One Saturday afternoon this summer, we got a rare opportunity to watch a Yakshagana prasanga "Bhasmaasura Mohini" played by Yakshamitra Group from Toronto. Thanks to the organizers who made it possible for us to enjoy this performing art here in the Boston area. M and S also loved watching since it had many comic elements, and they were also able to appreciate better this time, because of the subtitles provided on a screen on one side of the stage. While the live 'himmeLa' made it very authentic, the actors in the "mumELa' played their roles to the T. A wonderful treat overall. This took me back to my elementary school days. Ask me why!
A huge part of those years was my training in Yakshagana. It was an all kids ensemble and we performed not only in many cities and towns in Karnataka, but were also invited to bring this as one of the main items to the 5th National Children's Assembly in Bal Bhavan Delhi. We were a team representing Karnataka. The two days long train journey back and forth between Bangalore and Delhi, attending a variety of workshops at the camp, performances on the open air stage at Bal Bhavan, and a meeting with the then Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi: all these made for a memorable 20 days. The huge metal trunks filled with costumes and props were put to another good use on the train journey. They were lined up to form a make-do stage for us to perform impromptu acts. Very entertaining :) This whole trip and the purpose of the National Children's Assembly was about fostering creativity in kids!
The Yakshagana prasanga was titled "kusha lavara kaaLaga", an episode from the epic Ramayana, in which yours truly played the role of 'Kusha', one of the twin sons of Rama and Sita. I remember the long rehearsals with dripping sweat on the red oxide floors, moving to the beats of 'chanDe' and 'maddaLe', having to memorize the dialogs and deliver them right after you have performed the rigorous routines and trying to catch a breath at the same time, competing with each other as to who can do the maximum number of jumping spins in the air(typical in the thenkutiTTu style of Yakshagana). It was such hard work that it called for supplements to a strictly vegetarian diet. I don't know whose suggestion it was, but Amma made an exception, and had me drinking raw eggs with milk (I hated it!) in order to build stamina. After each performance, when I returned home exhausted, there was the make-up removal routine. Smear face with coconut oil and wash with Mysore sandal soap and cold water from the "thoTTi", which was sufficient for the time being before going to bed. But it took the customary castor oil massage the next day with hot water from the 'hanDe' to clean it off completely, and make me look like me again. The soreness from tying the bun on top of the head so tightly used to last a couple of days.
Reminiscing my stint as a Yakshagana artist, albeit, once upon a time . . .
A huge part of those years was my training in Yakshagana. It was an all kids ensemble and we performed not only in many cities and towns in Karnataka, but were also invited to bring this as one of the main items to the 5th National Children's Assembly in Bal Bhavan Delhi. We were a team representing Karnataka. The two days long train journey back and forth between Bangalore and Delhi, attending a variety of workshops at the camp, performances on the open air stage at Bal Bhavan, and a meeting with the then Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi: all these made for a memorable 20 days. The huge metal trunks filled with costumes and props were put to another good use on the train journey. They were lined up to form a make-do stage for us to perform impromptu acts. Very entertaining :) This whole trip and the purpose of the National Children's Assembly was about fostering creativity in kids!
The Yakshagana prasanga was titled "kusha lavara kaaLaga", an episode from the epic Ramayana, in which yours truly played the role of 'Kusha', one of the twin sons of Rama and Sita. I remember the long rehearsals with dripping sweat on the red oxide floors, moving to the beats of 'chanDe' and 'maddaLe', having to memorize the dialogs and deliver them right after you have performed the rigorous routines and trying to catch a breath at the same time, competing with each other as to who can do the maximum number of jumping spins in the air(typical in the thenkutiTTu style of Yakshagana). It was such hard work that it called for supplements to a strictly vegetarian diet. I don't know whose suggestion it was, but Amma made an exception, and had me drinking raw eggs with milk (I hated it!) in order to build stamina. After each performance, when I returned home exhausted, there was the make-up removal routine. Smear face with coconut oil and wash with Mysore sandal soap and cold water from the "thoTTi", which was sufficient for the time being before going to bed. But it took the customary castor oil massage the next day with hot water from the 'hanDe' to clean it off completely, and make me look like me again. The soreness from tying the bun on top of the head so tightly used to last a couple of days.
Reminiscing my stint as a Yakshagana artist, albeit, once upon a time . . .
