List of Yakshagana plays in the Kannada language

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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]

Contents

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
PlayAuthorLocationPeriodEarliest available copy
Sugriva Vijaya [11] Kandukuru Rudrakavi16th century~1550
Virata Parva [12] Vishnu Varamballi Brahmavara 16th century1564
Banasura Kalaga [12] Vishnu Varamballi1683
Indra Kilaka [12] Vishnu Varamballi1678
Sambarasura Kalaga [12] Subramanya Nagire Gersoppa 16th century1623
Ravanodbhava [12] Subramanya Nagire16th-17th century
Krsna Sandhana [13] Devidasa Barkur or Udupi 16th century1665
Bhisma Parva [13] Devidasa1692
Abhimanyu Kalaga [13] Devidasa1695
Saindhava Vadha [13] Devidasa16th-17th century
Chitrasena Kalaga [13] Devidasa1695
Girija Kalyana [13] Devidasa16th-17th century
Krsnarjuna Putrakamesti [13] Devidasa1618
Indra Kilaka [13] Devidasa16th-17th century
Devi Mahatme [13] Devidasa16th-17th century
Babhruvahana Kalaga [13] Devidasa1647
Sri Krsna Balalila [13] Devidasa16th-17th century
Venkatesa Mahatme [13] Devidasa16th-17th century
Krsnarjuna Kalaga [14] VenkataPandesvar16th century1663
Tamradhavaja Kalaga [15] RamaSivapura16th century1691
Putrakamesti [16] Anonymous1652
Rukmini Swayamvara [8] Anonymous1678
Panchavati [8] Anonymous1657
Pattabhisheka [16] Anonymous1657
Kumbhakarna Vadha [16] Anonymous1652
Sabha Lakshana [16] Anonymous1623
Airavata [16] Anonymous1646
Kusalava [16] Anonymous1735
Krsna Balalila [16] Anonymous1652
Putrakamesti [16] Anonymous1651
Babhrvahana Kalaga [16] Anonymous17th century
Chandravali [17] NagappayyaDvajapura17th century1703
Nala Damayanti [17] Nagappayya17th-18th century
Ghatotkaca [17] Nagappayya17th-18th century
Gayacharitre [18] Halemakki RamaHalemakki17th century1618
Lava Kusa [19] Rama Bhatta Hattiangadi 17th century17th-18th century
Draupadi Swayamvara [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Atikaya [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Subhadra Kalyana [19] Rama Bhatta1716
Druva Charitre [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Rati Kalyana [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Kamsa Vadha [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Billa Habba [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Draupadi Vastrapaharana [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Rajasuya [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Sulochana Charite [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Setu Madhava [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Sesha Garvapaharana [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Girija Vilasa [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Indrajitu Kalaga [19] Rama Bhatta17th-18th century
Kanakangi Kalyana [20] Nityananda AvadhutaNot Known17th century1683
Parijata [20] Subba AjapuraBrahmavara18th century1698-1715
Rukmini Svayamvara [20] Subba Ajapura1698-1715
Mairavana Kalaga [21] Venkata AjapuraBrahmavara18th century1726
Manasa Charite [21] VenkannaMulki18th century1750
Samudra Mathana [21] Vasudeva Prabhu Mulki 18th century18th century
Chandrahasa-Billahabba [21] Vasudeva Prabhu1814
Kamsa Vadhe [21] Vasudeva Prabhu18th century
Radha Vilasa [21] Vasudeva Prabhu18th century
Rajasuya [9] Bhima Uttara Kannada 19th century19th century
Prahalada charite [9] Mayyavati Venkata Mangalore 19th century19th century
Bhisma Parva [9] Yennemadi Venkataramanayya Shirali 19th century19th century
Putrakamesti [9] Gersoppe SantappayyaGersoppa19th century1850
Karnarjuna Kalaga [9] Gersoppe Santappayya1850
Ratnavati Kalyana [22] LakshminaranappaNandalike19th century19th century
Kumara Vijaya [22] Lakshminaranappa19th century
Bhisma Vijaya [23] Narasimha Sastry Tirthahalli 20th century20th century
Vidyunmati Kalyana [23] Narasimha Sastry20th century

Notes

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

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References

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