List of Yakshagana plays in the Kannada language explained

See main article: Yakshagana. Yakshagana (lit. "Songs of the demi-gods") is a composite folk-dance-drama or folk theater of southern India which combines literature, music, dance and painting. The best-known forms of this art, written in the Kannada language, are from the Dakshina Kannada, Udupi district, Uttara Kannada and to some extent from the Shimoga district of modern Karnataka.[1] [2] [3] According to the Kannada playwright and Yakshagana researcher Shivarama Karanth, there are over one hundred such plays written in Kannada in the past few centuries though not more than fifty have been staged and gained popularity.[4] The metrical forms used to compose these plays are usually native Kannada forms such as dvipadi (couplet, 2-line verse), caupadi (4-line verse), sangatya (also 4-line) and three or four types of shatpadi (6-line verse). Some Sanskritic metrical forms, such as the vrattas (4 line verse) and kandas (chapter) were also used for composition. The composed lines lend themselves to tala (beats) and are hence suitable for dance-dramas.[5]

There are a variety of dance-dramas collectively termed as Yakshagana. The Yakshagana Tenkutittu (lit. "Yakshagana of the southern style") is popular primarily in the Mangalore region and the Yakshagana Badagatittu Bayalaata (lit. "Yakshagana of northern style performed outdoors") is popular in Udupi and surrounding regions.[6] Other art forms also grouped under Yakshagana are the Nagamandalam, a dance meant to appease the deity Naga, and a variety of bhuta (spirit) dances.[2] The "Yakshagana Tenkutittu" is more akin to the classical Kathakali of Kerala.[2] According to Karanth, the region between Udupi and Ikkeri could be where the Yakshagana of the northern style originated.[7] Based on internal evidence, Karanth dates these plays to about a 100 years prior to their earliest available copy.[8] This list is not exhaustive. Many plays never reached the stage and among those that did, several plays may not have gained popularity or may longer be popular. Aliya Lingaraja, a member of the Mysore royal family and a writer in the Mysore court wrote more than forty plays which are not in this list.[9]

From about the 1960s, the Kannada Yakshaganas of the Tenkutittu style (southern style) have been replaced almost entirely by the Tulu language. According to Muthukumaraswamy and Kaushal this appears to be a form of "protest" against playing the traditional themes in Kannada taken from classical sources and a preference for local folk themes in Tulu language.[10]

The list

Noted Yakshagana plays in the Kannada language
bgcolor=#99CCFF Playbgcolor=#99CCFF Authorbgcolor=#99CCFF Locationbgcolor=#99CCFF Periodbgcolor=#99CCFF Earliest available copy
Sugriva Vijaya[11] Kandukuru Rudrakavi16th century~1550
Virata Parva[12] Vishnu Varamballi Brahmavara16th century1564
Banasura KalagaVishnu Varamballi 1683
Indra KilakaVishnu Varamballi 1678
Sambarasura KalagaSubramanya Nagire Gersoppa16th century1623
RavanodbhavaSubramanya Nagire 16th-17th century
Krsna Sandhana[13] Devidasa Barkur or Udupi16th century1665
Bhisma ParvaDevidasa 1692
Abhimanyu KalagaDevidasa 1695
Saindhava VadhaDevidasa 16th-17th century
Chitrasena KalagaDevidasa 1695
Girija KalyanaDevidasa 16th-17th century
Krsnarjuna PutrakamestiDevidasa 1618
Indra KilakaDevidasa 16th-17th century
Devi MahatmeDevidasa 16th-17th century
Babhruvahana KalagaDevidasa 1647
Sri Krsna BalalilaDevidasa 16th-17th century
Venkatesa MahatmeDevidasa 16th-17th century
Krsnarjuna Kalaga[14] Venkata Pandesvar 16th century1663
Tamradhavaja Kalaga[15] Rama Sivapura16th century1691
Putrakamesti[16] Anonymous 1652
Rukmini Swayamvara[17] Anonymous 1678
PanchavatiAnonymous 1657
PattabhishekaAnonymous 1657
Kumbhakarna VadhaAnonymous 1652
Sabha LakshanaAnonymous 1623
AiravataAnonymous 1646
KusalavaAnonymous 1735
Krsna BalalilaAnonymous 1652
PutrakamestiAnonymous 1651
Babhrvahana KalagaAnonymous 17th century
Chandravali[18] Nagappayya Dvajapura17th century1703
Nala DamayantiNagappayya 17th-18th century
GhatotkacaNagappayya 17th-18th century
Gayacharitre[19] Halemakki Rama Halemakki17th century1618
Lava Kusa[20] Rama Bhatta 17th century17th-18th century
Draupadi SwayamvaraRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
AtikayaRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Subhadra KalyanaRama Bhatta 1716
Druva CharitreRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Rati KalyanaRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Kamsa VadhaRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Billa HabbaRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Draupadi VastrapaharanaRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
RajasuyaRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Sulochana ChariteRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Setu MadhavaRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Sesha GarvapaharanaRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Girija VilasaRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Indrajitu KalagaRama Bhatta 17th-18th century
Kanakangi Kalyana[21] Nityananda Avadhuta Not Known 17th century1683
Parijata[22] Subba Ajapura Brahmavara18th century1698-1715
Rukmini SvayamvaraSubba Ajapura 1698-1715
Mairavana Kalaga[23] Venkata Ajapura Brahmavara 18th century1726
Manasa ChariteVenkanna Mulki 18th century1750
Samudra MathanaVasudeva Prabhu Mulki18th century 18th century
Chandrahasa-BillahabbaVasudeva Prabhu 1814
Kamsa VadheVasudeva Prabhu 18th century
Radha VilasaVasudeva Prabhu 18th century
Rajasuya[24] Bhima 19th century19th century
Prahalada chariteMayyavati Venkata19th century19th century
Bhisma ParvaYennemadi Venkataramanayya 19th century19th century
PutrakamestiGersoppe Santappayya Gersoppa 19th century1850
Karnarjuna KalagaGersoppe Santappayya 1850
Ratnavati Kalyana[25] LakshminaranappaNandalike 19th century19th century
Kumara VijayaLakshminaranappa 19th century
Bhisma Vijaya[26] Narasimha Sastry20th century20th century
Vidyunmati KalyanaNarasimha Sastry20th century

References

Notes and References

  1. Sahitya Akademi (1992), p. 4621
  2. Ashton (2003), p. 17 - 18, p. 27
  3. Brandon and Banham (1993), p. 115
  4. Karantha (1997), p.68
  5. Karantha (1997), p.69
  6. Ashton (2003), p. 17
  7. Karantha in Ashton (2003), pp. 21 - 22
  8. Karantha (1997), p.151
  9. Karantha (1997), p.173
  10. Muthukumaraswamy, Kaushal (2014), p.174
  11. Ashton (2003), p. 21 - 22
  12. Karantha (1997), p.162
  13. Karantha (1997), p.163
  14. Karantha (1997), p.164
  15. Karantha (1997), p.169
  16. Karantha (1997), p.165
  17. Karantha (1997), p.151
  18. Karantha (1997), p.167
  19. Karantha (1997), pp.167 - 168
  20. Karantha (1997), p.170
  21. Karantha (1997), p.171
  22. Karantha (1997), p.171
  23. Karantha (1997), p.172
  24. Karantha (1997), p.173
  25. Karantha (1997), pp.173-174
  26. Karantha (1997), p.174

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