media before its tour starts from November 16.
On November 10, he will hold a workshop to record the history of the mela. In addition, the mela held a convention of artists of its seven ensembles on November 13.
Published – 9 Nov 2025 16:52 IST
